Plane Lands Atop Truck

[4_Series_Scania]

This is probably one of the funniest things i've heard on the forums. Do you think if it made a really big jolt he would have heard it?

Now, for why it landed on the truck, I see it like this. The truck would have been travelling at 70mph. The plane, even when gliding would have been at the same speed at least. So the pilot see's a clear highway and decides to attept an emergancy landing there. This is while the truck is below and behind. So the pilot loses hight and lines up with the road, the truck is still behind and below and so cannot be seen by the aircraft. The aircraft slows up for landing, the truck catches up and is directly below the aircraft. The aircraft then decends some more in an attempt to land and ends up on top of the truck which is still below the aircraft. The aircraft then flips off the truck and lands on the road upside down and behind the truck. Now they can see it.

It's probably a good thing they did land on top of the truck. It wouldn't have been good if they'd landed on the road only to have the truck plough into their tail.

Hmm, what I wrote did'nt really make much sence at all did it?

LOL!

Ok, its like this, unless the pilot really thumped down damn hard on the trailer, the truck driver certainly would'nt have felt a thing - the "5th Wheel" or the way the trailer is coupled up to the tractor unit  sees to that!

I'm still at a loss as to why out of all that highway, the pilot picked the roof of a semi trailer to land...... Nutter!  ;D

[Woodlouse2002]

Because as I explained, the truck was most probably behind and below. How many aircraft have a window to let you see that?

[4_Series_Scania]

In the UK, trucks are govorned to 56MPH - do the states still have that 55MPH limit? I'd have thought the trucker would be going slower than 55.......


True, Woody, I'd hate to see a light aircraft drop infront of my truck when I'm doing 50+  

[Hagar]

Maybe he'd been watching this chap.

[Felix/FFDS]

[quote]In the UK, trucks are govorned to 56MPH - do the states still have that 55MPH limit? I'd have thought the trucker would be going slower than 55.......


True, Woody, I'd hate to see a light aircraft drop infront of my truck when I'm doing 50+

[4_Series_Scania]

The limits on most highways are 65 or 70mph ... I've had trucks pass me when I'm into the 80's.

That surprises and scares me! - Especially in the wet!  :o

[beefhole]

Heh, welcome to the way we do it in the states.  Fast.  Always.  ;D

[Hagar]

If you think that's fast you should see a national express bus.

[Deputy]

Because as I explained, the truck was most probably behind and below. How many aircraft have a window to let you see that?

Planes generally move, actually, always move foreward. Therefore, unless the truck was moving faster than the plane, the pilot would either be blind or really stupid to not see the truck. Trailers are what, 35-40 feet long and 6-8 feet wide. Kinda hard to miss.

[gn85]

If the truck was behind the plane, don't you think the truck driver would have seen a plane above him.  I know when I drive down the road, I will occasionally see planes in my mirrors or above me if they're in a strange place or driving under a flight path.  

Although, the pilot may not have had much choice.  Dead engine, loosing speed.  If it just so happens that the stretch of road the pilot was thinking of landing on was occupied by a truck, he may have to choose landing on the truck.  He can't side-step and land in the lane next to him.  The wing would hit the trailor, flipping the plane.  Can't land in the opposing travel lanes.  Can't speed up, can't slow down.  

Let's just say he picked a heck of a time for a stunt flying debut.

[Woodlouse2002]

Planes generally move, actually, always move foreward. Therefore, unless the truck was moving faster than the plane, the pilot would either be blind or really stupid to not see the truck. Trailers are what, 35-40 feet long and 6-8 feet wide. Kinda hard to miss.

Remember that this plane's engine had given up. So by the time both parties made contact the truck was probably going faster or at least the same speed.

[Hagar]

No matter how it happened, hitting that truck probably messed up a perfecly successful forced landing. On the other hand it might have prevented an even worse accident. Who can say?

Speculation is useless without knowing the full facts. Fortunately it seems to have worked out OK for all concened. I doubt the same can be said for the aircraft.

[4_Series_Scania]

No matter how it happened, hitting that truck probably messed up a perfecly successful forced landing. On the other hand it might have prevented an even worse accident. Who can say?

Speculation is useless without knowing the full facts. Fortunately it seems to have worked out OK for all concened. I doubt the same can be said for the aircraft.

I've found a reference to this on a truckers forum I use, alas, I've mislaid the link


I bet both Pilot and Trucker will be "dining out" on this story for years to come!  ;D

[Saitek]

I would guess, that he was trying to land on the road as a better altrnative to elsewhere and thought his odds were good enough to risk it there, coming in most drivers behind would see him and stop - even if they themselves got smashed into by cars behind. Maybe the road was pretty clear too which in that case would have made it a good landing strip!

But maybe he just had no alternative as he would have been almost at stall speed if not in a stall by that time.

[Hagar]

I would guess, that he was trying to land on the road

I haven't studied the news reports closely but why does everyone assume that the pilot was attempting to land on the road? It seems more likely to me that he was aiming at a field or piece of waste land beside the road & the truck got in his way at the last moment as he was crossing the road. Of course, by this time he was committed & with no power it would have been impossible to do anything about it.