Some fine flying that saved a lot of lives
Of course crashes are some of the most dramatic happenings in aviation.
But, not all crashes result in catastrophes … or in the death of hundreds of passengers.
As an airline captain I was trained to always land on whatever wheels were available instead of trying to land on the belly.
The theory being that the landing gear … or whatever part of them was available … will absorb a lot of the impact and dissipate much of the energy generated in a crash landing.
This pilot appears to have done everything he could to get his gear down and locked, including violent maneuvers and bouncing the aircraft on the run way a few times befog actually trying to land.
He did a great job of flying throughout this entire incident.
He also apparently talked to his passengers and kept them informed throughout what was clearly a long and harrowing experience.
The best way to combat fear in passengers is to keep them informed so they in effect become part of the process.
In the end he gently set his crippled ship down on a well foamed runway with only the nose and right main gear extended … and with NO fire or injury to any of his passengers.
In doing that it was a ‘successful’ flight … albeit a little more adventure packed than intended … or bargained for.
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