Still in Denial

[kelty]

Well I am still in denial, but I landed my J in a tree not to long ago.  I was on my way to dinner with the fiance and about 5 miles from the runway the engine quit.  Being at pattern speed and altitude didn't leave much of an option, I tried for an open field, but didn't have quite enough energy to make it there, hit the trees about 100 yards away.  Good news is that we both walked away just fine and the insurance has been a very easy process.  I would be in the market for a new plane right now, but apparently weddings are expensive.  We are getting married in September and I am going on deployment in October, so gonna save up and get a new plane after cruise.  

So for the bad news, my little airport was out of gas and I thought I had enough to make it to dinner and get gas there.  Well apparently I mathed wrong.  I flew mostly C brands and did not think about hitting the boost pump when I switched tanks.  Probably would have helped.  

 

Sad Sad Sad

[carusoam]

Kelty,

You've done well.

Best regards,

-a-

[Hank]

Oh, man , . . But the two of you walked away, right? That means you did well, and the plane protected you like Al Mooney designed it to do. It can be replaced, you and your fiancé cannot. Have a drink and relax now.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Hank

[kelty]

We definitely had a drink.  The fiance has already given me permission to buy another plane and says that she only wants to fly in Mooneys because of the way that it protected us.  She just "recommends" that I wait till after deployment.  I am having withdrawls though..   

[carusoam]

Move the wedding date closer...

You have a keeper!

Best regards,

-a-

[kelty]

14 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Move the wedding date closer...

You have a keeper!

Best regards,

-a-

Ya she made me promise that night that we go fly again soon.  Borrowed my cousin's plane and it was a little rough, but she is good to fly now.  

[merrja]

Can I ask how you got out?  It looks like the tree is blocking the door,  Glad you are safe and sound!

[bonal]

Man that sucks really sorry about your mishap but thankful you were both ok. Where were you headed.

[Bug Smasher]

I'm glad you're both okay, I'm sorry your bird was crunched. 

[LANCECASPER]

22 minutes ago, merrja said:

Can I ask how you got out?  It looks like the tree is blocking the door,  Glad you are safe and sound!

Baggage door?

[Skates97]

Glad you are both safe.

[DXB]

36 minutes ago, kelty said:Ya she made me promise that night that we go fly again soon.  Borrowed my cousin's plane and it was a little rough, but she is good to fly now.  

Wow kelty. Thank you for being courageous in sharing a very rough experience.  You're lucky, perhaps even more so in love than in aviation.  Best wishes with both in the future!  

[Steve Dawson]

Glad to hear your both alright

[PTK]

Certainly glad you walked away from this one!

You may lack simple arithmetic skills but you most certainly make up for it and did very well in finding the right woman! 

Congratulations and all the best in your future!

[Raptor05121]

Amazing you walked away from that.

I also doubt boost pump would have helped anything.

[midlifeflyer]

Glad you guys are ok. I'll pass on something a friend said with a smile  to me and my wife after a harrowing but successful emergency outcome:

"well, you can cross that off your list." 

Didnt make me feel that much better about my role in bringing on the emergency, but my wife thought it was exactly the thing for her to hear.

[mike_elliott]

I am so glad you are both ok, and we don't have to write a "letter" to your surviving family.

[Marcopolo]

The best possible outcome was realized and executed succcessfully, great job!

 

Ron

[Ftlausa]

Nicely done with the tree top landing.  You demonstrated skill in "flying the plane all the way to the crash," and as a consequence walked away from it with your life and body intact.  Unfortunately, too many people panic and end up in a stall spin, which dramatically decreases the chance of survival.  Mooney -- no chute required!

[rbridges]

nice aim.  two feet to the right, and you would have had a cockpit full of tree and engine.  Glad you made it safely!

[PTK]

Now that we all are very happy you and your fiancee walked away safe and over the touchy-feely "...you did great..."  phase, can we know what happened so we can all learn something?

You plan to go to dinner and you know some fuel would sure be nice but your airport has no fuel. You take off anyway, because you had to fly to get dinner, and...you run out of fuel. In the process you destroyed a perfectly good airplane, almost killed yourself and your fiancee, contributed to negative publicity regarding GA and also contributed to our insurance rates increasing. You did well!

How did this happen? What could you have done differently? Did you get dinner?

 

[kelty]

8 hours ago, merrja said:

Can I ask how you got out?  It looks like the tree is blocking the door,  Glad you are safe and sound!

I had her open the door a few seconds prior to impact hoping that we would be able to get out that way.  But yes, as you can see we were pinned against the tree.  Branches came through the back right window so I got in the back seat, kicked the window out and was able tor each around and open the baggage door.

[kelty]

8 hours ago, bonal said:

Man that sucks really sorry about your mishap but thankful you were both ok. Where were you headed.

We were headed to Harris Ranch, only about 30 miles away

[Oldguy]

Sorry to hear about the plane, but awfully glad you are the one writing about it.

[alex]

4 minutes ago, PTK said:

Now that we all are very happy you and your fiancee walked away safe and over the touchy-feely "...you did great..."  phase, can we know what happened so we can all learn something?

On your way to dinner you ran out of fuel and in the process destroyed a perfectly good airplane and almost killed yourself and your fiancee. How did this happen? What could you have done differently?

 

That didn't take long....