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Plane down in MI. Pilot safe. Mooney?

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A64Pilot Grand Master

A64Pilot

Posted
Posted
21 hours ago, exM20K said:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/267788

201 out of OZW.  

Much better outcome landing in a bean field than a corn field this time of year!

-dan

A friend had an engine failure in a Kit Fox and put it in a Soy Bean field. Pretty much as soon as the mains touched the beans grabbed them and put it on its back.

‘I went with him to the FSDO. He went to show the inspector that Rotax (two stroke) in its operating manual said something to the effect that engine seizure is to be expected, which sort of makes engine failure a normal operating condition :)

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carusoam Grand Master

carusoam

Posted
Posted


Cornfield physics?

1) How many pounds of force does it take to pull out a corn stock?

2) What is the tensile strength of the corn stalk itself?

3) How many corn stocks does it take to arrest a Mooney in about 75 feet…. From Vs.?

It appears that the corn stocks resist getting cut in half, as they wrap back over the wing…. Where there is a fight between the strength of the stalk and the strength of its roots…

 

GU landings on a hard surface often have a stopping distance of about 200’… after coming to a grinding halt…

The corn appears to be a good test of the seat belt system… :)

PP thougts only, not a mechanic or physicist…

Best regards,

-a-

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Stetson20 Proficient

Stetson20

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  • Author
Posted

Interesting thought. It's the rate of deceleration that kills you. Was the gear up or down? Maybe the mature corn stalks acted like a giant emas pad, in effect rapidly slowing the airplane in a safe deceleration regime. 
 

On the opposite side of the coin, those ears of corn could literally beat you to death if you lost your windshield and hit them at 90+ MPH. 
 

Random thoughts.

exM20K Veteran

exM20K

Posted
Posted

I think it was last year…l a frequent poster over on beechtalk (where I don’t hang out anymore) put his v tail into a corn field with not great results.  Plane probably destroyed, serious injuries, etc.   in my youth, I may have run a Jeep CJ5 through a cornfield without putting the windshield down. Oops.

not just the stalks, but the ears will whack the crap out of everything.  You don’t always have a choice, but I’d pt a corn field pretty far down the list of suitable landing spots this time of year.  Glad this one worked out and hope plane is economically repairable.

-dan

exM20K Veteran

exM20K

Posted
Posted
On 9/18/2021 at 12:42 PM, A64Pilot said:

A friend had an engine failure in a Kit Fox and put it in a Soy Bean field. Pretty much as soon as the mains touched the beans grabbed them and put it on its back.

‘I went with him to the FSDO. He went to show the inspector that Rotax (two stroke) in its operating manual said something to the effect that engine seizure is to be expected, which sort of makes engine failure a normal operating condition :)

Yeah, but especially with the gear up, I think a mooney would do ok in a bean field.

never had the “pleasure” of operating a Rotax 2 stroke but was very fond of the 912 and 914 in the Diamond motorglider 

DXB Grand Master

DXB

Posted
Posted

Even self-appointed aviation safety czar and legend in his own mind, Dan Gryder of the "DTSB",  couldn't keep from flipping over after putting a C152 into a corn field.

I'd say this Mooney pilot did just fine ;).  Gear up is the way to go in a plane vs. corn scenario.

 

image.png.ea64ca6eab839fc6d993d1357de7adec.png

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aviatoreb Grand Master

aviatoreb

Posted
Posted
On 9/19/2021 at 1:24 PM, Stetson20 said:

Interesting thought. It's the rate of deceleration that kills you. Was the gear up or down? Maybe the mature corn stalks acted like a giant emas pad, in effect rapidly slowing the airplane in a safe deceleration regime. 
 

On the opposite side of the coin, those ears of corn could literally beat you to death if you lost your windshield and hit them at 90+ MPH. 
 

Random thoughts.

So a corn strike is kind of like a bird strike?  But usually happens at a much lower altitude.

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Cruiser Grand Master

Cruiser

Posted
Posted
On 9/18/2021 at 4:50 PM, 1980Mooney said:

The reason it stopped so short is because the tough cornstalks were beating against the wings.  Unlike the usual belly landing it looks like the momentum was arrested by forces against the wings. It is like a carrier landing except the wings were snagged.  That can't be good.  

Wouldn't be surprised to see this old J scrapped.  

yep, cornstalks and leading edges are incompatible. 

Stetson20 Proficient

Stetson20

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On 9/22/2021 at 4:47 PM, aviatoreb said:

So a corn strike is kind of like a bird strike?  But usually happens at a much lower altitude.

Corn strike = FLOCK of birds strike! :blink::D

Will.iam Grand Master

Will.iam

Posted
Posted

Had a Neighbohr’s brother takeoff in his Mooney out of a field up in Wisconsin that had corn stalks nearby. Airplane drifted enough off center of the grass strip to have the wing tip start hitting the stalks. Rudder was not enough to arrest the ensuing cart wheel which totaled the plane. Neighbohr still wishes he had the plane. 

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