Pilot hits concrete wall at an event then takes off again. Was this as dangerous as it looks?
Posted by This_Explains_A_Lot@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 455 comments
Expensive_Loquat517@reddit
that was the Australian Bathurst also there was a f35 there
Quantum-Smoke@reddit
Fake
Tiny-Papaya-1256@reddit
Where did he hit? I saw a very close call by the cement divider ...
4x4Welder@reddit
At the turn after landing, the wing barely missed but the right tip of the horizontal stabilizer smacked the wall. When he comes back by, you can see the end of the elevator curled up a bit, and after takeoff it is rolled a bit to that side.
Tiny-Papaya-1256@reddit
It took me a couple of times looking at it...I was waiting for a propeller to wall hit
Tiny-Papaya-1256@reddit
4x4welder: I saw it .... didn't notice it the first 2 times I watched it...
Electronicanonymous@reddit
The Australian pilot’s name when pronounced with an Australian accent, kinda sounds like “He didn’t pull in”.
sur-la-plaque@reddit
CASA is going to have a friendly chat with him tomorrow, that's for sure.
But yes, that plane is effectively no longer airworthy until the damage has been assessed.
dave-y0@reddit
This is Bathurst mate not bankstown airport. We don't worry about a little wall kiss here....
Sghtunsn@reddit
Exactly. Wall kiss. Love tap. Much ado. And, I am sorry, but "hits concrete wall"? No. And whatever those tail fins are made out of, I am guessing Titanium, but it didn't flinch on impact, because I had to look at it a couple times just to confirm it even hit the wall because I didn't see any deformity of the fin.
fitzburger96@reddit
That stabiliser is made of thin gauge aluminium as a best case, and more likely for that type of aircraft, carbon fibre/fibreglass. Which is incredibly strong in one direction of force, but crumbles if hit from anywhere else
Sghtunsn@reddit
What I edited out was hearing the announcer say something about it being the fastest stunt plane in the world, or fastest of this model, as such they have to customize it beyond the others somehow. So I just threw out Ti because that's a rung up from Al in every other application I am aware of. And I would have expected Al to crumple here, because that was a "Whack!". And I don't know what the lifespan of a plane like this is, but I don't think carbon fibre is built to last, it seems to get brittle over time. And I think Magnesium is even lighter and "stronger" than Ti, because it replaces it on a lot of high end bikes for the wheels and brake rotors. So if I want to build the baddest stunt plane ever I am going to take a look at Magnesium and Ti. And probably the last thing I would look at is fibreglass because it's too thick and you can't weld it. And Eddy Merckx bikes were steel, Cannondale both Aluminum and OCLV Carbon Fibre, and Litespeed Titanium. No fibreglass bicycles though. And anybody who rides knows the trade offs, so I am not exactly "flying blind" here ;-). But I obviously need to do some homework before commenting further on this topic, so thanks for the nudge.
Affentitten@reddit
Came here to say this.
P3t3R_Parker@reddit
This is how they roll in Bankstown.
SantiagoGT@reddit
If you ain’t rubbing you ain’t racing
viperlemondemon@reddit
At least he didn’t cartwheel over like Fabian did awhile back
DangerousPlane@reddit
Yeah looks fine to me
This_Explains_A_Lot@reddit (OP)
Indeed the authorities have decided to have a little more than a chat about this. The ATSB have now opened an investigation into the incident.
DrSendy@reddit
Yep... it's gonna be a bit of a crap week for the pilot. They needed to just open the gate and park that plane up.
tman2747@reddit
I mean he could have just thought his tail got stuck in the grass
DarthPineapple5@reddit
That was a bit more than just lightly clipping the wall. Plane might not be badly damaged because it so light but I have a hard time believing the pilot didn't realize what happened
tman2747@reddit
Any respectful pilot I know wouldn’t have taken back off if they thought they had any damage to their plane like that. Surely he didn’t understand what happen or he’s crazy. one of the two
Weary_Language_2825@reddit
Kinda looked like he was working that rudder more than just keeping it straight ensuring it was operational, but I could be wrong.
It also looked like a cross wind when he was landing so it could have just been that.
Swoop3dp@reddit
There is no way nobody said anything on the radio to him. Or the guy that picked up the trophy.
habu-sr71@reddit
He didn't think that. The shock through the airframe from the stabilizer hitting the concrete is unmistakable. He would have felt it in his body and also through the control stick.
Old_Sparkey@reddit
It is amazing how some of the most minor bumps into an aircraft sound and feel catastrophic.
habu-sr71@reddit
Yeah...especially with a highly tensile carbon fiber plane like that. So little shock absorbing characteristics with carbon. How that guy wasn't too scared to keep flying is beyond me.
RonaldoCrimeFamily@reddit
Maybe he thought he ran over a turtle
roman5588@reddit
Similar has happened with the reno air races when a trim tab separated.
Graphic distressing video alert: https://youtu.be/XfRo3Orzsac
soulscratch@reddit
Cause was completely different with that one though, it was not damaged but it had an illegal modification regarding the trim.
roman5588@reddit
The why is different, but ultimately a bolt and control surface failed leading to the instantaneous and irrecoverable loss of control into the crowd.
A solid impact like this could certainly lead to an elevator, chunk of a horizontal stabiliser or even the entire tailplane to break off leading to a near identical event. Aircrafts are incredibly fragile and unforgiving.
jc2065@reddit
‘Aircraft’ (pl)
gmanpeterson381@reddit
My flight instructor has said before “flying an airplane isn’t terribly hard, but there isn’t usually a next time if you get it wrong”
roman5588@reddit
Yep, I was also told by my CFI ‘Better to Be on the ground wishing you were in the Air than in the Air wishing you were on the ground’.
Hard to just pull over and check you tightened that fuel cap once in the air
dasreboot@reddit
Didn't they reuse nylock nuts?
MikeForVentura@reddit
Au contraire, mon frére, I find it quite credible that airplanes are fragile.
ChevTecGroup@reddit
Yeah I'd be super concerned that the elevator would have gotten jammed up and unusable
senorpoop@reddit
It was not an "illegal modification." Galloping Ghost was operated under an experimental certificate like every other air racer. Almost every P51 flown in the Unlimited class had the same trim tab modification as Galloping Ghost.
soulscratch@reddit
Modified and then not reported to FAA as required by law. I would consider than an illegal modification
TheAgedProfessor@reddit
Tell me you don't understand the experimental/unlimited class without telling me. It's not CA... you don't have to "report" modifications to the FAA.
Hiraeth1968@reddit
An Aircraft Dispatcher I worked with was killed at that crash. Rest well, Craig.
roscoes_dry_suit@reddit
It makes me so sad and angry for the people that lost their lives and those who witnessed it as a result of the pure negligence that took place to allow that to happen. I loved the air races and it was such a unique intersection of history and modern ingenuity, but what they did with that airplane was so irresponsible and it is beyond tragic that others had to pay the price for it. Beyond the obvious tragedy, it was also the death knell for the event itself, even if it was a decade before the air races met their end.
Rest easy, Craig.
Hiraeth1968@reddit
Agreed.
Thank you.
ill_die_on_this_hill@reddit
Next beers for Craig.
Hiraeth1968@reddit
Thank you.
Food-NetworkOfficial@reddit
Rest well, Craig.
Az0riusMCBlox@reddit
😢
Hiraeth1968@reddit
❤️
DrunkenDude123@reddit
Or something simply broke loose from the impact and then drops off of the plane while it’s back in the air. Even if the plane can fly it is still a hazard
garrywolfe@reddit
You can even see that right horizontal stab is damaged in the video while he’s taxing. Right on the end you can tell it’s smashed. Terribly irresponsible for sure.
eyeoutthere@reddit
Week? This is going to take months to sort out.
Iclouda@reddit
Bomber pilots from WW2 were flying planes with half their engines gone missing 30% of the plane’s mass
sur-la-plaque@reddit
Bomber pilots from WW2 were also not bound by the Civil Aviation Act of 1988 lol
OldOrchard150@reddit
Well, actually the only person who can declare or determine if an aircraft is airworthy is actually the pilot. The FAA or CASA can question that decision or violate the pilot for breaking a regulations, but not even an A&P or IA mechanic can declare an airplane airworthy or not. They can not issues or deficiencies, but the pilot gets to determine whether the issues are a problem.
Food-NetworkOfficial@reddit
The show must go on 💪🏻
Porkchopp33@reddit
He didn’t even take a peek at possible damage
balsaaaq@reddit
Flesh wound
The_Black_kaiser7@reddit
When he landed he should have kept the flaps diwn and reduced speed.
star744jets@reddit
Experienced pilot here. This plane should have stayed on the ground . After banging that wall, it became a life-threatening experimental flying object .
LearningDumbThings@reddit
100%. Take a look at the rear outboard corner of that elevator at 0:56 - there absolutely appears to be damage.
Timo_schroe@reddit
There are even flying Parts away
https://imgur.com/a/7Y3N3sn
AuspiciousApple@reddit
Every plane has some extra spare parts. It's like when you build some IKEA and end up with random extras
mrshulgin@reddit
Interestingly enough, this plane is made entirely of Extra parts.
PutOptions@reddit
Coffee out the nose. I come here for this.
habu-sr71@reddit
Ok, this is funny. 👍
The_Hydro@reddit
i do a chortle
MasatoWolff@reddit
Don’t make the Boeing joke, don’t do it…
CouncilOfRedmoon@reddit
You mean how it went into the wall and went Boeing away from it?
TechE2020@reddit
I was thinking more along the lines of he hit the wall, did a quick glance at the wing (known as a Boeing safety check) and took off again.
tothemoonandback01@reddit
Can I make the Too much right rudder joke?
JJohnston015@reddit
I added a shot from a few seconds later that clearly shows the damage to the horizontal stabilizer. This could easily jam the elevator. https://imgur.com/a/s2EF3Hf
Kemerd@reddit
Honestly, I sort of disagree. But I most certainly would have at least stopped, gotten out, and checked!
Most rudder and wingtip fairings are usually fiberglass of some kind, and can actually be quite banged up or even removed with nothing more than a consequence on drag. If control surfaces are fine, and wings are fine, likely plane is fine.
Not saying it’s smart, but I wouldn’t be so quick to just ground it for the sake of grounding it, if you can visually inspect from outside, a scrape is not a big deal.
Also I’m fairly certain that aircraft is an experimental
quietflyr@reddit
...and aerodynamic function. You know where you don't want a loss of aerodynamic function? A fucking control surface.
Airplanes are designed to withstand very high loads....in the direction they were designed to withstand those loads, and in no other direction. Yes an elevator is designed to take thousands of pounds of load, but not parallel to the hinges for example. A good whack from the tip of the elevator towards the rudder and you might be bending or breaking hinges. Weakened hinges means either the part may break in normal service, or it could flutter in flight. Either of which is...well it's a problem.
You would be an idiot.
If an airplane has hit something, parts have fallen off, and there's visible damage to a control surface, it absolutely, without hesitation, should be grounded.
If you are a pilot, your attitude here is a danger to yourself and others. No exaggeration. Get more training.
If you aren't a pilot, you have no idea what you're talking about, and you need to not comment on these things.
Source: ~30 years as a pilot, ~20 years as an aerospace engineer, with aircraft structural integrity specialty making up about half that experience.
Kemerd@reddit
Wingtip fairing is a not a control surface, neither is a rudder fairing. It depends on the plane, but many of these parts can often be even removed and flown with little to no negative impact, and are simply there to be replaced in the event of a tail strike, etc.
No, because they are not a control surface nor active components providing lift.
Yes, this is fair.
Again, not a control surface that I am referencing.
Explain the air shows perhaps where people do these exact things (strike the wing, tail, on purpose, sometimes even with color released)? No need to get your panties in such a twist just because I am playing devil's advocate. You make some valid points, and I'd certainly in practice myself, personally agree with you, but I am simply speculating as to one of the possibilities on why the pilot chose to continue flying. I knew I would be downvoted and flamed for doing so, but perhaps you particularly should get off your high horse?
star744jets@reddit
My friend, you simply have no idea how structural damage can affect an airfoil . Explain to this audience the reason(s) why you would bet your life and perhaps that of innocent bystanders to take flight again without proper safety checks? Would you be comfortable if you where riding asa passenger ?
Known-Associate8369@reddit
Just to highlight how something tiny can be devastating, in October 2014 an F-15D crashed in the UK because some sealant oozed out between the nose and the nose cap, causing an abnormal airflow and an uneven aerodynamic surface.
Talking about a gap a couple of millimetres in size and a sealant extrusion of 1-2mm.
Mind blowing.
Derek420HighBisCis@reddit
You left out the angle of attack. The AOA was as much part of the cause, but the small shift in sealant called a large movement of the radome, which blocked airflow. This, added to the already increasingly high AOA, combined to cause the accident.
astral1289@reddit
Your friend here is a cirrus pilot, or presumably is based on flare. Kinda makes his/her terrible judgement in this matter extra cringey. Enter stereotypical chute joke here.
As an aircraft owner, tailwheel pilot and CFI, I’d absolutely not takeoff in any aircraft after feeling that impact regardless of external pressures like being on TV. Feet over a crowd as well on the departure end. Yikes.
Not-User-Serviceable@reddit
Begin pre-flight checklist
Emergency chute: ARMED
Pre-flight checklist complete.
Suckatguardpassing@reddit
Certified aircraft
https://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/au/XKW
Not-User-Serviceable@reddit
As an experienced software developer, I think he should have parked it.
For the technically-minded: Be boinked the uppy-downy control surface, and you can see the damage as he's flailing (taxiing) around. Digging deeper: it's the uppy-downy control that controls the uppy-downy flight path... If you boink it too badly, you literally end up digging deeper into the ground.
If he were on my team, I would not give him git-merge privilege.
TechE2020@reddit
Shouldn't he have repeated the landing again to see if it hit the wall again?
Not-User-Serviceable@reddit
Welcome, fellow software professional.
TechE2020@reddit
It's okay, I think this pilot is more of a forced-push type of guy.
huntingteacher50@reddit
As an experienced software engineer?? You would definitely say send it and we will see what works and doesn’t work later!! Haha.
Not-User-Serviceable@reddit
Hey, man... it didn't crash on my PC. I don't know what to tell you.
huntingteacher50@reddit
My sister began as a programmer at Mellon bank and over the years became a big shot. I kidded her that all of her stories ended with the software failed and customers were pissed.
Not-User-Serviceable@reddit
The great thing about bank customers is that they don't keep it to themselves when the software crashes. It's great! Just roll changes straight into production, and the customers will let you know fairly quickly if there are problems. No need for internal testing.
... or were you cuing up a joke about your sister and big mellons?
huntingteacher50@reddit
Her customers tended to be insurance companies. I remember her saying 2 companies fired them and one was suing them. This was back in the day. I’m sure she was good. Just a joke how software rollouts can be janky sometimes. Not joking about my sister’s melons. Haha.
we_hate_nazis@reddit
Yeah man, send that shit to production on a Friday 😎
We good
Probably
Usually-Mistaken@reddit
He's clearly not a MS dev.
ArctycDev@reddit
He skipped the critical foreach loop
foreach(part in plane)
{
if (part.damage > 0)
{
ReconsiderChoices;
}
}
Eisenstein@reddit
Four spaces doesn't give you a code block on mobile?
ArctycDev@reddit
Apparently not. It wasn't the app, though, it was chrome. It's pretty weird on there, too. Backspace deletes the character before AND after the cursor as well. It's all kinds of messed up.
JJohnston015@reddit
I hate to nitpick (that's a lie; I love to nitpick), but the part he hit isn't the uppy/downy part; the part he hit doesn't move, but it is right next to the uppy/downy part, and could easily be pushed into it so it jams or interferes with the uppy/downy part.
shiftty@reddit
But it's a smaller uppy/downy part and I'm pretty sure with enough fuel that thing could helicopter
cattleyo@reddit
You got it, the elevator is attached with hinges to the horizontal stabiliser and the damage was adjacent to the right-side hinge, definitely serious enough damage to justify grounding the aircraft.
Not-User-Serviceable@reddit
Check the video at 0:53. Looks pretty gnarly to me.
JJohnston015@reddit
Yep, he got both.
flecom@reddit
the devops guys said just lower the ground variable and problem solved!
randomkeystrike@reddit
Crashing means a lot more in aviation, too.
caedicus@reddit
As a software guy, thanks for translating.
BlackmailedWhiteMale@reddit
Pilot already has prior authority with git-merge privilege before you’re able to review and revoke. All they can do is send it and see if the uppy-downy control works as intended after commit.
Afraid-Ad-4850@reddit
Mate, he made modifications to a production system. On a weekend too! Revoke his access completely.
SgtBundy@reddit
git reset --hard HEAD would have solved it, just go again
Not-User-Serviceable@reddit
git push --force
I find your lack of faith, disturbing.
zemelb@reddit
I laughed out loud at this
and_another_dude@reddit
This was painful to read.
Humble-Passenger-140@reddit
I noticed he was slightly swerving left and right a lot instead of going in a straight line. Is that normal? It looks like he doesn’t have good steering control when on the ground. Also, his takeoff looked like his rear wheel slammed on the ground as he lifted off. I’ve watched bush planes take off before and the rear wheel never hit like that.
fitzburger96@reddit
As mentioned above, in a taildragger you have little to no forward vision over the nose, and this is a wide nose too. The swerving is purely so he can see ahead with the nose out of the way.
The tail wheel hitting the ground would just be over-rotation, probably due to taking off downhill, while also trying to clear obstacles and show off a bit. Not the best piloting, but something that the design can probably handle.
jackintheboxtacoguy@reddit
please tell me ur a student pilot
TheRealNymShady@reddit
I like how he took off towards the crowd too…
MAVACAM@reddit
Slamming the horizontal stab against a concrete wall and not even checking it let alone taking off again directly towards a crowd is absolutely crazy.
There's absolutely zero way he didn't realise he had hit the wall.
niklaswik@reddit
I'm honestly not so sure he noticed. He was probably pretty jacked up on adrenaline at that point, both from the unusual airstrip and from having a huge audience. I don't think the hit is that massive.
And I'm not trying to make excuses for the guy, it all seems like a really bad idea. But I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt that he actually understood something could be seriously wrong mechanically.
roman5588@reddit
Nah bullshit. You’d feel and hear that 1000% percent.
He risked it to save dying of public embarrassment and save face.
skidsareforkids@reddit
I know a spray pilot with tens of thousands of hours who hit a wire and didn’t notice… I believe turning that little plane with a tiny tailwheel on grass makes such a damn racket that the impact may have gone unnoticed too
JesterXL7@reddit
No way. Do you really think that at the speed he was turning that he didn't notice his plane suddenly came to a dead stop as it slammed into the wall? He literally drives it straight to clear the wall before resuming the turn.
socialisthippie@reddit
I think you're probably right but it might not be be totally insane to attribute the bump he felt to his tailwheel dropping into a hole in the ground and getting stuck while spinning that 180, but that's even stretching the bounds of good faith understanding.
tuffoon@reddit
This. In WW2 Mosquitoes were known to return from low-level intruder missions with various detritus (eg branches of trees that didn't grow in the UK) snagged on the tail wheel.
Himalayanyomom@reddit
Are you a pilot? How would you know?
roman5588@reddit
Yes I am.
I also had a teenage period where I bent/scratched up cars to know what if feels like to scrap against something
Zuki_LuvaBoi@reddit
Why do you speak with such confidence, do you have any idea what the pilot was experiencing? With a full headset etc. Sure, there's questions around whether the pilot felt it or not, but the amount of confidence people on reddit speak about things they have absolutely no evidence for is amazing.
habu-sr71@reddit
Some of the people on Reddit in subs like this have spent thousands of hours in light aircraft and do have an idea. I've spent hundreds of hours in helis and planes and this guy felt and heard the impact of that stab on the concrete barrier. Period.
cattleyo@reddit
He would have felt it for sure, that was a pretty solid thwack. He should have shut down & got out & had a look at the damage, then got on the phone to a lame. Taking off again was reckless and not exactly discrete, this kind of cavalier behaviour damages the reputation of all of us.
ArctycDev@reddit
These people are my favorite. They just say shit with 100% certainty because they like arguing and want to sound authoritative. They just think they know everything.
StonedTrucker@reddit
I'm a private pilot on weekends and drive an 18 wheeler for work and I can confidently say this guy would have felt the wall. Somebody who works inside a vehicle every day gets to know that vehicle intimately. I can feel when my wheels roll over a rock in the road. There's absolutely no chance he didn't notice his entire plane come to a stop against a wall
star744jets@reddit
Are you a 747 pilot ? 18 wheeler …also
chewiebonez02@reddit
I'll call you out. I need some proof that you are a private pilot on the weekends. Because anyone that speaks with that much confidence is typically a bullshitter.
Hopeful-Gur-1288@reddit
Months old comments in trucking and flying subs. Sounds like you’re projecting
chewiebonez02@reddit
Not sure what I could be projecting but I never said the dude doesn't drive a truck. I just don't find much truth in someone driving for Ryder to also be a private pilot on the weekends.
blockduuuuude@reddit
Also little chance they’ve flown in the way these airshow pilots do
roman5588@reddit
I speak as someone who was a passenger in a warrior that once hit a runway light and sign with a wingtip. The shudder and bang undeniably went through the entire airframe.
Im no engineer but hitting a solid wall in an even smaller aircraft most certainly would be similar if not more noticeable.
On top, the organiser on the radio should have called this out and grounded the plane.
TheReproCase@reddit
If he didn't feel that and didn't have enough awareness to understand what happened he shouldn't be flying.
If he did and decided to take off anyway, he shouldn't be flying.
we_hate_nazis@reddit
Yeah this seems rather in line with ... Landing in the grass on a hill at a race track
DarthPineapple5@reddit
Oh he for sure felt it, but if I am him I am 1000% claiming I didn't
Skusci@reddit
TBH being so distracted or pressured by the circumstances is almost as bad. Like the dude really should have called off attempting to land in those conditions anyway. Even without the strike anyone can tell that the attempt was a bad idea, only confirmed by how squirrelly it got when emhe touched down.
Rattle_Can@reddit
it wasn't adrenaline.
you know what they say: RENCO Keeps You Going™.
Thin-Ebb-9534@reddit
Is that common at GA airports? Concrete walls aside the runway? Or was it a road temporarily repurposed for the show?
LiV3R@reddit
The road was temporarily repurposed for the Bathurst 100 car race. This is one of the straights the cars race along.
Silver996C2@reddit
This is the mountain straight just past pit out right?
wannabeeone@reddit
Bathurst 1000
pingponghobo@reddit
Not sure where this is exactly but that definitely looks like a racetrack he's landing on
Quarterwit_85@reddit
It is - Bathurst in NSW, Australia.
frigley1@reddit
Taxing over rough terrain can also be bumpy and noisy and may have masked the collision.
ZoidbergNick@reddit
Not defending the pilot. But I get the adrenaline point. It's not even an airstrip, it's a racetrack converted from a public road.
HlynkaCG@reddit
Its the fact that he didn't even get out to check it (or have someone else check it for him) that pushes this into "WTF" territory for me.
binaryhextechdude@reddit
Watch the video again. He repeatedly checked the rudder between the hit and when he started his take off roll. He just didn't get out and eyeball it.
G25777K@reddit
How the pilot didn't know he hit the wall, is as dumb as it gets
BAN_MOTORCYCLES@reddit
flying dangerously toward crowds is trending among pilots
TheCrudMan@reddit
Shouldn't they be flying P51s?
ErectStoat@reddit
So hot right now.
mikeindeyang@reddit
Unexperienced pilot here but during pre-flight on the Pa-28 warrior my instructor made it clear don't forcefully try to wiggle the rudder. This dude just slammed it against a wall and was like "Nah this is fine"
Mimshot@reddit
Should never have forced it down in the first place. Looked like a nasty crosswind with some tail wind component in a tail dragged. This was a stunt to deliver the trophy so classic getthereitis. Unstable approach the whole way in.
This_Explains_A_Lot@reddit (OP)
I also thought this but as someone else pointed out that is just the pilot side slipping the aircraft so he can see where he is going. He is in the back seat so cant see anything out of the front which means this is a normal approach in this type of aircraft.
Electronic_Break4229@reddit
As a Motorsport fan, it’s the pilots fault, and you have to risk your life so we don’t have the delay the start of the Bathurst 1000.
justifiedsoup@reddit
I'm sure that was part of the pilots thinking. Around 5 million people watch this 6hr hour race live. You'd be pissing a large number of half cut bogans, and it wouldn't surprise me if there's some financial clause in his/her contract for causing delays - not to mention the need to remove it quickly with equipment designed for race cars, not planes
Hank_moody71@reddit
Experienced pilot here. Maintance says can’t be reproduced on the ground. Ops check ok
Suckitupchuck@reddit
Nuh uh…reset c/b ops chk good.
Bubbly_Marketing7062@reddit
He couldn't bear the shame
Individual-Storm-557@reddit
Porn addict here. I got to the end of the video without cumming so needed a rewatch
cromagnone@reddit
Thank you for your service
notabigcitylawyer@reddit
You want to shake his hand, or should we have the software engineer do that?
Not-User-Serviceable@reddit
Thanks for taking one for the team, so to speak.
cda555@reddit
Is there a possibility that his license is suspended or revoked?
taint_tattoo@reddit
As a 21st century non-gender conforming individual, I can absolutely tell you that this aircraft now identifies as non-airworthy and yet was being forced by the pilot to conform to his ideals of normality - against the aircraft's will and consent. The pilot committed an aggression, and possibly a hate crime against the plane.
hecho2@reddit
Experience trader here. He should have stayed grounded. This could have add profound implication on the stock market of that airplane manufacturer and school use by the pilot to graduate. Also terrible timing, could have a massive impact on Christmas bonus.
Repulsive_Client_325@reddit
Experienced Redditor here. In terms of making dramatic content he did the right thing, however in future I’d encourage him to take off vertically, stall, eject (very dramatic - especially since this plane obviously doesn’t have ejection seats), and make sure the plane safely (yet dramatically) hits the ground (again -safely away from people) and explodes. For extra points a large part of the tail uppy-downy control thingy should fly by the camera and people should say “whoa!”.
tinypolski@reddit
Super-Experienced Redditor here. Good effort but you lost points for avoiding the crowd. Injuries, death, maiming, screams and panic are the formula for maximum dramatic effect.
Keep at it though - good job!
Forumites000@reddit
Yeah, any bump should be enough to ground the aircraft. This pilot needs to have his license revoked.
Protonic-Reversal@reddit
The FAA doesn’t even want you fly your drone again after a small crash.
flybot66@reddit
More typical of a young CFI after hitting a runway light...
Automaticman01@reddit
In one of the shots you can see visible damage to the corner of the elevator as well.
Pifflebushhh@reddit
im no expert, but id imagine every part of a plane is on there for a reason, so when a piece comes off, one would think there's a problem with the plane
Potential_Wish4943@reddit
Assuming that he had a ground crew on the radio and said "Hey guys i tapped the wall give it a quick look for damage?" If you do a control sweep and the flaps are all moving like they should, F-it we ball. Send it.
Mikecich@reddit
Looks like your average war thunder landing
LimeComprehensive689@reddit
Good graphics of that game
NPilotLicense@reddit
Looks like a windy day
LowPhones@reddit
Fucking Johnny KNOCKSville over here
Helpful-Prune1773@reddit
He definitely felt it. Apparently he said he got out and inspected it. Haven’t seen footage of it either way. When he got back to the airfield he got an engineer to inspect it. I suspect he will get a show cause as to why he shouldn’t loose his license. Yes it is dangerous. He could have killed people.
Ok_Organization6990@reddit
He definitely did not get out, I was there
No-Independent9725@reddit
Just tapped the wall not so bad, I've seen stunt plane wing hit the ground and continue flying on a super low level pass at speed and no issues to everyones amazement... So they are built strong. I guess with all the G's they pull they need to be tuff...
minib195@reddit
Both wheels over the line. That's a penalty for Ocon!
Designer_Buy_1650@reddit
He’s either extremely talented or extremely lucky? Which, I’m not sure.
stevecostello@reddit
I'm voting for extremely stupid. Stupid to take off in an aircraft that clearly hit that wall. No way the pilot did not know he hit that wall.
Designer_Buy_1650@reddit
Extremely stupid is the answer.
Middle-Virus36@reddit
Looks like a flight sim game
KualaLJ@reddit
CASA will be making some calls I would suspect.
Don’t see any marks on the wall. Wondering if his sudden braking which shakes the plane, right when we’d expect it to collide with the wall, is giving an Illusion of a strike?
stevecostello@reddit
You can see obvious and significant damage to the elevator as the plane is taxiing after landing.
quietflyr@reddit
You can see pieces fall off the airplane and obvious damage to the elevator.
seniorlimpio94@reddit
Are we not going to talk about how atrocious that landing was to begin with? Nasty crosswinds but puts it in the grass where there was clearly stuff in the way. Maybe cancel or at least go around next time.
JayW8888@reddit
He literally winged it.
WingnutSam99@reddit
This was kind of embarrassing to watch. I AM blaming the pilot, if he wasn’t able to make a safe landing (looked like a tough crosswind on approach) it shouldn’t have happened. The holes in the “bad decision Swiss cheese” were lining up, and it’s a miracle nothing else happened.
halazos@reddit
It’s a structural damage so technically it’s an accident, hence a lot of inquiries
Relakai22@reddit
Little too much renco.. got him goin
Various-Sleep5861@reddit
I can’t believe how no-one stopped the plane from taking off and that it wasn’t picked up by the broadcaster (I realise the presenters at the time weren’t looking at a screen). The pilot mustn't have felt the hit. Very lucky the elevator didn’t jam. The damage was easy to see and it left a decent witness mark on the wall.
Turbo442@reddit
What sim is this looks pretty good.
zrad603@reddit
So I'm not the only person who thinks that this video looked a little off and could be AI. What seemed really off was the "Kubota" sign.
Ok_Organization6990@reddit
lol it's a live broadcast! I was watching the whole thing as it happened. The Kubota sign is superimposed by the broadcasters, as is other sponsors around the track. This is standard in this series and even F1 broadcasts superimpose digital sponsors on the side of the track
KEVLAR60442@reddit
Assetto Corsa/MSFS crossover?
1320Fastback@reddit
He definitely hit that wall with the right horizontal stabilizer. You can see it stop the rotation of the plane. I suspect this is pretty heavily edited and then shut it down for an inspection.
Ok_Organization6990@reddit
You're wrong, this was live. It happened exactly like this, I was watching the live broadcast as it happened
Ok_Organization6990@reddit
The pilot (and I use the term loosely here) was just on Facebook gloating about how he was gearing up for his next display at another racing event in a few weeks, which is a street circuit on the Gold Coast (Densely packed urban area littered with skyscrapers and tall apartment buildings).
Is he completely delusional?? For one, the race organisers probably don't want anything to do with him now after this debacle, and secondly I doubt he'd even be allowed to fly for a while by then, much less be given clearance to perform aerobatics over an area filled with over 100k people.
I wanted to reply to him but the comments section was filled with his mates egging him on and commending him on his great 'performance' a few days ago. He's just a rich guy who werned enough money to be a back marker in a local touring car series before buying an aircraft. Someone needs to pull his head in, and it's going to be the authorities I hope.
This_Explains_A_Lot@reddit (OP)
This was at the opening of a big Australian motorsport event. The plane took off towards thousands of people in a grand stand and i was a bit surprised to see the pilot not even taking a moment to visually check the damage. There was no time issue because the race itself was still around an hour away from starting. To be honest with the cross wind i was surprised the pilot chose to land at all.
Was this as bad as i think it was or was that kind of damage/impact ok on this aircraft?
Suckatguardpassing@reddit
I don't think crosswind was an issue here.
mikeindeyang@reddit
Well if the wind is enough to be making the tree branches move that much there was probably a crosswind component. Either that or this guy took off or landed with a tailwind. Not fun. But there was probably someone on the ground he was in communication with to get the wind to make sure within limits. Surely?
Suckatguardpassing@reddit
It would have been a smart move to put some flags near his intended touchdown point. Or even smarter, don't even try this shit.
bw4472@reddit
Looks like strong xwind from the right, the plane veering right just before the wall is the start of a ground loop as it weathercocks into wind (rudder is fully deflected to the left to try to keep it straight) Probably hard on the left brake to straighten up but hit the wall on the way around.
Suckatguardpassing@reddit
Nah. He's just trying to make the approach steaper because no flaps and it helps with visibility straight ahead. Pretty standard approach.
https://www.instagram.com/hpaerobatics/reel/DA9i8iahZ8U/
JasonARGY@reddit
I think he’s referring to full left rudder before airplane hits the wall, not during the approach. Plane starts turning to right, left rudder is fully deflected to compensate but plane continues turning right.
AreWeThereYetNo@reddit
If the cross wind was an issue that pilot shouldn’t be flying that plane. That’s a high level plane for a high level pilot.
Sand-in-my-toes71@reddit
Looked like a side slip to lose altitude
littlelowcougar@reddit
Also for visibility. Can’t see shit over the nose in the back seat of an Extra… everyone drags them in crabbed like that so you can at least maintain centerline before kicking it straight.
coombeseh@reddit
Should have been able to actually maintain the centreline then......
ffrephx@reddit
That's not a runway
coombeseh@reddit
Anything has a centreline, even if it's not painted on
ffrephx@reddit
Could argue that where they landed was the centre line between walls/obstacles
coombeseh@reddit
Good point well made - as an aside I don't think that will help any claims this was a sensible or well thought-out operation
ffrephx@reddit
Couldn't agree more. Given the circumstances the pilot did really well, with all the obstacles and confined space etc. ... aside from hitting the wall of course!
But for this to be allowed in the first place is crazy, and then to see such a casual attitude to safety! This sort of thing is an accident waiting to happen.
Really the pilot hits the wall because he has to avoid an advert on his left towards the end of the "runway" which limits space to turn. That alone tells me no one looked at this whole operation with safety as the prime consideration.
coombeseh@reddit
I think he's also got a chunk of right rudder in for a while trying to regain the tarmac, then something grips and he spears off to the right because he's got left rudder in all the way into the wall
astral1289@reddit
*Forward slip. We use a side slip to align the longitudinal axis with the runway centerline during a crosswind landing.
This_Explains_A_Lot@reddit (OP)
Good point actually. I forgot that was even something pilots did.
Sand-in-my-toes71@reddit
Especially in a slippery plane like that one
Weak_Sloth@reddit
It’s really bad. I can’t believe no one stopped him taking off again.
noknockers@reddit
Nobody saw the impact. It was up the track and out of view. Presume the pilot thought it was a rut in the grass.
No pilot in their right mind would take that hit and get up in the air again.
Xen0m3@reddit
you can see how the guy passing him the trophy from out of the plane immoderately turns around and the camera doesn’t follow? i bet they had a look while the cameras weren’t facing the plane and they determined it was fine. people love to freak out about aircraft since the idea of being trapped in a falling object rightfully scares people, but they’re pretty tough little things. some non-interfering visual damage to a small composite fairing is NOT a flight risk, so long as you can determine that’s all it is.
SuppressTheInsolent@reddit
It was the Bathurst 1000, he was probably drunk anyway.
StatisticianOld3532@reddit
For example... you're driving, you hit the wall, a panel is rubbing through a front tyre at 300km/h, you end up with no tire, no grip, no braking, and no chance before you arrive at The Chase.
By comparison ... you land, hit the wall, twist the elevator panel, takeoff, pull up to gain height, and now the panel locks up against the horizontal stabilizer; you end up with no piitch control and no levelling off, you loop it at 100 metres, tip stall, then auger in to the crowd who are watching mouths agape.
Reckless beyond belief, caught up in the ridiculous US-style hype.
sum_buddy@reddit
Look... I'm not a pilot or aviation enthusiast, but somehow this was put on my feed. I can't be the only one that looked at that plane and thought it belonged in the Thomas the Tank Engine Universe.
Wizzle_Pizzle_420@reddit
Perry The Plane
cruiserman_80@reddit
Been all over the news and not a good look for the pilot, the organisers or the sponsor. Not as controversial as the alcohol limit of 24 Cans of beer per camper per day, but its up there.
laughguy220@reddit
I remember hearing about the limit a few years back in a post here on reddit. The OP explained how he would go to the site a few weeks before the event (and security) and bury cases of beer to drink at the race, because 24 beers was way too low a limit.
Haunting-Ask-7541@reddit
This has been said/claimed by so many people over the years. It is definitely not true.
The-Car-Guy@reddit
Ha, they said the same thing on Top Gear years ago!!
laughguy220@reddit
Damn I miss that show.
Chris-TT@reddit
The reason these places have such high limits is that even most heavy drinkers won’t exceed that. It’s not about restricting personal consumption; it’s to stop people from bringing in hundreds of crates and reselling them.
fuocoso@reddit
High limits? Hahaha mate that is a low limit for a full day of drinking by any Bogan standard
cruiserman_80@reddit
The alcohol restrictions were imposed due to the high levels of alcohol fuelled crime in previous years, which at times escalated into full-blown riots.
Double_Minimum@reddit
I mean, could that riot fuel have come from people who brought cases in and sold them? Cause I am sure that has happened, and it means that there is way more alcohol per person then if a limit is put in place.
cruiserman_80@reddit
Why would people have been bringing in cases to sell? It's a camping area, not prison. Prior to the limits, people could bring in as much of their own alcohol as they wanted or arrange to buy more. How they got the alcohol isn't even the point.
It was extensively publicised and reported that the restrictions were all about reducing alcohol fueled crime and violence, not suppression of capitalism.
RonaldoCrimeFamily@reddit
But that's not actually a restriction...
canttakethshyfrom_me@reddit
Only 24 beers a day? When did Stalin take over Australia?
super__hoser@reddit
Or 3L of wine a day.
FlyingSpectacle@reddit
Yeah, how disgusting to put a limit on alcohol
Stratos125@reddit
I fucking choked on the 24 cans bit. 🤣
It’s Bathurst, for decades bogans have descended on the hill to fight every year. Occasionally a race breaks out. (Shamelessly stolen from Clarkson)
rdrcrmatt@reddit
Did he actually hit? The wingtip light looked working and it would be hard for the rudder to hit if the wingtip didn’t.
DamNamesTaken11@reddit
Look at the starboard elevator during the overhead shots after the impact. You can see a crack running up near the entire horizontal stabilizer.
DamNamesTaken11@reddit
You can literally see debris at 00:31 when the starboard horizontal stabilizer slams into the wall. Then you can see a crack next to the starboard elevator in the overhead shot that starts at 00:44 running up near the entire horizontal stabilizer.
That plane should have been engines off until the damage further could be assessed and stabilizer repaired. Completely irresponsible of the pilot to take off again.
I get he was probably having the director of both the tv and event yelling into his radio to get off the ground for the shot, but the safety of his aircraft and the people on the ground should be top priority.
IamRoborob70@reddit
He is a professional....not. Maybe a liabilty though
Clear-Bandicoot-8419@reddit
Absolutely stupid!
blacksmithfred@reddit
The elevator leaves a mark on the wall.
seriouslybroUsuck@reddit
It’s a 12 year old on a video game, nothing to see here
Flaky_Notice@reddit
It’s not like he needs an elevator anyways.
Whole-Debate-9547@reddit
Yeah, but he delivered the beer mug
Cameron0312@reddit
Pilots name must be Lance.
Boating_Enthusiast@reddit
Well, I suppose the damage to the horizontal stabilizer could have caused the right elevator to get stuck which could lead to a situation at takeoff referred to as pretty well fucked. Pilot could've even disguised the walk around. Hop out, hand off the trophy, walk a circle around the plane while waving to the crowd.
Or maybe he moved the controls to full extremes when the camera wasn't looking and felt the control surfaces weren't binding and figured "Good enough!"?
It's dangerous, and in aviation, it's *always* better to play it safe than sorry at final descent. But I can't make a judgement call form a 2.5 minute clip on the computer screen better than the pilot. He might not have even noticed and thought the bump was from the wheels crossing asphalt and bumpy grass.
I'm just happy pilot's safe and the video quality was good.
vegarsc@reddit
It's easy to judge the risk based on what we can see in slow motion on the footage, but he couldn't have known what the damage was. He should not have flown on.
Boating_Enthusiast@reddit
I agree with you that he shouldn't have flown off. I could forgive him for thinking the bump of the impact was just his wheels rolling over a bump in the grass when he went off-track for the turn around. I don't know what the pilot felt in the seat. Thousands of people watching, very unusual landing, turn around in a unique spot, mission to deliver a trophy. I'd be surprised if he wasn't tunnel-vision-ed into his delivery mission and missed the novel signal of a horizontal stabilizer strike in the sea of novel experiences in that landing.
I suppose the safe thing to do would to move one step back and consider how safe the scenario of landing in a race track is.
JesterXL7@reddit
The thing is he was making that turn at a decent speed and the plane comes to a full stop as it slams into the wall. He literally drives it straight on to clear the wall before continuing to make the turn. He knew it happened, and even if he checked the control surfaces it doesn't matter. He didn't know the extent of the damage and even if the control surfaces were operating okay in that moment, they could have been damaged in a way that failure could have occurred during takeoff or any time after putting the crowd and himself at risk.
cattleyo@reddit
Nope he could not have confused this impact with a bump in the grass, absolutely not. Tunnel-visioned he very likely was, but that's not an excuse, anybody flying at a public event must know inside out and back to front that safety comes first, especially when he was already on the ground, trophy was delivered, under no imperative to take off again. The landing zone may have been tight but nobody forced him to land there and certainly nobody forced him to take off again. He put the crowd at risk.
CharacterUse@reddit
Even if the pilot was tunel visioned, it was all over the live TV feed and the organisers must have been aware of it. They should have refused to let him take off.
cattleyo@reddit
The pilot shouldn't need to be told, it's on him. The event organisers likely didn't have the specific aviation knowledge/authority to prevent him from taking off. There was probably somebody on the ground in communication with him via radio - perhaps a member of his crew - but it may not have been their role to give him "take off clearance" as such, and we don't know what they knew.
PoopFilledPants@reddit
Seen this video posted in a few places and that’s my thought as well - classic hindsight/media issue is my guess. Was such a light graze to the stabilizer that it could simply have not been felt.
RonaldoCrimeFamily@reddit
A light graze that cracked the surface and sent parts flying?
Aerodynamic_Soda_Can@reddit
Well, then I hope you're not a pilot, because yeah... If any part of your airplane hits anything, you at least take a good look at it before flying again lol. Especially if the takeoff is in the vicinity of a giant crowd.
He knew he hit something, it was impossible to verify it didn't compromise safety that quickly, he put countless lives at risk for no reward.
John_Vogelin@reddit
The wall stopped the entire momentum of the plane.
rockstuffs@reddit
That thing looks so fun to fly.
Hefty-Inevitable-660@reddit
Racin’s rubbin’
obviousillusion@reddit
I remember watching an episode on that crash on air disasters on Smithsonian channel. The guy's plane was heavily modified beyond what the plane was designed for.
SugarzDaddy@reddit
r/Shittyaskflying
hostilee47@reddit
These V8 Supercars are getting out of hand.
Quirky_Metal609@reddit
He had a very aggressive slip down onto the runway. And landed on the left side to make room for the U-Turn. But that brief stop after he hit the wall makes me think that he may have felt it. But he may have thought that wing cleared and the tailwheel hit a rut. He checked his control authority during the taxi, so he probably thought it was fine. You can’t see your elevators or rudder. Shoulda hopped out or had someone check it out before he took back off.
gregoose808@reddit
Stupid pilot acting like a rally driver.
goldensh1976@reddit
Ex race car driver with surpreme confidence
"I think the motor skill of driving cars makes flying an aircraft really easy and to be honest anyone could do it," he said.
"We just tell everyone it's hard to make us look good."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/102633396
WillYouBatheMe@reddit
Not enough right rudder
P3t3R_Parker@reddit
Looks like the RH wing tip clipped the wall also.
Video removed now??????
rmacd@reddit
You can actually see the crack towards the right tip of the horizontal stabiliser while he’s backtracking
Porkyrogue@reddit
Idk. Those extras are fucking sick tho
Kotukunui@reddit
No damage impact is “ok” on an aircraft without at least checking it.
I guess the pressure of being in the spotlight of such big event with so many people watching got to the pilot and may have impaired his decision making. I know the aircraft is a tough aerobat and I assume he did a “full and free” control check, but, I don’t think I’d have stones to just takeoff again without at least getting out and assessing the damage. I was the passenger in an aircraft which hit a taxiway marker cone with its prop while taxiing. I saw the cone fly away so it was a direct hit. We stopped, shutdown, and checked the prop. There was no visible damage, it tracked ok, and there was no extra vibration when we ran it up again. After that we decided to takeoff and fly to home base as the airfield we were at had no maintenance facilities at all.
The main point is that we checked as much as we could before making a conscious decision to continue. Assuming “it should be ok” isn’t optimal.
Mostly_Cons@reddit
I don't think it was a no damage impact, something flew off
Kotukunui@reddit
I agree. My first sentence was a bit unclear. I meant to communicate that there is no such thing as a " No damage impact".
All impacts must be checked before committing to fly.
Mostly_Cons@reddit
Ah gotcha
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fng33025@reddit
Call the FAA!
Jerboa_II@reddit
"She'll be right"
rygelicus@reddit
Terrible decision to just ignore it and fly it out again. If that elevator seized or broke off he would be unable to control the plane and it would crash, and this could happen at any point from the moment they turned around to weeks from now. It should have been parked and inspected properly, and likely trucked out.
Flownya@reddit
Roll of the dice. Let’s see what happens
Slide_Masta87@reddit
"I have a number for you to call, when ever you're ready"
Duke_Built@reddit
I was insanely surprised that he took back off. You could see him testing the control surfaces like crazy but damn I would’ve at least gotten out and checked it out. Probably embarrassed.
Old_Sparkey@reddit
Very dangerous and highly irresponsible of the pilot. The visible damage to the horizontal stab and elevator already looks bad enough.
PizzaRollsAndTakis@reddit
What makes me mad is that shouldn’t have happened. Beautiful plane
HollowVoices@reddit
Looks like his right stabilizer made contact. Right elevator seems to be working fine. He probably didn't even know he hit it. As long as it didn't do any mechanical damage he was ok. If he had known that he made contact then he SHOULD have not taken off. Safety of spectators and all.
sparkynz1@reddit
He 100% knew he hit
mistertheory@reddit
If your "Air"craft hits anything other than "air". You should probably shut it down for that day.
drumondo@reddit
Engineer here. Saw this live, was like "holy shit!"
Thonatmo@reddit
It did look like the elevator took a bit of a good hit, also looked like some slight debris flew off after (tho not any visible loss afterwards on the top down view), but yes, a damaged elevator can be extremely dangerous, it's hard to call it the most important control surface, but I would say so, especially at takeoff, so it could have ended very terribly if the elevator turned out to be unusable during takeoff.
PckMan@reddit
Damage was minor, control surfaces still worked, something you can test on the ground by swinging the stick around and checking visually or seeing if the feeling on the stick changed. Not a big deal right? No. Because he most likely knew he scraped the wall but he couldn't have known how much damage that caused. Could have been nothing, could have been enough to send the plane careening into the crowd as it took off. Not the sort of risks you want to be taking especially at a public event.
cattleyo@reddit
Yes that right-side hinge could have been holding on by a whisker
kpidhayny@reddit
He made sure the right rudder still worked so he sent it. All good 🤷🏻♂️
fliesupsidedown@reddit
Having worked airshows in Australia and knowing the paperwork and effort that goes into safety, I am astounded that a stunt like that got approved.
mcwilliamb@reddit
Matt Hall has landed at Eastern Creek before, so not entirely unheard of.
cattleyo@reddit
In case anyone didn't catch it the pilot here is Hayden Pullen, not Matt Hall
mkosmo@reddit
The only real risk here was the crowd on departure, but that could be mitigated with an abort plan that included some kind of turn with the track. The camera also appears to make the crowd appear closer than it really is.
RonaldoCrimeFamily@reddit
If I'm in that crowd I don't want risk mitigation, I want risk elimination
mkosmo@reddit
You’re at a race track. You already accepted quite a bit of risk.
realfatunicorns@reddit
I’m not surprised it got approved. But it’ll definitely be the last one after this guy ruined it. 25 years of flying experience washed away in a moment.
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bubba198@reddit
There's no way he didn't feel it; experienced pilot here; you feel even a bug hit the windshield; not to mention the leading edge of your wing and horizontal stabilizer scraping against concrete omg I can't imagine the sensation...
WunGno@reddit
… and the aircraft momentarily comes to a complete stop after hitting the wall. He felt it alright.
MedusaAdonai@reddit
What type of airplane is this?
mrmratt@reddit
Manufacturer: EXTRA FLUGZEUGPRODUKTIONS - UND VERTRIEBS - GMBH Model: EA 300/LT
obi2kanobi@reddit
HELLO SOMEBODY...... what plane is this?
It looks like so much fun to fly. Is it the same as that epic Redbull plane going through the tunnel video?
right_closed_traffic@reddit
Prob blasting the crowd at like 50 ft was just the cherry on top
vartheo@reddit
These type of pilots are the most reckless.
NoNefariousness3420@reddit
Guy is fucking nuts and should never be in a pilot seat again. Reckless endangerment of everyone in the crowd he was directly flying at on the takeoff.
greywolfau@reddit
How else was he going to clear the track to allow the race to get under way?
Just go crash quietly on the other side of the mountain, makes for an interesting backdrop as the cars approach The Dipper.
Turbulent-Weevil-910@reddit
This is what happens when you put more hours on Microsoft Flight Simulator Steam Edition then in real life.
thespacecowsarehere@reddit
I watched the video back....you can even see the damage on the right stab when he taxis by. This sounds like more typical Extra pilot shit, but this guy deserves to lose his license for pulling shit like this.
Source: have you ever met a pilot who's old AND bold?
ap2patrick@reddit
Bro he bashed his elevator… Cannot believe he went back up… incredibly stupid!
No-Impression-2648@reddit
These are Aussies. As someone who used to live there, safety is not a priority for the general public. They just live and let live and carry on.
nlhans@reddit
Why does this kind of stunt/event even exist?
SalamanderGood2145@reddit
Getting dropped from insurance in 3…. 2….. 1……..
Can somebody just super impose a Piper Cub over whatever this is so my brain can accept it as just a “farmer Fran won a pane ride” performance? 😣
BlackMarlonBrando@reddit
The single prop stuntmen are the worst. They all think they are in top gun or some shit
bluegas68@reddit
It's fine
Young_Economist@reddit
Director Public Affairs here, he should have parked the plane and then published a heartbreaking LinkedIn post about it.
IC_1318@reddit
"I hit a concrete wall at Bathurst with my plane, here's what it taught me about B2B sales:"
in-den-wolken@reddit
"I feel passionate about aircraft safety! I am so humbled to sell you whatever crap."
FishTshirt@reddit
Idk but that is a cool little plane
SEKS-Aviator@reddit
Dang.
DwightsNursery@reddit
Hey Terry, I did my first desk pop. It's a real thing, right?
Gamer_4_l1f3@reddit
Mount Panorama, Mountain straight from t2 - t3 for those wondering.
larryjenkinson@reddit
What a doofus.
Business_Ad6086@reddit
Show must go on!!!
jawshoeaw@reddit
Oooo almost made it unscathed! Would love to see the impact . Maybe it’s a flying death trap maybe it’s a scratch
Oggie_R8_Colorado@reddit
AND, not to mention he didn't even land on the runway!
whatsitallabouteh@reddit
A couple of observations with this one.
First of all, there is no way this stunt should have been approved. It was always too tight, too close to the crowd and the margins for error were very small.
Secondly, he was embarrassed by the mishandling of the aircraft after landing. I can only imagine what was going through his head.
Finally, it could all be put down to mishandling and the investigation could close, except for the incredible fact that he took off again after knowingly damaging his aircraft.
He got airborne, directly over the crowd, and for that he should never fly again. Simply unacceptable behaviour.
strangemedia6@reddit
I don’t know much about aviation, but something appears to have broken off and I would assume that planes don’t have a lot lot of unnecessary components on them.
karlgustav17@reddit
Oh yeah it is. The elevator could malfunction due to that bump. That would be a shit sandwich
Shankar_0@reddit
There's no way I'm taking back off in that until several skilled professionals give it their collective blessing.
FrankiePoops@reddit
Watching it back again there is visible damage to the right side of the horizontal stab and possibly the elevator. Almost even looks like the whole horizontal stab is slightly crooked.
Wow.
farminghills@reddit
I've got a concrete wall on this track, easy to do.
cody3636@reddit
the show must go on i guess
CougarIndy25@reddit
As a motorsports fan and aviation fanatic, I'm not a fan of this, even if he didn't hit the wall. The idea of landing a plane on a racetrack, then taking off over fans is just asking for trouble. I don't think that'd fly here in the states. A pretty dumb stunt for very little added to the event. Promoters will hear about it tomorrow morning for sure.
Savage-Animal@reddit
Wow. You can clearly see it’s damaged too. What a dumb ass! Total arrogance with 25 years on. Guess he’s looking for a short life.
oolij@reddit
I can't unsee the "shocked emoji" face on the front of the plane after it hit that wall and was still moving about
Nose_Beers_85@reddit
Everybody is way too harsh on the pilot here.
He was going to get out to check the damage, but someone from the stands yelled out “you can’t park there mate”, so he had to quickly get back in the air and leave. Smh….
Aggravating_Pay1948@reddit
Me on my way home from the bar
Mammoth-Garden-804@reddit
Was Mr. Pilot drunk lol? That thing was all over the place.
Terraform703@reddit
Just slamming the tail and potentially damaging a control surface is enough to warrant just shutting it down and towing it to the hanger. At a minimum at least do a functionality check prior to take off lol.
Perfect-Cycle@reddit
What kind of airplane is that?
Red_Wing-GrimThug@reddit
I bet the cartels are trying to hire this pilot for efficiency
plhought@reddit
I was watching this live any never saw that bump! Woops!
Nashville_Redditors@reddit
Why is the guy going to retrieve the trophy wearing a table cloth?
apost8n8@reddit
Yank his license. That’s done dumb criminal shit
Vegetable-Dealer-823@reddit
While the damage might be minimal enough to fly, I agree that the plane should be inspected thoroughly afterwards, and grounded until further notice.
richtrapgod@reddit
At least he did a quick control surfaces check while taxiing. No visual inspection though
atemt1@reddit
May i ask why it looks like the pilot was drunk
surelytheresmore@reddit
He can't have been drunk, Bathurst now has a limit of 24 cans per person /s
spicycookiess@reddit
This was in Australia.
erhue@reddit
this is what i hate about taildraggers. So easy to lose control of them on landing.
OptiGuy4u@reddit
There was a lot of cutting away in that video. Is it possible the elevators we're inspected and determined to be ok? I know a cursory inspection isn't enough but at least he could tell the damage was cosmetic and they were free and functional.
Not excusing it but at least that would tell him he has full authority on takeoff. Otherwise it would have been a deathtrap when he tried to climb out.
Scav3nger@reddit
The aerial shot suggests to me there was enough damage to take a longer and closer look before taking off towards a crowd of people at the very least.
OptiGuy4u@reddit
Longer and closer look than what? The look you don't even know if they took?
Maybe an A&P looked at it for an hour or maybe nobody looked at it . You don't know from this video.
Scav3nger@reddit
Mate, this video is not cut down at all. I was watching the broadcast of the race it was for. Longer and closer means not taking off towards a crowd of spectators 2 minutes after clipping a wall with visible damage to the aircraft.
The fact that nobody involved made the safety call on an internationally broadcast event is wild.
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Fine_Station1316@reddit
He took off toward the stands?! Bonkers.
JoelMDM@reddit
Considering what was in his way should something have gone wrong on landing, this pilot deserves to have his license revoked, and he and the event organizers should be fined. Absolutely beyond irresponsible.
lykewtf@reddit
He might not have realized what happened. Or was to caught up in what was going on and lost situational awareness and took off. Human brains aren’t perfect. In aviation there isn’t room for many mistakes.
kbundy@reddit
Track limits violation. +5s penalty.
AwkwardSpread@reddit
Maybe he already damaged the other side on a previous landing and was just balancing it out
ELON_WHO@reddit
What kind of idiocy is this?
Some-Air1274@reddit
Small GA planes are very vulnerable to the wind and can be buffeted/thrown about easily. They’re also repaired more easily as a result.
MikeTangoRom3o@reddit
That is incredibly reckless considering the hundreds of people below.
juice716@reddit
I do this in GTA all the time he should be good.
Suspicious_Soft_2195@reddit
No because repco gets you going
givemeanameicanuse@reddit
Repco probably gave him the wrong directions because they sure suck at supplying the right car parts!
Mysterious_Silver_27@reddit
Probably quite dangerous yeah
KiwDaWabbit2@reddit
I’m no safety guy, but that doesn’t seem like the best possible move.
lateandimbaked@reddit
Proper Aussie came in drifting and wall tapped it 😂
GerlingFAR@reddit
CASA will chew this guys arse out all the way to Birdsville and back.
EnvironmentalDiet552@reddit
I’m surprised the commentators just kept going on as normal and didn’t even acknowledge it happening…wtf
Wolfingly@reddit
Was it windy AF? Looked like pilot was having a hard time.
HeadAche2012@reddit
Well, it's a video game, so no
funnydud3@reddit
Spider in the pants is only explanation
DFA_Wildcat@reddit
If it happened in the back country, I would have checked it out, and if the elevator wasn't binding, flew it home. Out of a grandstand with that many people around, no way, at least not without a good checkout. I didn't even see him wipe out the controls to ensure the elevators worked without binding.
pilotboi696@reddit
Ya that was pretty stupid
NumerousTooth3921@reddit
At 00:31 you can see pieces shoot up in the air
Mre64@reddit
Dude, that was an ego takeoff, the most dangerous game just played right there. FAA should suspend license, the risk to property and person is reckless. Any PP would be damn lucky to be allowed to fly again in normal circumstances.
Unfettered_Disaster@reddit
Umm it's Australia. I am assuming bathurst 1000 as it was today.
Kentness1@reddit
Is it just me or was that landing too fast and seeming to be not quite in control?
_digito@reddit
Someone is going to be investigated and eventually loose his pilot license...
JustSomeGuyOnTheSt@reddit
not if he calls the cops first and reports it stolen
100% foolproof
atemt1@reddit
Definitely looks like it was flown like he stole it
Faicc@reddit
Of course it's at Bathurst Australia
SDPilot@reddit
I have about 400 hours in the Extra 330LT, and about 3,000 hours total in the entire Extra family…. That airplane is fucked. 😂
DavidPT40@reddit
These planes are so lightweight that hitting anything could cause major damage. Sure they are designed to withstand Gs, but not impacts. I could see a piece of material fly off the horizontal stabilizer when it hit the wall, and the overhead view showed damage on that side. I'd be worried about the elevator binding, linkages possibly being broke or cracked, etc, etc.
2old2cube@reddit
Repco gets him going.
Asleep-Fudge3185@reddit
Yeah it is, but I feel like everyone is there for the show
GiraffeNo4371@reddit
Scenario 1: It’s a war zone and you dinged your plane. Who cares. It’s probably just fine.
Scenario 2: It’s a chill day and you dinged your plane. Might as well get out and have a look.
I’m saying that sometimes, you just fly.
sarcastic_knobhead@reddit
1903: Mankind achieves powered flight
2024: Man flies into wall on live TV broadcast of Bathurst 1000
globosingentes@reddit
"Was this as dangerous as it looks?"
Yes.
ChazR@reddit
Safe aviation is 10% skill and 90% risk management. You need the skills before you can manage the risks.
"I damaged a critical control surface. I don't know how badly it was damaged. Do I have all the information I need to be certain I can fly safely?"
"Nah. Let's send it."
There is no reason for a pilot to take to fly a damaged aircraft in peacetime.
Flying a damaged aircraft over a crowd is reckless.
CASA will not be happy.
Go4TLI_03@reddit
Not just taking off in an area with a lot of people around, but literally straight towards a grandstand. Even without the wall tap that seems like a dumb idea.
vorky@reddit
Hayden Pullen, he performed recently at Pacific Airshow in the Gold Coast
snailmale7@reddit
In the movies, he would have exploded in a big orange fireball. Seeing how that did not happened, he proceeded to assume that all is well, and could continue living.....
slonobruh@reddit
As long as the pilot owns the pilot lane… no
CeonM@reddit
How was there not a contingency plan if something didn’t go to plan? Surely they’d discussed the possibility of not taking off.
Final-Carpenter-1591@reddit
Legally 100% shouldn't have left the ground until a write up and sign off was done. Even if you didn't care about the legality. You just banged a flight control into the wall. Fuck that noise.
I hope the feds get onto him. It's not just his life that he puts in fldnager. It's everyone else on the ground that's in danger too.
Final_Winter7524@reddit
This was nuts. Plane needs to be inspected thoroughly. Carbon fibre is very rigid, but does not like shock impacts like that. There could be a structural weakness in the tail as a result. And you don’t want to discover that in flight …
Affectionate-Candle1@reddit
The pilot wanted to redeem himself. Too dangerous.
BrenSmitty@reddit
Should have been grounded and inspected. Any slight damage, like a crack in the tail, could cause the aircraft to be stabilization issues.
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chemtrailer21@reddit
Yes
Potential_Wish4943@reddit
Assuming that he had a ground crew on the radio and said "Hey guys i tapped the wall give it a quick look for damage?" If you do a control sweep and the flaps are all moving like they should, F-it we ball. Send it.
JaggedMetalOs@reddit
Is that all in real time or might there have been some time edited out where (hopefully!) someone checked the plane over?
This_Explains_A_Lot@reddit (OP)
All real time, i didn't edit it down on purpose.
JaggedMetalOs@reddit
Yeah I didn't think you had edited it, I was just wondering if it was a live broadcast or an edited news piece after the fact.
InsertUsernameInArse@reddit
Was it dangerous? No. Until the idiot took off.
multi_io@reddit
Why does he land on the grass next to the runway?
Also the wing missed that wall by 20cm or something. Not sure if that was intentional lol.
ffrephx@reddit
That's not a runway. It's part of a racing circuit.
Suckatguardpassing@reddit
Landing a tail dragger is easier on short dry grass because the extra friction helps keeping the landing roll straight.
bw4472@reddit
Easier on grass because less friction, you don’t get the “bite” you do on a sealed strip so it’s more forgiving if you’re slightly yawed on touchdown so less chance of ground looping. He actually lost it just prior to hitting the wall - rudder fully deflected to turn left but still yawing right.
Suckatguardpassing@reddit
He's just trying to show off
bw4472@reddit
I probably didn’t articulate it well, but I’ve always found grass/dirt more forgiving touching down with any drift landing in a xwind, seems more pronounced on bush wheels/bigger tyres. By “bite” I mean the asphalt has more grip
squeeby@reddit
Did they miss the runway and then proceed to weave all over the place before coming to a stop randomly on purpose?
ffrephx@reddit
It's not a runway, it's part of a racing circuit
insomniac-55@reddit
Looked like a crosswind and taildraggers are quite a handful on the ground - the front wheels are ahead of the CG so they're sort of always trying to turn around and go backwards (like a badly loaded trailer).
The final swing looked like an intentional turn to me, but one he horribly misjudged.
scrollingtraveler@reddit
Oh boy nothing to see here! Just a little wing and tail duo.
macetfromage@reddit
what are the wingtip antennas?
Suckatguardpassing@reddit
https://aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2022/may/flight-training-magazine/how-it-works-sighting-devices
Lost_Understanding_0@reddit
Seen plenty of cars take flight at Mount Panorama, never a plane
MechaNick_@reddit
Yeah, that was really not a bright idea. That plane should have been rolled off and had someone qualified looked at it.
Omegaaus@reddit
Happened today at the Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar race.
kernpanic@reddit
Having done similar trophy drop off's to major public events, there is zero chance that casa doesn't step in and get involved in this - possibly burying future events under tonnes of risk assessments and paperwork.
I always wondered what would happen if we had an engine failure and stopped an event from running in front of 100,000 people literally right at the start because we were stuck on the pitch.
mylifeforthehorde@reddit
Flight path over spectators at such a low altitude seems crazy no?
Suckatguardpassing@reddit
Wouldn't surprise me if what was put in the application is completely different from what he decided to do on the day.
Belkaaan@reddit
He hit the grass while braking on the left wheel causing lost of directional control
POCUABHOR@reddit
As a chemtrail pilot: ahh fckin send it, I’m high as kite anyway.
As a responsible sailplane pilot: Even if he overheard the crash due to engine noise or radio traffic, he should have felt it. Was there no one on the ground, giving him clearance for landing and take-off?
That bumped elevator flap could detach any time. Airplane was not safe to fly, an investigation should result.
Schtick_@reddit
seeing other comments about damage. Think the damaged flight controls are mitigated by half a bottle of whiskey.
DutchPilotGuy@reddit
Well he needed ‘to get going’ I guess.
nemuro87@reddit
Smile and wave boys, just smile and wave... nothing happened
Silent-Hornet-8606@reddit
Yes. This aircraft needed an engineers inspection before it was taken into the air again.
clarkeyaviation@reddit
Poor airmanship on national television. Pretty embarrassing tbh
DadCelo@reddit
Without an inspection before taking off again, sounds like a super bad idea.
PresCalvinCoolidge@reddit
Bathurst baby. Not going to say no to 200,000 bogans at Mt Panorama. They don’t care about airworthiness.
What happened there was reckless to say the least.
Complete_Taxation@reddit
Lance Stroll getting desperate
BeachHut9@reddit
Crap news from crap TV network. Must be a slow news day.
TheRealtcSpears@reddit
.......wow
Stegosaurus69@reddit
It's a broadcast of a plane exposition lol
This_Explains_A_Lot@reddit (OP)
I feel like it is very obviously not a news program. Maybe you should actually read posts and watch videos before being rude about them?
roman5588@reddit
The pilot and event organisers should be crucified for a stunt like this.
Flying over a crowd is a huge no no for any air event. Taking an aircraft with damaged flight controls back into flight is just mind bogglingly irresponsible.
midlifechange68@reddit
I thought after seeing it hit the wall and clearly damage the right elevator area, it would have had to be parked up and inspected off the track. Unbelievable that it took off straight away back towards the pit straight area. Seemed like another Ch7 hair brained effort at ' great television '. Dangerous aviation it was.