Pilots Walk Away from Totaled Plane
A Beech 76 Duchess in Naples Florida
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Erick Stamm
What: Beechcraft model 76, twin engine, four-seater
Where: George T. Lewis Airport
When: 1:45 p. m. Saturday Oct 17
Who: Pilot Mathias H. Ejegaard, 24, of Sweden; passenger (also a pilot) Ezekiel G. Andrews, 24, of Alabama
Why: Ejegaard is a new pilot and has only had his license since March. On approach, the front landing gear indicator light was off so he made two more passes. He and his passenger (also a pilot) tried manually to lock the gear into place. When he made the landing, the pilot realized he was coming in too fast, but it was too late to stop and too late to take off again. The plane skidded off the runway into a marsh. A crane retrieved the plane, which was totaled.
Maybe all runways should end in marshes.