Emergency landing, Lake Shore Drive

[GreatLakesFlying]

Just happened. Ercoupe 415-D, tail # N99055, out of OSH, apparently lost power over Chicago. Landed on the southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive, near 31st St Harbour. No injuries. (Photo below, courtesy of CFD).

https://twitter.com/CFDMedia/status/1022942753817325569

[ Update per ABC Ch. 7:

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said the pilot of the single-engine plane contacted authorities to report that he was having an engine issue and was quickly losing power, and asked to take the aircraft down on Lake Shore Drive.

"If you've gotta land some place, Lake Shore Drive is better than on the street," Langford said.

There was no damage to the aircraft and no injuries reported. Langford said at the time of landing the aircraft's was at below 50 percent engine power, and had no choice but to land.

It was not immediately clear if there was a passenger in the two-seater plane.

The pilot is speaking with police and fire officials at the scene.

Police are on scene to direct traffic in the southbound lanes, which are now getting by in one lane. ]

 

[Oblivion]

Too bad Meigs wasn't still an option.

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

Live coverage on ABC Ch.7 FB stream:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10156997195876162

 

[PaulS]

Carb ice, my guess.

 

[Oblivion]

I'm glad they're safe - it makes watching this coverage amusing (the selfies, the assumed Public Works guys standing around . . . ).

 

[denverpilot]

Carb ice, my guess.

Or the electric pump to header tank thing that got my friend’s Ercoupe.

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

I'm glad they're safe - it makes watching this coverage amusing (the selfies, the assumed Public Works guys standing around . . . ).

That's our Chicago . I want to know who the chick with the 9" [heels] was, supervising the whole thing, then leaving in an unmarked CPD SUV!

 

[Oblivion]

That's our Chicago . I want to know who the chick with the 9" hills was, supervising the whole thing, then leaving in an unmarked CPD SUV!

I was wondering that too. Wondered if reporter, but did not see her in a getaway vehicle.

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

I was wondering that too. Wondered if reporter, but did not see her in a getaway vehicle.

My contacts in the CPD tell me "city dept of aviation official".

 

[denverpilot]

My contacts in the CPD tell me "city dept of aviation official".

PR chick, probably.

 

[denverpilot]

Just think, if Meigs was still there, and not destroyed by an act of domestic terrorism, he could have just... landed.

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

Just think, if Meigs was still there, and not destroyed by an act of domestic terrorism, he could have just... landed.

Don't. Scratch. Old. Wounds.

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

Here's an update. Three of the four southbound lanes on Lake Shore Drive are open. The airplane has been moved to the median, using two Fire Department colour coordinated spine boards as planks to ramp the airplane up the curb. (Photo below, courtesy of the CFD Media Office).

According to WGN (coloured emphasis, mine):

In a mayday call to a tower at Chicago Midway International Airport, the pilot can be heard saying his plane was near Soldier Field with “partial power, engine failure.” A controller tells the pilot to land at Midway, to which the pilot says, “negative, we’re unable.” The controller then directs the pilot to Lake Shore Drive.

He landed in southbound lanes about 3:15 p.m. Friday, according to police and fire officials. No injuries or collisions were reported.

Officials said the plane was returning to Ohio from the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show in Wisconsin.

​

 

[denverpilot]

Don't. Scratch. Old. Wounds.

“Over Macho Grande?”

“No, I’ll never be over Macho Grande...”

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

- Midway Tower, N-C-C-1-7-0-1, over Navy Pier, on final for runway 1-8.

- 7-0-1, Midway Tower, we have no runway 1-8.

- Tower, 7-0-1, what's that thing I am landing on?

- 7-0-1, we call it Lake Shore Drive, sir.

 

[wrbix]

That's our Chicago . I want to know who the chick with the 9" hills was, supervising the whole thing, then leaving in an unmarked CPD SUV!

9” HILLS, indeed.
Freudian slip?

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

9” HILLS, indeed.
Freudian slip?

Heels, heels ...

 

[arnoha]

Here's an update. Three of the four southbound lanes on Lake Shore Drive are open. The airplane has been moved to the median, using two Fire Department colour coordinated spine boards as planks to ramp the airplane up the curb. (Photo below, courtesy of the CFD Media Office).

According to WGN (coloured emphasis, mine):

In a mayday call to a tower at Chicago Midway International Airport, the pilot can be heard saying his plane was near Soldier Field with “partial power, engine failure.” A controller tells the pilot to land at Midway, to which the pilot says, “negative, we’re unable.” The controller then directs the pilot to Lake Shore Drive.

He landed in southbound lanes about 3:15 p.m. Friday, according to police and fire officials. No injuries or collisions were reported.

Officials said the plane was returning to Ohio from the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show in Wisconsin.

​

...and this is why I always refuse when my non-pilot friends offer to help push my plane around. What surface is the large guy exactly pushing on right now? I'm sure he thinks he's being helpful, but that looks...expensive.

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

...and this is why I always refuse when my non-pilot friends offer to help push my plane around. What surface is the large guy exactly pushing on right now? I'm sure he thinks he's being helpful, but that looks...expensive.

He found a part of the airplane that is hinged to the wing, that you can push in an down position, then use it as a handle to push the aircraft forward. Now, what's wrong with that?

 

[NoHeat]

...What surface is the large guy exactly pushing on right now?

Wingwalk. On the generously wide wing root.

You can see it in this photo of an Ercoupe, which is BTW one of my favorite planes to fly.

 

[arnoha]

Wingwalk. On the generously wide wing root.

You can see it in this photo of an Ercoupe, which is BTW one of my favorite planes to fly.

View attachment 65590

Interesting. So not my preferred surface, but also not a terrible one. Every other aircraft I've flown has a flap at the end of the wing walk.

Even as a pilot, I don't help push without instructions from the PIC.

 

[denverpilot]

Interesting. So not my preferred surface, but also not a terrible one. Every other aircraft I've flown has a flap at the end of the wing walk.

Even as a pilot, I don't help push without instructions from the PIC.

Now that we know that’s not a flap, how do you know he wasn’t following the owner’s instructions from what’s seen in the photo?

 

[arnoha]

Now that we know that’s not a flap, how do you know he wasn’t following the owner’s instructions from what’s seen in the photo?

I don't, of course. But what fun would the internets be without rampant speculation and instant judgement?

 

[denverpilot]

I don't, of course. But what fun would the internets be without rampant speculation and instant judgement?

T’is true, t’is true! This is the true purpose of Internet and interactions with strangers!

 

[masloki]

Buried in the trib article, suggestions of engine loss of power or fuel starvation.

 

[denverpilot]

Buried in the trib article, suggestions of engine loss of power or fuel starvation.

Post 6. Bet the pump failed. It’s an Achilles heel of the fuel design in those that I didn’t know about until it destroyed an airplane right in front of me on a rural road.

Well the stupid useless “Road May Flood” road sign that the County still hasn’t replaced months later, did that, but the pilot said the float gauge for the header tank bottomed out and the engine would run at idle but consumed too much fuel above that and would start to die.

I’ve forgotten to ask him if the electric pump was ever tested back at the hangar after they trucked the remains back there.

 

[steingar]

On the way out of Osh I had no ADSB signal, but it came back over Chicago. I flew the southern end flake Michigan at 11.5k feet. There were ton of aircraft doing it at like 1k feet. I was amazed.

2.5 hours back, in case anyone is interested. Had to dodge exactly one cloud.