AdamZ
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2005
- Messages
- 14,866
- Location
- Montgomery County PA
- Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
Learned an expensive lesson today, well actually was not a lesson but more of a reminder, no actually it was a lesson. Thankfully not at my or Gary's expense.
Gary and I flew out to THV ( York PA) for breakfast we were the last in of our group and ened up parking away from the main ramp at some tie downs with hagars on one side and some ramp and grass then the runway behind. A beautiful Mooney landed right infront of us and parked just off our right wing. When we came out a bit over an hour later the mooney was gone and in its place a beautiful Baron. The activity was begining to pick up and a few planes were taxiing out to leave and a very nice Cherokee 6 Taxied behind us as I noted its the aft pax window had some serious tinting on them then Just as I began to preflight the Cherokee for the flight home I touched my finger to the prop to run my nail along it and we hear CRACK. It was like the sound of wood solidly hitting wood like a bat connecting just at the sweet spot on a fastball.
Both Gary and I immediatly look in the direction of the Six which is now past our tail and past the Baron. The Baron was rock solid it its tiedown the Six stops about 2 plane legnth's past the Baron and Gary runs around back and sees the nav light on the pilots side wing of the six is gone and a clear and red lens spinning on the ramp. The Six stopped the pilot probably wondering what the..... I picked up the lens and walked off the to the side of the six by a decent distance as the prop was still spinning held the lens up for the pilot who gave me the nod and shut down.
from about 10' I could see no damage to the Baron but Gary went up and saw the lens on the tail light had a crack in it and a very small hole pretty much like when a stone pops up and hits your windshield. I gave the lens to the Six pilot who was appreciative then I walked the 20 or so feet back to the Baron and knelt down and looked at the lens absolutly stunned how the hit did so little damage to the glass lens. Then I saw it.........I almost got sick the entire right side ( pax side) of the tail cone on the Baron was buckled in a few places with cracked paint. When the light got hit since it didn't break it must have just pushed the etire tail cone over. I told the six pilot who really manned up getting what ever info he could so he could contact the Barons owner who I think was eating inside.
I was wondering if the Baron Pilot could fly it out but who knows if the jack screws or anything else inside was bent not to mention the fuslage forward of the tailcone.
The Six was not taxing fast at all and when I tell you the hit was less than an inch down the tail light lens of the Baron I'm not exaggerating. The clip was so infintesimal in relation to the damage.
I have no idea what the Six pilot was doing, setting a radio, folding a chart probably something very normal. Ugh I really felt for him probably a great day of flying ruined before he even got on a taxiway.
Just reminds us we have to fly the plane from the moment we buckle the belts to the moment we hop off the wing ( or strut for you guys with wings on top) could happen to anyone.
Gary and I flew out to THV ( York PA) for breakfast we were the last in of our group and ened up parking away from the main ramp at some tie downs with hagars on one side and some ramp and grass then the runway behind. A beautiful Mooney landed right infront of us and parked just off our right wing. When we came out a bit over an hour later the mooney was gone and in its place a beautiful Baron. The activity was begining to pick up and a few planes were taxiing out to leave and a very nice Cherokee 6 Taxied behind us as I noted its the aft pax window had some serious tinting on them then Just as I began to preflight the Cherokee for the flight home I touched my finger to the prop to run my nail along it and we hear CRACK. It was like the sound of wood solidly hitting wood like a bat connecting just at the sweet spot on a fastball.
Both Gary and I immediatly look in the direction of the Six which is now past our tail and past the Baron. The Baron was rock solid it its tiedown the Six stops about 2 plane legnth's past the Baron and Gary runs around back and sees the nav light on the pilots side wing of the six is gone and a clear and red lens spinning on the ramp. The Six stopped the pilot probably wondering what the..... I picked up the lens and walked off the to the side of the six by a decent distance as the prop was still spinning held the lens up for the pilot who gave me the nod and shut down.
from about 10' I could see no damage to the Baron but Gary went up and saw the lens on the tail light had a crack in it and a very small hole pretty much like when a stone pops up and hits your windshield. I gave the lens to the Six pilot who was appreciative then I walked the 20 or so feet back to the Baron and knelt down and looked at the lens absolutly stunned how the hit did so little damage to the glass lens. Then I saw it.........I almost got sick the entire right side ( pax side) of the tail cone on the Baron was buckled in a few places with cracked paint. When the light got hit since it didn't break it must have just pushed the etire tail cone over. I told the six pilot who really manned up getting what ever info he could so he could contact the Barons owner who I think was eating inside.
I was wondering if the Baron Pilot could fly it out but who knows if the jack screws or anything else inside was bent not to mention the fuslage forward of the tailcone.
The Six was not taxing fast at all and when I tell you the hit was less than an inch down the tail light lens of the Baron I'm not exaggerating. The clip was so infintesimal in relation to the damage.
I have no idea what the Six pilot was doing, setting a radio, folding a chart probably something very normal. Ugh I really felt for him probably a great day of flying ruined before he even got on a taxiway.
Just reminds us we have to fly the plane from the moment we buckle the belts to the moment we hop off the wing ( or strut for you guys with wings on top) could happen to anyone.
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