172 down in vineyard

[Lndwarrior]

I spent many years flying out of STS Santa Rosa and often wondered of the survivability of landing in a vineyard. This guy pulled it off, but the bird is a little worse for wear.

Thought for sure it would flip over on impact because of the wires running down the rows. He landed with the rows and came out ok.

Plane makes emergency landing in Windsor vineyard

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office dispatched its Henry 1 helicopter, which verified from the air that the pilot was safely out of the plane, according to a Redcom dispatch official.

www.pressdemocrat.com

 

[farmrjohn]

Pretty good job of maintaining the "center line" between rows, and definitely much better than going across the rows. Looks like it was pre-harvest too without much crop loss or vine damage.

 

[RyanShort1]

Good job airman.

 

[Capngrog]

When it comes to crop damage due to a forced landing, the grape vines in a vineyard have to be just about the most expensive to replace. Doesn't it take a grape vine several years to mature enough to produce grapes?

 

[mandm]

Does insurance pay for the crops and does the pilot get the grapes or wine? (With a taste profile of menthol and lead)

 

[Jim K]

Not too chablis. I didn't see a riesling for the crash though... did he just get too merlot?

 

[FPK1]

I bet the grapes made a wine on impact...

 

[robin ardoin]

Looks like he crushed that landing!

 

[flyingron]

If the vineyard is machine maintained/harvested, there's probably enough room between the rows for the fuselage.