GA Plane attempted landing on I-35W in Fort Worth.

J

JustinWalton

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Justin
So, my grandfather just called me to make sure I was ok I guess. He is on I-35W in Fort Worth and says he just saw a small white plane attempt a landing on I-35W. He said it got to about 20 feet over the road, but couldn't find a spot to touch down because of traffic. He said the plane then powered back up and ascended. Moments later he said he saw lots of emergency vehicles.

Anyone know anything about this?

Can't imagine attempting a landing on I-35 if I still had power. Lots of airports down that way.
 
It's possible he was just buzzing someone on the highway, too. Either way it the ensuing panic will probably result in an emergency response.
 
The pilot probably descended to Che k the road sign,he was probably flying IFR .
 
Simulated engine out training with an instructor who decided to let the student take it way down low?

Emergency response due to the dozens of people reporting a "near crash"?
 
Are we sure it was really 20 ft over the road? That's within the height of many light poles.

In any case, if it was low enough to make people think it was landing then it was way too low to be in compliance with FAR 91.119 a, b, and even c unless it was a true engine-out with a fortuitous last-second restart.
 
It seems pretty unlikely to me that it was really 20 feet. Most non-aviation people just see "looks really low!" and make up numbers. 20 feet would be significantly less than its wingspan, and if witnesses thought about that I bet you'd see different numbers reported.
 
So, I just heard back from him, and it was not in Fort Worth...Turns out he was 10 miles north of Hillsboro. Before he had just said "over here on 35W", and he he lives in Hurst, so.....
 
Considering the fact it powered back up and ascended, they could have been practicing engine outs, but 20 feet is way too low for that.
 
Ryanb said:
Considering the fact it powered back up and ascended, they could have been practicing engine outs, but 20 feet is way too low for that.
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I was thinking along those lines too. I know my instructor and I practiced engine outs down to a couple hundred feet over rural section or county roads, but never to anything like 20 feet, much less over an interstate (although it sounds like it wasn't over the interstate).
 
Could have been carb ice, what's the local weather like?

Our mechanic has a story of carb ice that caused an engine out, then coughed and cleared as he was on final for the cow pasture.
 
Or they really did have a problem... and then got it switched from left tank to right just in time, or some other such thing.
 
It was running just a teeny tiny bit rough.
 
Possibly the pilot mistook IH-35 for the Hillsboro airport (KINJ), which is nearby.
 
Not sure. He and my grandmother say it was 20 feet. Who knows. When I first talked to them, and thought it was Ft Worth, I figured someone on here would know something. Anywho....sorry for the let down.
 
JimNtexas said:
Possibly the pilot mistook IH-35 for the Hillsboro airport (KINJ), which is nearby.
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Or the witness at some distance mistook a low pass or go around at INJ for a low pass over the highway. They're parallel and only about a quarter mile apart. But it'd be difficult to mistake them from the air, especially in close.
 
deyoung said:
It seems pretty unlikely to me that it was really 20 feet. Most non-aviation people just see "looks really low!" and make up numbers. 20 feet would be significantly less than its wingspan, and if witnesses thought about that I bet you'd see different numbers reported.
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I believe your statement has some merit. We all know how unreliable witness reports can be. Especially when it comes to altitude. 200ft could have seemed like 20 for sure. Especially if he was lining up for rwy 16 (prevalent winds from the south here this week).

pbramlett said:
It was running just a teeny tiny bit rough.
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Ragaaaaaah! :D
(am I the only one who got it? :) )
 
If it was really 20 feet your grandpa would have said it touched down on the highway and took off again. No slam on your grand parents, but eye witnesses seeing something they don't expect to see exaggerate the proximity of that item to themselves or the ground.
 
As for getting low on engine out drills, here in the flat Midwest my instructor let me get so low on a simulated landing into a corn field that I was surprised we didn't have tassles in our wheel pants. As a new student I didn't realize how bad that could have been if the engine stumbled even a bit when we powered back up.

Patrick
 
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