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Aug 13, 2008 04:31 PM | 3
It seems the pilot of a Titan Tornado (their site was down as of late this afternoon) ultralight aircraft—a single-seat, homebuilt hot-rod capable of hitting 90 mph—had some trouble on Tuesday morning when cruising over San Bernardino County’s Mojave Valley, which straddles the California-Arizona border. According to the Associated Press, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing on the westbound lanes of the Interstate 40 connector road to Interstate 95.
The so-called experimental aircraft made a successful touchdown, but that’s when things evidently went wrong. Problem solved, the pilot apparently decided to take off again from the freeway. Thinking the coast was clear, the pilot, Gene Allen Sheets, 65, revved up the Tornado’s Rotax two-stroke engine, trundled down the eastbound roadway and rose up to about three feet off the ground, say witnesses, who spoke to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Tragically, that’s when the ultralight slammed into an oncoming car. The lightweight, welded-steel and -aluminum structure naturally did not fare well. The pilot was instantly ejected from the cockpit and died at the scene, say authorities. The three people inside the sedan, which suffered a broken windshield, sustained minor injuries, but refused medical treatment.
Needless to say, having safely landed on a public roadway, it was probably not the best decision to try to take off again. The pilot was likely just trying to avoid having to arrange for somebody to drive over and tow the plane back to the airport.
Ultralight aircraft, by the way, are what Winged Migrations producers used to get those close-ups of geese.
Tags:
aircraft,
titan tornado,
ultralight aircraft,
plane,
aviation,
winged migrations,
gene allen sheets
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3 Comments
Add CommentBit late to do anything now, but I wonder why he didn't take off in the direction the traffic would be flowing in. Maybe the wind was a bit strong for a down wind take off .
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRest in peace.
Bad reporting.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this1) It's not an ultralight.
2) It did not have a 2-stroke engine.
3) It did not have a Rotax engine.
4) It hasn't been confirmed that he WAS trying to takeoff, as opposed to just bouncing after a bad landing. Eyewitness reports are conflicting.
That's some nice reporting there, Lou.
By the way, it's "US95" not Interstate 95. I40 and I95 intersect in North Carolina.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this