Stearman Takeoff from a Public Road goes Horribly Wrong

Stearman Takeoff from a Public Road goes Horribly Wrong Don't fill in the blanks!
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FlyWire is about exploring flight and the freedom this incredible experience brings us on a personal level. Flying has always captured the imagination and excitement of living life to its fullest. Hi, I'm Scott Perdue. In a former life I flew the F-4 and F-15E, more recently I retired from a major airline. I've written for several aviation magazines over the years, was a consultant for RAND, the USAF, Navy, NASA as well as few others, wrote a military thriller- 'Pale Moon Rising' (still on Kindle). But mostly I like flying, or teaching flying. Some of the most fun I had was with Tom Gresham on a TV show called 'Wings to Adventure". We flew lots of different airplanes all over the country. Now with FlyWire I want to showcase the fun in flying, share the joy and freedom of flight and explore the world with you. Make sure you subscribe if you want to go along for the ride!
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[@KS-wt9gj]

Aeronautical decision making, is the most polite way to introduce possible pilot error that I have ever heard. Well said.

[@michman2]

Attempting anything that has a lack of recovery options is not advised. Flying, driving, or sawing wood... an escape plan has got to be established.

[@paulstubbs4487]

"dumb, different or dangerous, violated all three" LOL!!

[@Mikesworld777]

I think it was weather related. He had dense fog between his ears

[@RT-qd8yl]

Not anymore 😮

[@ChazToz]

"Don't do anything Dumb, Different, or Dangerous." Excellent advice from Scott. Thank you for your analysis and words of wisdom. The second video angle gives much more insight (hindsight).

[@excellenceinanimation960]

So much for my rocket glider idea.

[@ForTheLoveOfRightRudder]

We do not nearly get enough training on parade takeoffs

[@dermick]

Indeed - I'm going back to my CFI for a refresher which will hopefully include this - plus the avoidance of light poles.

[@glenturney4750]

😁

[@pulaski1]

Apparently this is _another_ issue society faces where "just say no" isn't an effective panacea.

[@kevintucker3354]

Hehehe

[@calholyo]

Thoughtful of the police to clear a crash site for him beforehand!

[@wildgoose419]

Thoughtless of them to think it was a good idea for the guy to do this.

[@LTVoyager]

@@wildgoose419 Not their responsibility in any way, shape or form. We are called PIC for a reason.

[@Markle2k]

@@LTVoyager I'm pretty sure the stall speed of a Stearman is above the local speed limit. The Sheriff's deputies were "holding his beer" for him on this one.

[@peterbellwood5412]

Just wondering if some are pilots , and could (secretly of course ) see something like this happening ?

[@blackhd92]

Those cops are probably still setting their two to a car ,trying to figure out what caused the crash…….

[@mightyjimbo7681]

Scott thanks for the analysis. One factor in his decision matrix was a storm was coming in so he was trying to get out before it arrived. If he had towed the aircraft to the airport he felt he would have been delayed (probably to the next day). Get there itis was a factor. I personally would rather have an intact Stearman and get home a day later.

[@timarnold9969]

I understand Get-There-Itis. Having been an active Flight Instructor five decades now, that is the element that causes things like this. Also, there are the Five Hazardous Attitudes: Anti-Authority, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Macho and Resignation. It's just a guess, but I would say he has nailed at least three of these: Impulsivity, Invulnerability and Macho. If my son had done this, I'd burn him, the plane and his Pilot Certificates and Ratings at the stake. What a waste of a nice Stearman by a Show-Boating... "pilot."

[@tailwheelflier]

I was in the area, 10 miles west. I don’t recall any storms. Jennings was having a Stearman fly-in

[@tailwheelflier]

There were a large high tension power line that was higher up that it appears he saw and shoved the nose down to miss

[@tailwheelflier]

It’s based (or was based) at Winnie Texas Airport

[@stephenembrey883]

I don't think the guy had ever flown before by the looks of it, he apparently rarely ever had control of the aircraft.

[@andyrbush]

It was hard to believe anyone would try to fly through so many obstructions.

[@pinpointautodiagnosticsene9655]

Murdock from the A team can do it

[@caroltenge5147]

Didnt the pilot walk the road noting the obstructions. He was dumb to take such risks.

[@andyrbush]

@@caroltenge5147 That is why there are bold pilots and old pilots, but no old bold pilots.

[@caroltenge5147]

Andy, you are so very right.@@andyrbush

[@PatBuckleyracecar]

@@andyrbush Bold is one thing - stupid quite another.

[@kevinmalloy2180]

As always, great evaluation and appropriate (and measured) criticism of folks who merely speculate absent information. I’m a pretty low time taildragger pilot (700 hrs in 7AC Champs). But when I saw the tailwheel bounce it was pretty clear he had jerked back the stick and the only reason could be a surge of “oh shit not enough room” panic.

[@hkvp9tactical418]

Well, not many pilots have more experience than me and I’m saying from the initial right turnout I could tell it wasn’t gonna be good…

[@jimw1615]

All the comments had me remembering that I used to have a reoccurring dream when I would takeoff in a town-like environment and not be able to climb above 20 feet or so as I searched for a way to get through the maze of wires going in all directions above me. I hated those dreams.

[@ernestgalvan9037]

Wow, I used to have nightmares like that…some situation forcing me to take off from a road, full of vehicles, and buildings, poles and wires EVERYwhere.

[@MetroplexAerials]

There's the old saw about using good judgment to avoid having to use good airmanship... A superior pilot uses his superior judgement to avoid situations which require the use of his superior skill. -Frank Borman it seems like more precise airmanship might have helped, but a better airman also wouldn't have tried it. I'd bet I know pilots that would've maintained better directional control and been a bit more patient and MIGHT have pulled this off, but I also doubt they would have tried it. Also, If you look carefully, it appears that the airplane actually starts sinking before hitting the pole.

[@johngoddard8157]

One would hope he doesn't have a license to drive a car!

[@chuckschillingvideos]

I think the pilot recognized the stall condition and put the nose down to attempt to pick up a little airspeed. But obviously he had no idea where the light pole was in relation to his aircraft.

[@jeffholmes2861]

I don't see nothing superior here. Just hope the pilot is ok

[@gehlen52]

I had a chance to buy a Stearman in 71', I was 18 and swinging hay bales at 2 to 3 cents per bale in Dalhart Texas. I remember that it had a hopper in front of the cockpit which he said could be removed and replaced with a front cockpit,120 hours since a top-overhaul, BT wheels and brakes and a 12 volt electrical system $5,000 cash. It was a short-lived dream, compromised by a fuel crisis and of all things a national shortage of bailing-wire.

[@robertheinkel6225]

Bummer, it would have been a good buy.

[@villagelightsmith4375]

@@robertheinkel6225 I was doing the same thing about then and had similar opportunities. (Remember when you could get an old Harley 74 for $75? Or an old J-3 for 2 or 3 thousand?) I stayed with bucking bales, and regretted it ever since. Just another old sore-back now!

[@savage22bolt32]

I had a hop in a Stearman on my 18th birthday back in 72. The pilot gave me the ride of my life. He asked where I wanted to go & I said just up & do some loops!

[@RetroracerDB1]

Before making any flying decision you must ask yourself “What would the accident report say?”.

[@jimmyhaley727]

yes,,,,,,,,,,,, dont fly if you dont have feathers,,,

[@ZXXpilot]

That holds true for many situations in life. 👍

[@easttexan2933]

@Retroracer "and do I have on clean underwear"?

[@terry12327]

If you think you have to fly now! >>> Think also about what the crash report would say about you and the accident!

[@bigimskiweisenheimer8325]

exactly what I thought when I poked myself in the eye putting on a pair of safety glasses once. I didn't tell my foreman because I didn't want to be the topic of the next safety meeting.

[@alfredwilson3915]

Appears the pilot didn't really think this through......

[@ThePaulv12]

This is is equal to about the other 10,000 most ridiculous avoidable crashes I have ever seen on KZbin. This is no accident.

[@None-zc5vg]

Look at those dummies who were 'flying' Air France 447, or the 'experienced pilot' (and crew) whose in-a-hurry-itis wiped out 583 people at Tenerrife in 1977.

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

Looks like an elaborate insurance fraud scheme to me.

[@ThePaulv12]

@@None-zc5vg Yeah Capt van Zanten.

[@ThePaulv12]

@@MarkSmith-js2pu There's not a hope in hell an insurance company will pay on this.

[@scubathehun]

As a crop duster , I used roads more often than runways. Even landed in a small town then took off from it next day. Use all the road available to you, often had the ground crew push the aircraft back into the bush for a few extra feet. Also never block the road where the hydro lines are, you might just get under them to continue your take off roll.

[@peterolsen269]

I made the same response before I read your reply. I did how ever reference you in my second response. I was flying in the wilds of Alaska and rarely dealt with powerlines. Point is.... to stay alive and don't wreck your money maker. Good Comment.

[@garyfischer4357]

Same here and a 450 would have done the trick.

[@b17drvr]

He left 900 feet of open roadway behind him too.

[@email4664]

@@b17drvr Likely a quart of piss too

[@scottchristie]

You nailed it!! I've landed on roads. I would have had a pushback and short-field t/o.

[@scottsimpkins350]

Thanks Scott for another great review and for your nickel in the grass advice.

[@artic9514]

Wish there’s a video of The look on the face of the police or city officials that gave him permission

[@jfmrod]

@@artic9514 it’s not the city/police officials responsibility to evaluate flight risks and safety, at most the FAA should be involved in the decision.

[@CyberSystemOverload]

Excellent analysis as always. Why just why on earth would anyone risk a departure from a street with light poles, wires, vehicles and bystanders all over the place. When you showed that that the airport is just 2 miles down the road it really brings it home. I hazard a guess that it was an urge to perform for a crowd that influenced this decision.

[@2Truth4Liberty]

Wisdom is to always fight against urges. The school of hard knocks is when you don't.

[@YoMamma-c8z]

Ego.

[@kingofcastlechaos]

Mistakes were made. (Beginning with saying yes to that takeoff.) I am a pilot and soloed on my 16th birthday. I have had a recurring dream for over 40 yrs. In it I try to take off from the main street in my town and this happens EVERY TIME in the dream. No parade involved, but the whole town watches every time. All is well, I start the takeoff roll and everything quickly shrinks in to make zero margin for error, then something tugs at the aircraft and all plans are out the window and I crash. When I was younger I would scream and wake up. Could never shake that dream. Thanks for the video.

[@myredute]

Great analysis Scott but in the end another example of PILOT ERROR. An absolutely crazy act of aeronautical mismanagement that could have taken out many lives. End of the argument!

[@SmittySmithsonite]

That 2nd vid added a HUGE key to the story. I didn't even see the tailwheel sliding in the median there on the widely circulated 1st video - it looked as if he took off ok, but only clipped the light pole, then whacked the traffic lights. Amazing what can be missed in certain angles and time stamps of a video! Got to love how corporate reporters come up with their own probable cause. Great vid as always, Scott! Just watched your interview on Taking Off - thanks for your service, and loved those pics of you & your dad!

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

Thanks Smitty!

[@Swoop180]

I worked for George Mitchell of M&M Air Service as a flagger back in the late 70's, early 80's. His son's David and Mark were friends of mine and the Steerman was one of the first planes I flagged for, later they upgraded their fleet to Air Tractors, and things took a Yuge leap in coverage. There were times I missed the pace of those Steermans but business is business...

[@AmericanBonanzaSociety]

Excellent explanation of an inexplicable decision. Amazing he survived and no one was hurt.

[@myrlstone8904]

Many are commenting on the loss of a beautiful vintage Stearman. I wouldn’t count it out. I’ve seen much worse repaired and back in the air. Basket cases rebuilt, retired clapped out crop duster airframes modified for chemical tanks returned to original passenger configuration, a friend now deceased built many Stearman wings in his basement. Old Stearmans never die, they get recycled. I’ll bet Scott’s aircraft could tell a story or two.

[@FlyWirescottperdue]

That's true... It was a Duster and had been rebuilt when my Dad bought it... then I restored it again.

[@myrlstone8904]

To put things in context, we are near the same age. When I was a teenager, my father and his best friend, retired TWA, traveled the country with an 18 wheeler flat bed buying up Stearmans. Nothing airworthy, what many at the time had retired as near junk. The converted duster Stearmans were being replaced with more capable specialized designs, Agcats and such. I remember them returning from one trip with a load which to me at the time resembled a load of hay in size. A jumble of tubing, wings, gear, you name it; all stacked and chained down. Oh, how times change. This sparked my early interest in aviation and got me started in an aviation career.

[@Gus1966-c9o]

It’s gonna end up as soup cans

[@myrlstone8904]

Gus m You can bet there are folks salivating over the chance that your “future soup cans” will come on the market. Just as it rests, a pile of pieces. My intention is to educate here, not to be that guy. Many, if not most aircraft from the beginning to the mid 1940s, were entirely hand built. The factory started with raw materials - metal tubing, welding rod, acetylene, quality spruce wood, fabrics, dopes and paints; supplied the workers with basic hand tools, acetylene welding torches, etc. ; then added many many hours of highly skilled craftsmen’s work hours. A new airplane rolled out the door. The operative word here is highly skilled craftsmen. Any part or component built by skilled hands can again be built by equally skilled hands. These craftsmen still exist in limited numbers and still ply their trade. One really can’t tell from a few photos, but that pile of alleged “soup can metal” could bring 30 to 40 T dollars. Completely repaired and rebuilt airframe and engine - $150 T and up

[@rael5469]

@@FlyWirescottperdue I once got to visit onboard Clay Lacy's DC-3. I wasn't around when DC-3s were originally built but I bet Mr Lacy's aircraft is in better shape than when it was brand new. He told us it was one of the youngest and definitely the lowest time DC-3 because it had belonged to some State's Governor and flew very little.

[@gordoncomstock2459]

Thank you. Sums it up... "He tried to yank it into the air!" Too slow at rotation, hit a light pole.... gravity does the rest.

[@Rick-hf6ov]

.....and for my NEXT trick, I'm going to run my car down a runway and when it doesn't lift off, I'll crash at the end of the runway! Duhhh!

[@r.d.riddle2068]

It's always a good idea, until it isn't. This poor Stearman was doomed as soon as he pushed the throttle forward.

[@wicked1172]

That poor Stearman was doomed the moment that the mishap pilot bought it.

[@savage22bolt32]

So sad to see that beautiful plane with so much damage.

[@davegrenier1160]

I was going to ask, "Who thought this was a good idea?" Obviously, not just the pilot. This required the consent of the city, the police and fire depts, and possibly the FAA.

[@davidmiller6010]

What a shame. Glad the pilot is okay. Stearman is my all-time favorite airplane. I appreciate your traditional color scheme. Thanks for sharing.

[@gregrtodd]

He chose an intersection departure. If he'd backtracked from S Park st where he entered, and trundled down to S Bucaneer, he would have had an extra thousand feet of takeoff. And that area was clear of any obstruction -street lights, signs, traffic lights etc. What isn't obvious until you look at the Google street map view, is that just beyond where he first clipped the street light, is a tall power line (about twice the height of the traffic light.) running directly across his take-off path. If he'd snagged that, the fall from that height might well have killed him.

[@Banshee365]

I wonder if he even did a run-up. Cowboy moron.

[@srscott10]

Altitude above you and runway behind you: the two most useless things in aviation. This pilot had both.

[@utube4gar]

@@srscott10 You forgot GAS in the truck (fuel on the ground). Back in the 1960s these were THREE things that don't do a pilot any good. It hasn't changed.

[@Wingnut353]

@@utube4gar and weight in the trunk... quite a few of these reports are due to pilots not calculating how their aircraft will perform with the load they put on it, like that guy that crashed his Mooney into a berm at the end of a short runway with basically no way he would every have been able to clear it with his airplane.

[@b17drvr]

He did not do a run up or have his shoulder harness on and left open roadway behind him. Not very well thought out.

[@johnschneider4160]

No, that's the job for Dan Gryder to "fire from the hip." 😂

[@fps079]

Pretty obvious that whoever made the decision to take off was likely responsible.

[@Blitzpig]

You think!

[@tomsmith3045]

That's the pilot.

[@raymondo162]

pilot's suffering from a massively over-inflated ego.............. eejit

[@mikerca]

I think into the takeoff, he saw a 2 for 1 deal on the sign at the taco place and was distracted.

[@Claudia-se3mp]

I am so glad the pilot is okay, but his accident reminds me of famous last words, "Hey mom watch me"!

[@Flying_Snakes]

Amazing that he didn't walk the strip to see all of the light poles and wires, then choose to simply tow it home. I'm guessing that he towed it to the parade. Thanks for the vid.

[@MrFreshbreeze50EnjoyLife]

Very well shown and explained. Thankfully no one seriously hurt (that we know of), but sad about the destroyed Stearman.

[@vapoet]

I bet you the Stearman was eventually rebuilt. The number of them and parts recreated for them is pretty high.

[@TIO540S1]

I really like your calm and reasoned discussion, thanks.

[@SoloRenegade]

Pilot couldn't even keep it tracking straight before liftoff. Clearly didn't know the performance of his plane, nor did he know his own limits as a pilot. He's not the first unskilled pilot to fly a Stearman though, countless thousands of other bad pilots also started in Stearmans.

[@crewmax4240]

My pilot friend Mike used to tell me, "Takeoffs are optional. Landings are mandatory.".

[@Flies2FLL]

Who's bright idea was it to take off on a road with power lines and light poles very close? A great pilot is one who never has to rely on extraordinary skills to get out of extraordinary situations.

[@teenagerinsac]

Launch Pad Mc Quack would even have known better!!

[@lawrencelacenski9781]

The world needs more level headed people like you 👍👍👍👍

[@houseofsolomon2440]

In between the dairy queen & the whata burger is where it all went to hell in a hand basket.

[@keitharoo1962]

I can't even imagine trying to take off under those conditions with that many obstacles. There was pretty much zero margin for error. A bad decision cost him is aircraft.

[@mikes8948]

Great explanation, as always...even I can understand it. Glad the pilot is o.k., sad that another Stearman is gone.

[@waldoinaz]

The pilot isn’t OK. He’s dying inside from severe embarrassment. I hope it’s terminal. Another case of reckless and incompetent pilots driving up everyone’s insurance.

[@marlinweekley51]

He could easily have killed any number of people. Totally irresponsible if not criminal. No sympathy here.

[@mikes8948]

@@marlinweekley51 Yes, it could've been much worse. I'm still glad he's not dead. Maybe I'm too lenient, since I've done lots of stupid things in my life that could've gotten someone else hurt or killed. May your Sainthood be recognized.

[@marlinweekley51]

@@mikes8948 lol sainthood is a stretch but pretty sure I’ve never done anything quite that reckless intentionally.

[@timarnold9969]

"Ahh, yes... may I please have a chocolate dipped cone at Dairy Queen and a totaled PT-17?"

[@wicked1172]

The jimmies, don't forget the jimmies, jimmie that Stearman right in between the traffic signals and the light poles.

[@roncarney9158]

The laws of physics claim another sceptic!

[@rob379lqz]

Appears the man steered it wrong.

[@seaknightvirchow8131]

It isn’t just in aviation accidents that we try to fit cause to our paradigm. I am glad the pilot walked away but the damage to the Stearman makes sick.

[@ZachSwena]

It was a low margin takeoff that turned out to be on the wrong side of the margins. Everyone agrees that it should have been a no go.

[@gendaminoru3195]

Wonder what would have happened if he hadn't spent time in the grass and didn't try to force it off the ground early. I think he might have stopped straight ahead on the road before hitting anything. Sorry but his is just really bad airmanship.

[@ZachSwena]

@@gendaminoru3195 Success was in the realm of possibility. Colder air, slightly less fuel, and a clean run that stayed on pavement probably would have made it... just barely. It was kind of stupid to have the police in the middle of the intersection. That eliminated the one abort route he could have had. Still a poor decision to go, combined with a bunch of other poor decisions.

[@thatguy7085]

Who would have thought roads would have light poles?

[@markbattista6857]

Scott , your absolutely right about putting our own reason or reasons for an accident only because we don't know or don't have all the info to make a true reason for it. Thanks

[@borntobbad]

I had an old pilot once tell me, you're only as good as the recovery from your last bad decision, truth be known pilots don't always intentionally make bad decisions...just ones that don't have a plan B

[@stevis8264]

I've been flying for 37 years, starting with a Cessna 152 up to F-16s and 737s. There is no way I would have tried that takeoff.

[@ToyotaKTM]

That light pole JUMPED up, just before he reached it.

[@minor_edit]

Ha when he started talking about the take-off position in relation to the adjacent restaurants it really highlighted how stupid it was

[@saintsi6997]

Classic advice, " you need wings on both side to fly" excellent comment! :O)

[@markbartlett6287]

You need both wings unless you're in an Israeli F-15. Even then, though, you have to land at 300mph.

[@rs2352]

@@markbartlett6287 That, and some crazy inner demon that stops you from reaching down and pulling really hard.......

[@barbaradavis393]

Thanks for the show & tell for those of us who don't have experience with the Stearman.

[@frederickwise5238]

I dont know how many "flyable" Stearman there are but the loss of any one is sad.

[@crazypeoplearoundtheworld304]

I'm sure it'll be rebuilt

[@FranksFlights]

over a thousand

[@frederickwise5238]

@@crazypeoplearoundtheworld304 That' good to know.

[@frederickwise5238]

@@FranksFlightsGood to know. Still sad to see one lost. (Crazy People Around the World - suggests it will probably be rebuilt)

[@horacesawyer2487]

Loss of another Stearman. For now. . . some Bloke will be rebuilding it within 3 months.

[@jimmyboy163]

Army pilot training......"All roads have wires" I feel bad that this happened. RET CW3 army aviator

[@aureliobrighton1871]

I am no pilot ... but to my experience almost anything turns out dangerous if common sense is lost for what could be a multitude of reasons .. so to me it has been very worthwhile to watch and think about this lesson .. it reads 'being a function of any situation is bad' and that a calm assessment must prevail to save one from ugly stuff happening . Thanks :)

[@wagonmaster1974]

My instructor was a duster from western OK. I learned much from him about airplanes, as well as flying. I bought a 150 to use for training [was cheap, back then]. After I got my ticket, instructor took me with him on several dusting jobs in his Stearman. Had the R-985. I learned more about flying, mitigating risks and decision making in the hours in that Stearman than I did in the 40 +/- of training. Always was thankful for a great instructor. Tragedy, seeing this Stearman laid to waste by poor decision making.

[@demef758]

12:15 this short summary details exactly WHY these videos are so vital. I am not a pilot, but as an engineer, I fully appreciate failure analysis. It's how we learn, from our mistakes. Without FA, errors continue and people are killed. This is the true value of a video like this, as well as those on the Blancolirio channel. The latter has been repeatedly demonitized for the perceived "sin" of talking about air crashes where death was involved. Google/YT endangers lives with these stupid rules of theirs by denying a wider audience to failure analysis.

[@KS-wt9gj]

YT has become an extremely visible dictatorship.

[@rjbishop12]

Although I agree Y/T does things I don't agree with- I'm curious why you think demonitizing videos leads to narrowing the audience?

[@ThePaulv12]

Yeah but we don't learm from our mistakes because yhe same avoidable things happen again and again,and again and again and again and again and again and again and again again and again,and again and again and again and again and again and again and again again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again again and again,and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again,and again and again and again and again and again and again and again again and again,and again and again and again and again and again and again and again

[@anonymoususer4937]

@@rjbishop12 Lower financial reward for discussing certain topics will lead creators to avoid addressing said topics. Therefore, smaller audience.

[@831BeachBum]

One thing I do when using cellphone to take a video is to record with phone sideways in hand or Landscape mode. That way the viewer sees more horizontally especially on a KZbin video or social media. We would see a lot more.

[@celestialdream49]

Scott... thank you. I think your analysis is spot on. So senseless... such a waste of a great plane. He was very lucky that the people on the parade route were not injured.

[@JonDraeger]

I can't believe someone could think this was a fuel issue, you can hear the friggin impact with the light pole? The engine sounds gorgeous on top of that. The second angle shows the bouncing around too? Glad the guy is relatively OK, hope the plane can be saved.

[@2Truth4Liberty]

"The engine sounds gorgeous " To me, it sounded like it was misfiring. Guess we need audio forensics.

[@Yodie208]

A perfect example of " Hold My Beer And Watch This "!

[@skid2151]

Four things of no use to the pilot: runway behind you, fuel in the fuel truck, sky above you, and light poles ahead of you...

[@paulyoung181]

Also helps to not have your head up your ass!

[@markmossinghoff8185]

His runway wasn't behind him. It was a couple of miles away at the airport.

[@peterbellwood5412]

@@paulyoung181 Or somebody else's ! Paul , if you're the UK singer , can I just say how much I love your version of Hall & Oates's "Every Time You Go Away....." If you're not , forget all that , and I'll settle for " hello mate ". KwIm ?

[@timlarcombe6831]

Why on earth did he try and take off with power lines /poles, I have nightmares about landing into this on a engine out situation.

[@1rudderbum]

Go with tried and true first , better safe than sorry is my motto. “ Mother Nature doesn’t foregive “.

[@tyhensley3620]

Thanks Scott for taking the time and sharing your expertise. New pilot crossing 150 hrs and this is the next level training I need.

[@oldschoolman1444]

Funny how crap happens when showing off! =)

[@dontask8979]

I'm not a pilot, but I can see when he started off the road was his changing his mind, and then it was done. Liked and subbed. 👍

[@billstrahan4791]

My dad taught me years ago "If bystanders will use 'barely' or 'nearly' to describe the event, you need a new plan." It has served well for 35 years of flying.

[@davidzachmeyer1957]

Brilliant! I need to remember that one.

[@billstrahan4791]

@@davidzachmeyer1957 Thanks! I still vividly remember the first time it really played out. I had this clear thought that the bystanders would say "Man, he nearly cleared those apartments!" Or they would say 'Wow, he barely cleared those apartments." I sent my buddies over to the ferry dock, took off solo from Playa del Carmen, and went and picked them up in Cozumel. With just me in the plane there was no nearly or barely to it. :)

[@cecilbeach1264]

@@billstrahan4791 M Mlm

[@billstrahan4791]

@@cecilbeach1264 Literally could not have said it better myself. I'm going to quote you on this for years! :)

[@jarikinnunen1718]

Rollover was very common in biplane era. Tail wind and hard braking... and you go.

[@ejwesp]

Maybe the most graphic portrayal of the danger of “Get-There-Itis,

[@bobsullivan5714]

I have had to deal with the "Get there itis" issues with my sailboat.....Something changes and my planning went sideways....I have laid to on the anchor and been late getting home because of it........But,, a bit of inconvenience traded for a safer trip is a no-brainer.....Even for me....lol

[@Patrick_B687-3]

Two miles. Two….tiny, short little miles that will haunt him for the rest of his days. My god man why couldn’t you wait?

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

G,day Scott from Sydney Australia. Bi plane misadventure... That seems like peer pressure, lazy, get the plane out decision making. Great educational air crash video that you have made. Takeaways * Get the V1 and rotate "get the airflow over the wings to have authority. * Use the ground effect to increase KIAS before any significant rate of climb. BAK The cross cables give box strengths to the bi wing design. 🤏🧐

[@thor3279]

Heartbreaking to see a beautiful classic plane abused/destroyed. Glad your lovely Stearman has a good home and most importantly a responsible owner.

[@kurtzbradley]

When being super cool goes wrong. So glad he did not kill an innocent person.

[@pmh1nic]

Thankful no one was seriously injured but very sad to see this beautiful aircraft destroyed. My wife got me a ride in a Steadman for my birthday one year. I'm a pilot but the experience of flying in the Steadman was awesome. I'm hoping this plane could be restored.

[@oldgeezer3324]

Scott, very interesting, You did show without doubt what the cause was, I was relieved when you told us no one was hurt or killed.

[@n5yiz]

An idiotic shenanigan that should have never taken place.

[@zippydooda563]

The biggest problem was the decision to fly it out of there. “Hey ya’ll…..watch this”, strikes again.

[@dwitcraft]

Scott, very brief but thorough explanation. I appreciate you're trying not to pass judgement. This is clearly a case of, "stupid is as stupid does". Very fortunate to not kill himself or injure bystanders. The plane even looks rebuildable.

[@donalddodson7365]

Thank you for your reasoned, seasoned and insightful explanations. Having been on the ground after a couple of plane crashes, it is absolutely no thanks to human preparation no one was killed, injured or major property loss, other than the aircraft. I am very interested to see who else comes into the equation as the fault tree analysis and FAA / NTSB investigations are published. (Parade Permit, Parade Entry Application Form, decision making process involving parade officials, police, fire/rescue, etc.)

[@DrewNorthup]

The Incident Command System isn't designed to cope with people wanting to fly aircraft in dumb places. No decision tree analysis required. I agree with Mr. Perdue: This was just plain poor decision making on the part of the pilot.

[@TheBullethead]

@@DrewNorthup Well, actually, the local government WAS involved because the cops cleared the road. They had to be told to do that. Which means the local government knew of and approved this beforehand. But hey, those folks (almost certainly) ain't aviation experts so probably just took the pilot's word for it that this would work, and they thought it would be a way to grab attention for their small town on the evening news of the nearby big city. Maybe drum up some tourism and all that. So, lack of due diligence on their part for not looking out for the safety of their constituents, not to mention the pilot. I mean, how many folks in this town lost power, telephone, or cable TV due to the downed wires? How many commuters and school buses were delayed, how many businesses lost their expected clientele for the rest of the day, all because this major road was closed for hours along a number of blocks during the investigation and clean-up? So instead of getting good PR, the local pols got bad PR and angered many of their constituents. ICS CAN be implemented proactively for planned events instead of the more usual thing of setting it up to deal with emergencies that just happen, whether planned for or not. But it's obvious pre-incident ICS was not used here at all. Otherwise, this whole mad scheme would have been shot down during risk-assessment in the 1st planning phase, before the 1st operational cycle commenced. Now, once the plane crashed, sure, ICS happened in the response. But definitely not before. So, bottom line: Idiot pilot has stupid idea and pitches it to stupid local pols who stupidly approve it without any thought. I mean, if they'd had even 1 thought about it but still decided to go with it, they'd at least have had fire trucks and ambulances standing instead of only police cars. So there's plenty of places to spread the blame. But still, the root cause was the pilot's stupidity for thinking this alternative was better than towing the plane a few miles down the road. But all this begs the question... How did the plane get there to begin with? What failure on the previous flight led to it landing on this road and how preventable was that failure? Also, how much do you suppose the successful forced landing influenced the decision to take off from there, forgetting that most planes need more room to takeoff than to land?

[@kevinwaterman389]

@@TheBullethead the plane was towed two miles into town from the airport so it could be towed in a parade! I wonder why this plane was so important to be in the parade in the first place? Maybe a flyover of the parade route or an event at the airport could have been a better option for showing off this plane.

[@TheBullethead]

@@kevinwaterman389 Wow. That makes this crash even more inexcusable on all fronts. The guy didn't land there but decided to take off from there, and was allowed to do so by the powers that be. Words fail.

[@peterbellwood5412]

@@TheBullethead It's all in the video . Lovely old aircraft being towed by a lovely new John Deere tractor . In The Parade . I wish I'd been there to see the beautiful classic . But , come-on , not in a parade , surely ?

[@donmoore7785]

I did not realize this guy was on a road. The obvious question of why the light pole was there is answered. Great analysis.

[@Skinflaps_Meatslapper]

Aside from the precursor mistake of taking off instead of being towed (or even finding a better road to take off on), he made a whole lot of bad choices all wrapped up in one single short event. His first mistake was that rolling start from the parking lot where he could've held the brakes and got full power first (or back taxied to get more distance), his second was an early rotation, his third was not shutting it down when he started veering off the road, his fourth mistake was not electing to roll on the ground through the intersection after a questionable takeoff run, and his fifth and final mistake was nosing down after he felt something hit the gear. It wasn't the light pole that took him down or damaged the plane, it was the pole with the traffic lights that he dove into (look for the pole with the black SUV parked right behind it). I've hit a few things with my planes over the years (standpipes painted green in fields and powerlines, mostly), and the movement after that light pole wasn't caused by the impact, it was a deliberately controlled pitch down. It wasn't until he hit the traffic light pole with wires that the plane started coming apart and departing from controlled flight. Hit pause in that first video and use your . and , keys to skip frame by frame to see what I'm talking about. The light pole hit his gear (possibly a prop strike in the process), not the wing, and this would collaborate with him veering off the left side of the road. You can see just a slight right bank as he's coming up to it, which means he saw it just a moment too late to do anything meaningful about it, but he did attempt to dodge it. Also note that the wing still looked solid and the N struts were intact. If the N strut was damaged to the point of adversely affecting flight, it definitely wouldn't look straight, and the lower wing would be lifted up (as in, increased dihedral). Had it taken out the flying wires, both of the wings on the left side would have rapidly pivoted upward, as there wouldn't be anything holding them down at that point. Landing wires are irrelevant in this situation, as long as there's positive lift then the support structure is intact and will remain intact until landing. I've had a landing wire flutter and break mid flight and the only adverse characteristic was that after I got the tail down on the ground, the wing folded down and scraped the wingtip. Furthermore, hitting that light pole didn't cause it to pitch down...if it was bad enough to alter the aircraft's attitude it would've happened near instantaneously, but this was a smooth pitch down and the aircraft continued flying up before he let off on the stick. Impacting stuff that causes a plane to pitch or yaw around it happens REAL fast, and you generally lose stuff in the process, like gear legs or a tail or a wingtip. My guess is that he couldn't see what was under him, he was worried about a stall, he was already moving the stick to the right to avoid that first pole, and in his panic, the first instinctive thing to come to his mind after feeling an impact like that was to let off on the stick and level off to prevent a stall and see what was in front of him in the hopes that maybe he could avoid whatever else was in the way. It's all just speculation, of course, but this is also coming from an experienced ag pilot with a lot of time in agcats and stearmans who's been in situations like this, so I can give some potential insight into things that most pilots will never encounter.

[@AvishalomShalit]

idk, he yaws left about 20-30 degrees on that first impact with the pole. that's enough to stall his left wing and lose some airspeed while he's at it, at that point he was already doomed.

[@Skinflaps_Meatslapper]

@@AvishalomShalit That's a good hypothesis, and you're right, there is some yaw involved. Not 20-30deg, but maybe 5deg or so. Watching the second video at 6:02, it doesn't look like much yaw (5deg) until after he hits that second set of obstacles (just before you see that traffic light go flying is the second impact, and that's where you see a lot of yawing, and a harder bank to the right). Perhaps that's the 20-30deg yawing you're seeing. What I'm seeing at the light pole is a quick but shallow bank to the right (like a correction) and then letting off the stick which causes the descent. If he wasn't planning on banking to the right, but rather it was a kneejerk reaction, he probably wouldn't have thought (or the time to think about it) to kick in a little right rudder to go along with that aileron. In a Stearman at slow speed, you'll get a considerable amount of adverse yaw from that, which would result in what I'm seeing from that perspective. Coupled with the pitch down, it could look like more yaw than what it seems as well. Like I said before, any impact that causes an aircraft to change direction will happen pretty much instantaneously, so if that light pole were to cause the yaw, it would be unnaturally fast...think stomping on the rudder of an Extra 300, but a little faster without any lag. Then you'd have the aerodynamic reaction of it, which would be a slower recovery, but pronounced as well...imagine you're doing a max effort slip wings level, and then you just let off on the rudder. I didn't see any of those telltales, only a quick bank, some adverse yawing, and a drop in pitch. Had he stalled the left wing in an uncoordinated left yaw after that, you'd see a pronounced left bank to go with it, but it remained wings level. If you look at the first video, he's not pulling enough AOA to stall the wing after that light pole, the trajectory, attitude, speed, and even down to the way the aircraft was flying suggest that there wasn't a stall. Before the light pole, he was close to it, but not close enough to stall. When you stall a Stearman under power, generally speaking you've got quite a bit of up elevator cranked into it and the nose will be pointing up a lot more than it was in video, because it's not the easiest thing to get one to actually stall. What you look for in a stall should be the tailwheel further down than the main gear, as you can land a Stearman on the tailwheel first without stalling it. For straight and level-ish flight, that's a good indicator of AOA. In the video, that tailwheel is about level with the lower wing immediately after the first impact, meaning the old girl was flying well above stall and had some AOA left to spare. It's for those reasons I don't think there was a stall or loss of control involved between the first and second impacts, it appears to be under control the entire time (CFIT). Also note the elevator just as he passes the bystander's head, you can see the squared off edges of the horizontal stab which means the elevator balance tab wasn't there to give it that classic rounded Stearman look, and that equates to the elevator having considerable deflection up or down. In this case the elevator appears to be deflected pretty hard down, and then suddenly pulled back right before the second impact. That's running the ragged edge of perception though, as the videos aren't really high enough quality to say for sure, it's entirely possible that what I'm seeing on the tail is an artifact of compressed video. Here's a thought...could the first impact have jarred him hard enough that he inadvertently pushed the stick down? Meaning, the impact with the light pole wasn't enough to affect the trajectory of the plane, but it was enough of an impact to push him forward in the cockpit, and with his hand on the stick, that would correlate to pitching down. More speculation, but something to think about...

[@savage22bolt32]

@@Skinflaps_Meatslapper I sure would like to know how you use the . and , keys to go frame x frame after hitting pause. There's no keyboard. Maybe because I'm watching on my phone - not a desktop?

[@Skinflaps_Meatslapper]

@@savage22bolt32 I have no idea how to do frame by frame with mobile, but there may be a website or app out there you could use?

[@savage22bolt32]

@@Skinflaps_Meatslapper Judging from the messages you wrote, you are a very thoughtful person. I like your analysis, (even though I'm not a pilot, just had a few opportunities to fly over the past 60 yrs). 👍Thank you for the reply. I have an ancient desktop computer, I'll try the frame x frame next time it's booted up. PS, the best two flights I had were at 18 yrs old in a Stearman, & in my 60's a gentleman let me fly his WACO a few yrs ago. Sadly, I missed my calling.

[@petercyr3508]

I live in the area and have seen this plane up close and in the air. Gorgeous.

[@DrHarryT]

It is painfully obvious that this pilot suffered from a cranial/rectal occlusion.

[@carlospar3727]

It's called Optical Rectumosis

[@DrHarryT]

@@carlospar3727 My depiction in layman's terms is for one to have his "head up his A$$" Your depiction however is for one to have a "$hitty outlook on things" 😃 The terminology I would use for yours is...His optical nerve has been crossed with the rectal nerve.

[@frankhuber9912]

Heh heh... that reminds me, there's a tow truck channel her on KZbin (haven't visited in quite some time but it should still be up). It's bloody hilarious-- people pull up to a "No Parking" sign, get out of their vehicle, closely scrutinize what the sign says-- and park there anyway! Hours later they stagger back, piss drunk, look at the empty parking spot about ten times, then they throw their little tantrum. Mr Perdue is giving us good advice here. The one thing that I might add is "stay sober". A lot of those people who had their cars towed were damn lucky.

[@eduardoletti5537]

Besides the accident and destroying his airplane, this pilot will most likely face an FAA enforcement action.

[@DownhillAllTheWay]

He'll probably be expected to pay for the street light and sign as well.

[@markdaniel8740]

The faa might make him pay an instructor for an hour to teach him why he should not have done what he did. Look at Harrison Ford, he did not get any special treatment.

[@marcdraco2189]

@@markdaniel8740 That's IT!? If it were down to me I'd yank his licence for trying to be clever.

[@jasonmarks1636]

I'm going to practice touch and go's in my town's mainstreet this week. We only have one traffic light... should work out.

[@peterbellwood5412]

Good lad . But wouldn't it be more entertaining to wait till you can find more....ermm........obstacles ? 8-)

[@goaway7346]

Also, how the hell did he get permission to take off from a busy road? The police had to block traffic for him! Who told them to do that? A lot of bad decisions I think.

[@BigBlueJake]

The police would have been blocking traffic for the parade. If he planned to take off right afterward they'd just have to stay in position a little longer.

[@davidboyd9204]

I have always understood that the FAA has to review and authorize such “events” as this one.

[@joannescholl7216]

But Scott, the news lady said it may have been weather related...Insert laughing face!

[@harryfaber]

A lot of bad decisions are 'weather related'. We think stupid things like 'I will only be up 30 minutes, that storm won't get here for 40' or 'if I don't fly today, the weather will ground us tomorrow', and off we go into the wild blue yonder. I got away with it not once but twice. Both times instructors told me I would be ok, both times I was thinking that maybe the clubhouse was nicer than being airborne. True to say, both times I was ok, but not by the kind of margins I like. Turning downwind with lightning about a mile off your port wingtip concentrates the mind.

[@timmyg8765]

It's clear to me someone placed a streetlight entirely too close to the runway.

[@peterbellwood5412]

I've just remembered an important observation , my dad told me from experiences (!!) Any landing you can walk away from is a good one . He's been asleep in death for some years , now . But I wonder what he'd make of this . He'd probably shed a tear for the way that beautiful plane was treated .

[@18robsmith]

The first time I watched that video my initial reaction was "What the £$%^&* is that guy doing". Then he hit the light, then the lights. Now he's got a pile of explaining to do, and there's a wrecked Stearman which I hope it was his and not someone else's pride and joy. The only good thing about this is nobody got killed.

[@specforged5651]

It appears he wanted his plane towed after all. Once again, thanks for all the straight up knowledge and facts. Yourself and Juan do it right.

[@karlscribner7436]

Lucky there was no injuries. One new report on Juan Brown’s site mentions weather in quoting a law enforcement officer. I go along with wether..or not, not meteorological

[@annoyingbstard9407]

This is upsetting as this was such a beautiful plane. We don’t see many here in Britain but the ones that are here are cherished.