Chuck Yeager, one of
America's best-known, and possibly its most celebrated, pilot has
been involved in a minor landing accident in a T-6, on
Thursday.
While on his way to a public symposium and the dedication of a
new airport community in Georgia, reports indicate that a crosswind
landing went awry and Yeager's bird wound up in a ditch while
taxiing in. There were no notable injuries to Yeager or his wife,
the only persons on board. Yeager is said to have been
"embarassed," and had a small "bump on his head" as a result of the
warbird mishap. Damage to his aircraft was reported to be light and
Yeager is still scheduled to be a guest speaker tonight (Friday) at
the Rabun County Civic Center in Clayton, GA. In addition to this
appearance (in association with an event promoted by Aviation
Autographs, Yeager and a number of other aviation luminaries will
be honored by having local streets named after them. Other notable
aviator due to make an appreance at the events this week include
Bud Anderson, Gunther Rall, Robin Olds, and 'Tex' Hill.
Yeager's incident, at the 'Heaven's Landing' airport, occurred
just prior to the start of an event billed as "A Tribute To Aces,"
which was to be followed by the airport's Grand Opening on
Saturday. Both those events are still scheduled, as planned.
Heaven's Landing is an up-scale airport development featuring a
5000' x50' paved concrete runway, designed to accommodate "all
types" of private aircraft. Some 200 lots, averaging 1.5 acres,
surround the new landing strip.
A combat veteran and accomplished test pilot, Yeager was brought
to public prominence by Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff.' Yeager, of
course, was the first pilot to exceed Mach One on Oct. 14, 1947, in
the Bell X-1.
** Report created 10/3/2003 Record
3 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 28310
Make/Model: T6 Description: T-6, AT-6, BC-1, SNJ,
TEXAN, HARVARD
Date: 10/02/2003 Time:
1930
Event Type: Incident Highest Injury:
Minor Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City:
CLAYTON
State: GA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
AFTER LANDING AT HEAVEN'S LANDING (PVT), THE ACFT RAN OFF THE
RUNWAY. CLAYTON, GA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal:
0
# Crew: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
1 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
1 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: RELAYED AS SEVERE
CLEAR
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase:
Landing Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: GA62 Dep
Date: Dep.
Time:
Destination: UNKN Flt Plan:
NONE Wx Briefing:
N
Last Radio Cont: NONE Last
Clearance: NONE
FAA FSDO: COLLEGE PARK, GA (SO11) Entry
date: 10/03/2003