Pilots Walks Away From Crash Landing On Highway Median
A WWII-era P-51D Mustang crash-landed on the median of
Highway 20 near Rexburg, ID on Thursday. Pilot and owner John
Bagley walked away from the accident with only minor injuries.
Bagley had just finished rebuilding the plane's engine and was
conducting a series of test flights when the engine failed after a
take off.
He told local station KPVI, "As I pulled off the runway a 2nd
time, the engine quit and then it started running again, and I'm
going through every emergency procedure I had to try to keep it
running, then it quit again and I could see I wasn't gonna make
it."
Bagley made a seemingly miraculous emergency landing on the
median. He says he knew he would overtake traffic heading the same
direction as he and there was too much oncoming traffic to land in
the opposite lane.
Traffic in both directions was stopped for several hours while
police and rescue personnel worked to clear away the wreckage.
Police say they are amazed Bagley escaped with such light
injuries.
Lieutenant Shane Turman said, "I think it's a miracle he walked
out of this, we're lucky -- glad that he did."
Despite the heart-stopping crash landing, Bagley remains
committed to his hobby. He owns another P-51 and says he'll
continue to fly it.
"Life has risks and rewards, and flying a P-51 Mustang is one of
the great rewards in life, there's nothing cooler than flying a
Mustang, not jets, not anything. I've got two of them -- I had two
of them -- now I got one and a half."
He added his only regret was the destruction of "a very historic
airplane that was in really good shape."
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** Report created 12/22/2006 Record
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IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 251RM
Make/Model: F51D Description: F45D
MUSTANG
Date: 12/21/2006 Time: 2255
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
None Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: REXBURG State: ID Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT DURING FLIGHT TEST, ENGINE FAILED AND FORCE LANDED ON A
ROAD, REXBURG,
ID
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: NOT REPORTED
OTHER DATA
Activity: Other Phase:
Unknown Operation: OTHER
Departed: REXBURG,
ID
Dep Date: Dep.
Time:
Destination: REXBURG,
ID
Flt
Plan:
Wx Briefing:
Last Radio Cont:
Last Clearance:
FAA FSDO: SALT LAKE CITY, UT
(NM07)
Entry date: 12/22/2006