Sun, Jan 08, 2012
Made Dead Stick Landing On City Street In Texas
A Civil Air Patrol pilot escaped serious injury Tuesday night
when she was forced to land on a city street.
Second Lieutenant Sarah Rovner, a member of the Thunderbird
Composite Squadron in Houston, was flying the CAP-owned Cessna 172
from West Houston Airport to Lone Star Executive Airport when she
reported losing aircraft power. When she realized she would not be
able to glide the final six miles to the airport, she made a
dead-stick landing on Davis Street in downtown Conroe with guidance
from a controller, who also called emergency responders.
When those responders reached the scene, they reportedly found a
damaged utility pole and few downed signposts, and a 1979 Skyhawk
that's going to need extensive wing repair, but the 22-year-old
pilot was not injured, nor was anyone on the ground.
Colonel Brooks Cima, Texas Wing commander, said, “Landing
on a public roadway is certainly not optimal, but the pilot
surveyed the situation and determined that the road was the best
and safest choice for herself and the residents of the area given
the local terrain and darkness of night.”
Joe Smart of the Conroe Police Department told CultureMap,
"We've worked plane crashes before, but never right in the middle
of town."
Rovner reportedly passed her checkride only three months ago,
and has logged only about 100 hours. Lieutenant Colonel Robert
Beeley, a regional commander for CAP, remarked, "Sarah's a great
pilot and a wonderful example of the good training we require. Our
pilots are held to standards twice as difficult as requirements for
civilian pilots."
The NTSB will investigate.
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