Cessna hits SUV on student's first solo landing

I've got 10 bucks that says the people in the SUV were texting at the time.

Based on what happened, we won't know whether or not the pilot was going to come up short of the displaced threshold. He was never given the opportunity to get there... :D

This situation reminds me of Camano Island airpark up here.... there is a similar situation, except the road is literally almost touching the end of the runway pavement. The threshold is displaced only about 100 feet, and the runway is only 1750' long so if you don't get it down quickly, you're in trouble. And if you go off the other end, you'll fall off a cliff into the ocean if you make it through the brush. There are power lines on the airport-side of the road, and they dive underground by the two power poles on either side of the runway. If you're not low enough to hit a car there, there's a good chance you're not going to make the runway. I'm surprised there hasn't been an accident up there, as there are no traffic markings at all for the road.
 
Sol Rosenburg said:
I've flown into this airport before though I can't recall that road being there as I was landing. I do remember it being a small narrow short runway. However this is what the view is as one is turning in on the road, I can't say that average people would realize something special is going on here pertaining to you might become an obstruction to the field ops. At the same time I totally agree the whole picture is not being presented as this guy would not be here if he weren't a pilot or had something to do with flying and knowing the runway is right there.

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When viewing the video there appeared to be rising terrain to the north. This image seems to verify that. So - that would make a flat approach (relative to the runway) appear even flatter to an arriving pilot. The student pilot must have been really dragging it in when he hit the car.

By the way - what the heck is that goofy compass rose painted on the surface between the taxiway and runway? Is that the airport's definition of a ground VOR check point?
 
tomokc said:
By the way - what the heck is that goofy compass rose painted on the surface between the taxiway and runway? Is that the airport's definition of a ground VOR check point?
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It's just a regular old compass rose. It's the low tech way A&Ps use to calibrate the compass correction card attached to the magnetic compass. You taxi the aircraft over the compass rose pointing different directions, and then read the indicated magnetic deviation on the compass.
 
It doesn't seem that close to the road to me. The airport I fly out of is MUCH closer to the road (and it's a busy road); there is also a fence just before the runway. I've never seen anyone come in low enough to hit a car (though they would hit the fence for sure if they did). There are some trees not far from the road that you have to pass over though, so that may help with the shallow approaches.
 
SteveCostello said:
Wow... good eyes. A second look at the still does, indeed, verify that he was doing a no-flap landing. I have to assume that was not on purpose, but would certainly explain his shallow approach.
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Meh, I noticed it too. A student pilot is probably unlikely to judge a situation warrants a no flap landing, but who are we to judge.
 
bkey79 said:
I'd never tell my student pilot, who is solo, to do a flaps up approach...
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When I soloed I was told to do 3 full stop landings. I did a soft field, a no flap landing and a short field. You need to be prepared for anything even more if you are solo............;)
 
jafra98 said:
When I soloed I was told to do 3 full stop landings. I did a soft field, a no flap landing and a short field. You need to be prepared for anything even more if you are solo............;)
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Sure, before I let any of my students (or even before I soloed) we landed in 0/10/20/full config and a power off 180 all to the 1000' ers, centerline and stall horns (ATP rules to solo), but were strict for student solo on landing with full flaps to a full stop then taxi back.
 
A150K said:
Only one problem...that stop marking was pretty much painted on with side walk chalk. If the airport people were truley serious about this rule, you would think they would put in the extra effort to ensure motorists are properly alerted...
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Yep

For a stop sign to be legal there has to be:
1.) A sign, bottom of the sign 7' to 8' above the roadway shoulder.
2.) A painted hold or limit bar.
3.) The word stop and the bar must be painted in the lane.

This had none of the above. One other problem, the airport doesn't own the road.
 
The thing about the road markings is, if it's a private road, the state vehicle code laws likely don't apply. So they are not bound by the same laws the county or city would be to properly mark the stop. It's certainly still advisable though, to mitigate unfortunate events like this one. But that might be a nice loophole for them when they inevitably get sued.
 
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