Pilot Parachutes to Safety

[Nightingale 0]

http://www.wmur.com/news/14576272/detail.html

WEST OSSIPEE, N.H. -- With only seconds to escape, a West Ossipee pilot parachuted out of his plane to safety over the weekend.

L.D. Jeffries was doing aerobatic maneuvers on Sunday when he got into a spin he couldn't control. The plane took a nosedive into the ground, and he said that if he hadn't gotten out, he would have been seriously hurt.

Jeffries flies commercially for his job, and he and his wife fly their own planes. But his single-engine plane, "Plum Crazy," was destroyed after it spun out of control when Jeffries tried one last maneuver for the day.

"The last maneuver I was planning on coming back after that maneuver, I was getting ready to land," he said.

Jeffries said he tried everything he could to get out of the spin while the plane plummeted toward the ground at more than 120 mph. When everything failed, he resorted to a promise he had made to himself.

"I set that rule a long time ago that if I was in an airplane and it was out of control and it was 1,500 feet or below, I was going to leave the airplane," he said. "So I did what I said I was always going to do. I pulled the canopy release. The canopy disappeared, I undid my two lap belts, and the next thing I knew, I was in free fall."

A second later, Jeffries was pulling the release on his parachute, watching his plane tumble out of the sky next to him. The plane crashed into a clearing off of Mile High Circle within the Soaring Heights Aviation Community, a private airport community.

"The lore goes when you use the silk to save your life, you owe the rigger a bottle of his choice," Jeffries said. "So I've got to get a hold of (the rigger), and I hope he doesn't drink expensive liquor. But if he does, he's getting whatever he wants."

Jeffries is a former paramilitary, and he used to parachute out of planes to rescue people. He said he has parachuted at least 1,000 times, and he said this time was just more expensive.

[LuvToFly 0]

I can see how a pilot might be tempted to stay with the aircraft too long - and too late.

Good for him to separate himself from his plane in time!!

"The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment
of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

[airtwardo 7]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2720028#2720028

For those unfamiliar with L.D.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[ryoder 1,590]

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http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2720028#2720028

For those unfamiliar with L.D.

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. He said he has parachuted at least 1,000 times, and he said this time was just more expensive.

Yes, re-using the airplane can really reduce the cost.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[jtval 0]

Good job on the bail out.


OK I see the sensationalism.
120mph freefall and at 1500ft he did all that?
(popped the canopy undid his belt and bailed)

I assume the reporter took some liberties.

Do you think he had the plane leveled and he was going MUCH MUCH slower than 120?


I thought we were going to see this at the Airshow in Vegas on sunday.
The guy who flies the Oracle(see pics in my shutterfly acct) had to bail on his last plane because somethign was up with the landing gear. So he flew up to 4 or 6k ft and pointed the plane at a safe area and bailed.


He had some problems on sunday an ddecided to cut the demo short.

Anyway, Good job on the bail out L.D.

My photos

My Videos

[airtwardo 7]

That's would be pilot extrodionaire Sean D. Tucker....top air show act going.

And his 'last' bailout wasn't the gear, it was the stick...the linkage broke so he flew it up with trim alone and bailed...by the way Sean has a couple hundred jumps, started jumping before he started flying.

I know Sean and his crew well...that plane get 'some' damage quite often. He flys it hard enough to break wing ribs all the time.

As far as L.D.'s bail out, I know L.D. too, if he says 1500 feet, bank on it.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[squirrel 0]

not sure what kind of plane this was....but there is a device out there called the Ballistic Reserve Parachute...it basically is a round reserve for an airplane, deployed by a solid fuel rocket, line stretch in about 1.5 seconds. I have one on my weight shift trike. The BRS will bring you down ok, but on larger planes (non ultralight) the ariframe is deemed totaled i think by the FAA...but...engine, instruments, and alot of other expensive gear, and the pilot....may be saved.

here is a picture of the one i installed, rated to 1050 lbs.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[2fat2fly 0]

I'm being too lazy to check, but I think that he flew a Pitts

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[airtwardo 7]

http://moleski.net/ULTBIPE/n38pc.htm

An Ultimate 10-200

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[squirrel 0]

Quote

http://moleski.net/ULTBIPE/n38pc.htm

An Ultimate 10-200

bummer...that is a sweet looking plane.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[jtval 0]

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As far as L.D.'s bail out, I know L.D. too, if he says 1500 feet, bank on it.

I wasn't questioning L.D.s word. As a jumper/pilot I figure he know his shit.


but was he really doing 120mph at 1500ft?(that part was the reporters words)

EDIT: Well, it wasn't a "quote" (yes, I quoted the word quote)
I would guess that Jeffries at some point mentioned that he does 120mph and than said the 1500 decision altitude thing and the reporter was led to think that he was doing all that at 1500 ft.

My photos

My Videos

[airtwardo 7]

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Quote

As far as L.D.'s bail out, I know L.D. too, if he says 1500 feet, bank on it.

I wasn't questioning L.D.s word. As a jumper/pilot I figure he know his shit.


but was he really doing 120mph at 1500ft?(that part was the reporters words)

EDIT: Well, it wasn't a "quote" (yes, I quoted the word quote)
I would guess that Jeffries at some point mentioned that he does 120mph and than said the 1500 decision altitude thing and the reporter was led to think that he was doing all that at 1500 ft.

Yeah, watch the interview with L.D. from the link, it's pretty in depth...his hard deck was 1500, went through it so he left.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[jtval 0]

Hmm, ok.

I didnt watch the video before.
I guess he did start the procedure at 1500ft.

That's Crazy that he saw the plane pass him when he was under canopy.

My photos

My Videos

[warpedskydiver 0]

Many fight too long, and regain control in time to land at their own crash site.

[pinkfairy 0]

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bummer...that is a sweet looking plane.

Didn't look as good after the crash, though. From the article: "and he said that if he hadn't gotten out, he would have been seriously hurt." That didn't look survivable to me.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

[lippy 918]

Good on him sticking to his hard deck. Sucks to see a sweet machine like that trashed

I got nuthin

[Nightingale 0]

Better the machine trashed than the pilot.

[Rookie120 0]

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Better the machine trashed than the pilot.

Exactly! Fuck the plane! Thats what insurance is for. Equipment can be replaced very easily

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[masterrig 1]

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http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2720028#2720028

For those unfamiliar with L.D.

Several years ago, I recieved a rather large box from UPS. I took it to my shop and upon opening it, I found an opened (used) pilot parachute, harness-container. Stuffed within the parachute was a bottle of Jack Daniels with a note. One of the sailplane pilots I packed for had lost his tail rudder and bailed-out at about 1500 ft. When I returned his rig to him at the sailplane competitions, a few weeks later, I got quite the reception. Not to mention a whole bunch of work!


Chuck