But The Mail Did Go Through

It was a routine mail haul. Young Harry Griffing III had just taken off from Put-In-Bay (OH)in his company's Britten Norman BN2A Islander (file photo of type, below) Friday when the windscreen virtually exploded in his face.

He'd hit a seagull.

The 21-year old pilot was temporarily blinded, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. The only other person on board the aircraft was 67-year old Ernest Owen, Jr. And Ernest wasn't a pilot.

"I said, 'Hey, am I bleeding?'" Griffing said. "He said, 'Yeah.' Once I figured out I wasn't hurt that badly I took over the controls and landed it at Middle Bass Airport."

Griffing was flown by helicopter to Firelands Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for a nasty cut under his eye. He was back in the air again Saturday, flying the mail, according to his mother.

As for Owen, who held the aircraft steady while Griffing wiped the blood from his eyes and picked the glass out of his face, his wife had high words of praise.

"He's not a licensed pilot, but he's been flying long enough to know what to do in cases like this," she told the Plain-Dealer.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 4435    Make/Model: BN2P   Description: BN-2A/B ISLANDER
 Date: 07/09/2004   Time: 1328

 Event Type: Incident  Highest Injury: Minor   Mid Air: N  Missing: N
 Damage: Minor

LOCATION
 City: SOUTH BASS ISLAND      State: OH  Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM PUT-IN-BAY ARPT (3W2) A BIRD STRIKE BROKE THE
 WINDSHIELD AND STRUCK PILOT IN THE FACE. SOUTH BASS ISLAND, OH

INJURY DATA   Total Fatal:  0
         # Crew:  1   Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  1   Unk: 
         # Pass:  0    Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Grnd:        Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED                               
                                          
                            

OTHER DATA
 Activity: Business   Phase: Take-off   Operation: General Aviation

 Departed: PUT-IN-BAY (3W2)      Dep Date: 07/09/2004  Dep. Time: 1328
 Destination: UNKN           Flt Plan: NONE     Wx Briefing: U
 Last Radio Cont: PUT-IN-BAY UNICOM
 Last Clearance: NONE

 FAA FSDO: CLEVELAND, OH (GL25)         Entry date: 07/12/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov