Taildragger Pilots Just Smile
Special to ANN By Drew Steketee
Just like gear-up landings, there
are those who have and those who….
Some got a smile from NTSB's quick news conference at Washington
National Airport last week after a Stearman flipped on DCA's main
runway. Then again, it was no ordinary flip!
First, eight Stearmans were arriving for a media event hyping
the National Air and Space Museum's new IMAX film "Legends of
Flight." Yup, right in front of dignitaries and media brunching
behind the big windows of DCA's old main terminal. Talk about an
audience! Second, pilot Mike Truschel had a reporter aboard, The
Washington Post's Ashley Halsey. And Halsey had a video camera. The
result: a taildragger excursion on video from inside and out. Local
TV, even the national news, showed a touchdown a little tail-high,
then over. Both pilot and passenger emerged unharmed.
Halsey's first-person account seemed to cite all his previous
reporting misadventures to relieve Truschel of undoubted
embarrassment. Mention was made of a little puff of tire smoke just
before rolling over. Truschel said he just "tapped" the brakes.
But then, an NTSB on-site news conference within three hours? A
pledge by Chairwoman Deborah Hersman to determine if "any
limitations or… winds… affected the accident?" Some
pundits later raised eyebrows. An FAA-type and this taildragger
pilot shared a chuckle: The "probable cause?" Probably determined
seven decades ago.
But "fair and balanced?" Dear NTSB, there are some issues.
File Photo
Reporter Halsey noted the flight was lining up for "Runway 33"
(now 34 at DCA) but due to (shifting?) crosswinds, changed to
Runway 1. Truschel had 800 hours total time, per NTSB, 180 of
those in Stearmans. Were there distraction and pressure flying the
media to a PR event, despite apparent experience with Virginia's
Flying Circus airshow? And one might ask how many Stearman landings
were on hard surfaces. There IS a difference and few wouldn't
sympathize.
But the whole thing closed DCA's main runway for an hour. And
that, according to an NTSB spokesman, along with heavy media
attention, justified the news conference. "Best to handle it all at
once," he said.
Probable cause? A few of us chuckled last week, "It's a
mystery!" But let's give NTSB credit that this wasn't a publicity
stunt of their own.
NTSB designated investigator Bob Benzon surely knows there ARE
limitations and winds ARE a factor in flying taildraggers. Beyond
that, we'll await the accident report and acknowledge one known
fact: NTSB has been so valuable and professional in the grim
investigations and issues of recent times, this one just struck
some people funny.
Except, perhaps, Mr. Truschel and event organizers, no doubt.
For them, we humbly repeat this encouragement: There are those
who….