Injured Pilot Apologizes For Forced Landing

A WWI-replica Nieuport-28 (file photo of type, below) suffered apparent engine failure on climb out and made a forced landing while participating in a re-enactment during the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous Fly-In at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

According to the Dayton Daily News, pilot Howard Whyte was treated for a broken nose and facial lacerations following the incident Friday, when the engine on his 7/8-scale biplane quit approximately 150 off the ground following takeoff.

As the crowd watched the incident unfold from behind an orange fence 500 feet from the flight line, Whyte followed the golden rule for engine-out landings (pitch for best glide speed!) and tried to set the airplane down on the grass field behind the National Museum of the US Air Force.

Whyte was injured when the plane landed hard, causing the landing gear to collapse and the airplane to pitch over. As several people worked to pull him from the overturned plane that was leaking fuel, Whyte was conscious -- and remorseful.

"Howard, being the guy he is, was apologizing as we pulled him out," said Whyte's friend and ground assistant Paul Cummings.

Witnesses said Whyte was the second performer to take off in a planned display of World War I replica aircraft.

Medical personnel on the field alerted the base fire department of the accident, and fire and rescue vehicles were on the scene within minutes. However, some participants questioned why the emergency equipment wasn't onhand at the show in the first place.

"Of all the re-enactments and all the flying events I've been at, there was always emergency equipment standing by except at this one," said participant Dan Eibech.

Wright-Patterson spokesman Joel Fortner responded that crews "were scheduled to be here and they were en route prior to the accident." A fire truck remained on the scene as flying resumed at approximately 2 pm.

FMI: www.wpafb.af.mil/museum