Warbird Landed Short of the Terra Haute Runway and Flipped

A pilot was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital after his World War II-era TBM Avenger crashed during landing. The plane was traveling with two other warbirds at the time, planning to meet other participants in Terra Haute before attending the TBM Reunion in Peru, Illinois.

The aircraft involved was a Grumman TBM-3 Avenger registered as N420GP. It was owned and operated by the Tri-State Warbird Museum, based in Batavia, Ohio.

At around 12:30 pm on May 15, the Avenger departed from Ohio’s Clermont County Airport (I69) in a three-plane formation. The trio had planned a stop at Terra Haute Regional Airport (HUF) to meet other pilots before proceeding to Illinois Valley Regional Airport (VYS) in Peru for the annual TBM Avenger Reunion.

At around 1:40 pm, a statement from the Terra Haute airport board read, “The first aircraft, a Grumman HU-16 Albatross, landed safely and cleared the runway. The second aircraft — the TBM Avenger — landed short of the runway, breached the airport perimeter fence, and flipped over, coming to rest upside down. The third aircraft, a North American T-6 Texan, was diverted by the control tower and landed safely at Sullivan County Airport.”

The airport’s Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) unit and Hoosier Aviation arrived in less than three minutes to assist. The TBM’s passenger had escaped the aircraft with minor injuries, but the pilot remained stuck upside down. Luckily, responders were able to extract the pilot and shut down the plane before the situation escalated.

A Lifeline helicopter transported the pilot, with unspecified injuries, to an Indianapolis hospital for treatment.

“I’m incredibly proud of my ARFF team, Hoosier Aviation, the 181st, Terre Haute City Fire and Police Departments, Vigo County EMA, and all other first responders who came together for a successful outcome,” explained Craig Maschino, Executive Director of HUF. “A lot of prayers were answered today, and the collaborative training we put in with all of these entities made all the difference.”

FMI: https://huf.com