You're NOT Gonna Believe This One...

We're still getting some interesting details, but there was an incident at this past weekend's Stuart (FL) Airshow that defies belief. While doing a routine for the airshow, F-86 Pilot Ed Shipley nearly got taken down by debris from a blast reportedly set off by the aptly named"Mad Bomber."

According to the Airshow's Walt McGlynn, Shipley was making some passes down the runway for the show, when one allegedly errant blast went off and pieces of the Sabre were thereafter seen seperating from the aircraft. Examination of the pieces revealed them to be portions of the nosegear door. Shipley diverted to the nearby Pratt & Whitney test strip and landed with no significant further damage.

The Sabre, a 1956 CANADAIR F-86 MK.6, belongs to Shipley and was once the property of none other than Frank (Apollo 8) Borman. N186FS received a visual inspection from one of the military aircraft participating in the show before heading for the precautionary landing. The show went on as scheduled. How this exactly happened hasn't been detailed, as yet, and the "Mad Bomber," Rod Geir, abjectly refused to answer ANN's questions when called for comment. Hmmm...

** Report created 11/10/2003 Record 3 **
IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 186FS Make/Model: F86 Description: 1956 CANADAIR F-86 MK.6 EXP
 Date: 11/09/2003 Time: 2055
 Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
 Damage: Minor

LOCATION
 City: STUART State: FL Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 AIRCRAFT WHILE PERFORMING AT THE AIRSHOW, WAS DAMAGE DURING THE DEMONSTRATION, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN, STUART, FL

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
 # Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
 # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: UNK
OTHER DATA
Activity: Pleasure Phase: Unknown Operation: General Aviation Departed: STUART, FL Dep Date: 11/09/2003 Dep. Time: 2055
Destination: STUART, FL Flt Plan: UNK Wx Briefing: U Last Radio Cont: SUA AIRSHOW TOWER
Last Clearance: UNK FAA FSDO: FT LAUDERDALE, FL (SO17) Entry date: 11/10/2003

FMI: www.stuartairshow.com, www.heritageflight.org