Both Walk Away From The Forced Landing, Pilot Certificate Granted

Every person who has obtained a private pilot certificate has had to demonstrate his or her ability to find an acceptable emergency landing site to the FAA examiner giving the checkride. But a Colorado pilot going for his PPL on Saturday had to deal with the real McCoy.

The candidate was Brian Garrett of Westminster, CO. He was flying with FAA examiner Drew Chitiea when the TL-2000 Sting LSA they were flying lost one of the three blades of its prop. A second blade apparently separated shortly thereafter. Garrett is a part owner of the plane, which he told the Boulder, CO, Daily Camera he'd been flying for about two and a half years on a sport pilot certificate. He said that the engine started running "really rough" and then it got "really quiet." Chitiea said he know it was a bad situation.

But Garrett reportedly got it all correct. He issued a Mayday call, established the best glide speed for the airplane and found an acceptable emergency landing spot ... a dirt farm field southwest of Mead, CO.

Chitiea said Garret flew the airplane and did all the work. When they were on the ground, and the only apparent damage to the airplane was the broken propeller, the examiner said Garrett had "demonstrated his competency" and that he'd passed the checkride.

(Photo from file)

FMI: www.faa.gov