Pilot OK After Landing Stits In Tree

They say any landing you walk away from is a good one. There's a lesser-known corollary to that saying, about any landing you can climb down from.

The pilot of a homebuilt Stits SA-6B 'Flut-R-Bug' was able to climb to safety Wednesday, after his plane alighted in an oak tree north of Los Olivos, CA.

The Santa Barbara Daily Sound reports the pilot had already climbed down from the tree by the time rescue personnel arrived on scene. He declined medical treatment after his 25-foot climb down to the ground.

"The plane itself is an experimental Stits aircraft that was flown from the Santa Ynez airport," County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow told the paper. "The pilot stated that there was some type of engine problem prior to the crash."

No fuel leaked from the plane following the crash, and there was no fire. At this writing, the Stits is still nesting in the tree.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 3129        Make/Model: EXP       Description: STITS FLUT-R-BUG SA6B
  Date: 01/14/2009     Time: 2225

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: SANTA YNEZ   State: CA   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER AND LANDED IN A LARGE TREE, 8 MILES FROM SANTA
  YNEZ, CA

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: VAN NUYS, CA  (WP01)                  Entry date: 01/15/2009

FMI: www.faa.gov