This Time, Unpredictable Jet Coughs on Takeoff; Tobe Gooden OK

Last November, a little more than a week after Tobe Gooden had flown an exhibition with the late Jimmy Rossi (killed just after the Caribbean Airshow, in his F-86), Col. Tobe Gooden had a close call with his MiG-15. It wasn't serious, but he tore up some turf at the end of the runway at Monroe (LA) when the MiG's brakes didn't go their job. At that time, ANN News-Spy Mike Sweezy just happened to be above the airport, and snapped a couple pix of the stranded MiG.

This Wednesday, a potentially far-more-serious mishap occured.

ANN News-Spy Doug McDowall has sent the following news tip: "A MiG-15 flown by Col. Tobe Gooden, 59, of Spring (TX) crashed at 4:14pm Wednesday afternoon at Little Rock National Airport, Adams Field (LIT). Gooden was uninjured and the MIG suffered damage after losing power, impacting & running off the end of the runway and through the airport perimeter fence & across a road into brush.  Gooden had made a fuel stop at LIT enroute to perform in this weekend's airshow in Bloomington, Indiana.

"According to the story in today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the MiG was about 10ft in the air above the 5100 ft runway 18 when the Soviet fighter shook and began to lose power and pour out smoke. Gooden decided to put 'er back on the ground and ran out of runway, crashed through the fence, crossed the perimeter road and rolled into thickets near railroad tracks. FAA spokesman quoted in the story was John Clabes and investigators from the NTSB were also on the site."

These MiGs were treacherous 50 years ago, when they were new. Now, the design spans fully half the history of flight... and things are bound to happen. Col. Gooden escaped injury again, keeping his wits about him, and flying the airplane.

**   Report created 7/17/2003   Record 1  **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 15PE        Make/Model: MG15      Description: MIG-15BIS MIKOYAN
  Date: 07/16/2003     Time: 2100
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
  City: LITTLE ROCK   State: AR   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT AFTER TAKEOFF, ABORTED AND OVERRAN THE BOUNDARY, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN, LITTLE ROCK, AR
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: METAR KLIT 162053Z 19003KT 7SM SCT050 34/24 A3010 RMK MDT CU OHD
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Take-off      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: LITTLE ROCK, AR             Dep Date: 07/16/2003   Dep. Time:
  Destination: BLOOMINGTON, IN          Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: Y
  Last Radio Cont: LIT ATC
  Last Clearance: TAKEOFF CLEAR
  FAA FSDO: LITTLE ROCK, AR  (SW11)               Entry date: 07/17/2003

Here's a recap of last year's minor incident:
**   Report created 11/12/02   Record 2  **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 15PE        Make/Model: MG15      Description: MIG-15
  Date: 11/11/2002     Time: 2045
  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Minor
LOCATION
  City: MONROE   State: TX   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT REPORTED A BRAKE FAILURE, ON LANDING, ROLLED OFF END OF RUNWAY, MONROE, LA
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: 2153Z 35005KT 10SM FEW075 SCT110 16/11 A2996
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: GADSDEN, AL                 Dep Date: 11/11/2002   Dep. Time: 2045
  Destination: MONROE, LA               Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: Y
  Last Radio Cont: LOCAL CONTROL
  Last Clearance: CLR TO LAND
  FAA FSDO: BATON ROUGE, LA  (SW03)               Entry date: 11/12/2002

FMI: www.ntsb.gov