Baltimore FSDO Will Reportedly Investigate

Sean Carroll flew to Wicomico Regional Airport near Salisbury (MD) Thursday when the strangest thing happened. Someone tried to land on top of his Yak-9 (file photos below).

"This is the first time something like this has happened," Carroll said. "This is a wonderful airport. That's why I come over here from St. Mary's County."

Quoted in Maryland's Salisbury Daily Times, Carroll said he'd just been cleared to land at around 2:00 p.m. when he looked up. That's when he saw the other plane, apparently oblivious to his own warbird, coming dangerously close as its pilot tried to land.

Carroll and witnesses say the Yak-9 attempted to evade. In the process, however, Carroll's Russian fighter tipped over on its nose, pranged the prop on the ground and ended up parked in the mud.

"We're not sure what that other plane was doing. That will have to be looked at by the Federal Aviation Commission's flight standards district office out of Baltimore," said Wicomico Regional Manager Robert Bryant.

The airport shut down for about 15 minutes, until another runway was put into use. "This is the first time something like this has happened," Carroll said. "This is a wonderful airport. That's why I come over here from St. Mary's County."

FAA Preliminary Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 6373Y        Make/Model: YAK9      Description: Yak-9
  Date: 08/14/2003     Time: 1812

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: SALISBURY   State: MD   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT WAS CLEARED FOR TOUCH AND GO ON RWY 14.  ACFT WAS ROLLING DOWN RWY 14
  AND ROTATED BRIEFLY BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN AGAIN AND ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE
  END OF RWY AND RESTED NOSE DOWN.  SALISBURY, MD

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

WEATHER: KSBY SPECI 141719Z 34006KT 5SM HZ FEW060 32/23 A3025

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed: UNKN                        Dep Date:    Dep. Time:
  Destination: UNKN                     Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: SBY ATCT 1812Z
  Last Clearance: CLRD FOR T&G

  FAA FSDO: BALTIMORE, MD  (EA07)                 Entry date: 08/15/2003

FMI: www.faa.gov