But DH.112 Venom Will Never Fly Again

Things could have been a lot worse, but quick thinking saved the life of the pilot this past weekend just outside of Denver, CO. Mark Johnson, 58, was flying the pattern at Platte Valley Airport in his 1956 de Havilland DH.112 Venom when he lost engine power at about 1230 local time Saturday.

He conducted a forced landing in a nearby alfalfa field but crossing an irrigation ditch sheared the landing gear off the aircraft. As the aircraft (type shown above) slowed he was able to exit the and clear the vicinity of the aircraft before it caught fire.

The post-crash fire consumed most of the fuselage and inboard wing structure immediately behind the cockpit. Because part of the plane is constructed from magnesium, firefighters couldn't immediately put the fire out with water, and had to call in hazardous materials crews.

The Venom was a British pot-WWII single engine jet fighter developed from the d Havilland Vampire. It served primarily with the Royal Air Force and as the Sea Venom variant with the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Navy. Both the Venom and Sea Venom were successful exports and saw service with Australia, New Zealand, Iraq, Sweden, Switzerland and Venezuela.

The Venom is rare as a civilian warbird with only 20 examples flying in the US, Switzerland, New Zealand, and the UK. The aircraft is reportedly a total loss.

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 21MJ    Make/Model: EXP    Description: DEHAVILLAND DH112 VENOM
 Date: 05/17/2008   Time: 1810
 Event Type: Accident  Highest Injury: None   Mid Air: N  Missing: N
 Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
 City: HUDSON  State: CO  Country: US
DESCRIPTION
 AIRCRAFT WHILE CONDUCTING PATTERN WORK, ENGINE FAILED AND FORCE LANDED IN A
 FIELD AND CAUGHT FIRE, PLATTE VALLEY AIRPORT, HUDSON, CO

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: GXY 171875 AUTO 01008G25 10SM CLR 24/01 A3023
OTHER DATA
 Activity: Unknown   Phase: Landing   Operation: OTHER
 FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO (NM03)          Entry date: 05/19/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov