Sat, Jan 18, 2003
The beautifully crafted Me-262 replica we detailed last
month in its first flight was involved in a landing
accident Friday.

According to www.stormbirds.com,
the host site documenting this incredible effort to replicate a
number of German jet fighters, the left main landing gear failed
during a landing attempt at Washington state's Paine field. [This
was the first flight on which the gear retraction system was tested
--ed.]
It was the second flight of this
aircraft. Test pilot Wolf Czaia was, thankfully, uninjured during
the landing mishap which involved the Me-262 going off the runway
and into the boonies alongside the runway. Damage is said to be
"extensive."
According to Stormbirds, they "are currently assessing what
repairs may be required to resume testing. The exact cause was
unclear at the time of this update... While we obviously must view
this as a temporary setback, such events are not uncommon in the
early phases of any test flight program, and this is precisely why
we undertake test flight programs to begin with. The project
continues!"
A documentary film crew was nearby to catch the action and a
camera was actually installed in the aircraft behind the
pilot, allowing viewers to see everything from a pretty
intense aspect (see link below). We'll have more information on
this story shortly...
** Report created 1/21/2003 Record
8 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 262AZ
Make/Model: ME62 Description: ME-262,
REPLICA
Date: 01/17/2003 Time: 2235
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
None Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: EVERETT State: WA Country:
US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT ON LANDING ROLL, RAN OFF RUNWAY 34L, EVERETT, WA
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 KPAE 172153Z 35008KT 10SM CLR 07/02 A3037
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Landing Operation: General
Aviation
Departed:
UNK
Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination:
UNK
Flt Plan: VFR
Wx Briefing: Y
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: CLRD TO LAND
FAA FSDO: SEATTLE, WA
(NM01)
Entry date: 01/21/2003
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