Trojan Unable To Stop In Time

A T-28B Trojan was damaged Sunday afternoon when it ran off the end of a runway at Joliet Regional Airport (JOT) in Illinois.

The Korean War-era trainer is based at, and owned by, the Indiana Aviation Museum... and was on its way to an aviation picnic at JOT when the accident occurred.

According to museum president James Read, the T-28 (type shown above) was unable to stop when it landed and it subsequently rolled into a creek at the end of the runway, reported the Munster (IN) Times.

The plane's nose was submerged up to about the wings, he said.

The JOT runway is only 2,937 feet -- short for a regional airport, which will usually have runway lengths between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, Read said. In fact, the museum won't allow some of its fighter planes to land there because of it.

Pilot and museum vice president, Cathy Harrell, and passenger William Mowbray weren't injured. Harrell is one of only four female T-28 pilots in the United States, according to the museum.

The total extent of the damage to the vintage aircraft wasn't immediately known.

"It's fixable," said Read. He said the total value of the plane was several hundred thousand dollars.

Read said weather was good with no wind at the time of the accident.

According to the museum, the aircraft was built in 1955 and was primarily used as a naval trainer and Army photo plane. It was acquired by the museum about 2001, said Read.

It's currently used in such events as air shows and educational programs.

FMI: www.in-am.org, www.faa.gov