Last Sunday, I had a safe off-airport landing, in a plowed field
near Merced airport, on my way home from the Columbia air show. No
injuries and no damage. At this time the cause appears to have been
a broken fuel line. For now, I've left the 'Coupe at the Merced
airport, where I'm letting the mechanics & FAA both do their jobs.
With no injuries and no damage, the TRACON told me it would be
reported as "off-airport landing" rather than an accident, so no NTSB
impound of the plane. But there's a time-sink's-worth of papers I
need to assemble for the FAA, and other stuff to do, so I'd greatly
appreciate it if everyone would p-l-e-a-s-e hold off on any questions
or speculations for now. More info to follow at a later time.
I do want everyone to know how fantastically well the Ercoupe
network came through for me. We train for soft-field landings and
other emergencies, but I've never heard what to do next, when sitting
in an undamaged 'coupe in the middle of a field, and asking myself,
"Now what?!?" I called Dan Hall, my 'Coupe mentor and my predecessor
as EOC Region 7 Director, and I'm very grateful that Dan immediately
reached Rick Eason, an Ercouper based at Merced, who has just
completed a 2-yr. restoration of his second Ercoupe. Rick came out
to me within minutes, and I couldn't possibly ask for, nor even dream
of, anyone who could have been of more help or more knowledgeable or
more take-charge. Rick stuck with me the whole afternoon and well
into evening, went up & back to the airport, corral'd an A&P-pilot
friend of his, plus his own son-in-law and daughter, and with their
help -- plus that of a half-dozen farm workers and a backhoe, and the
cooperation of the farmers -- we got the 'Coupe turned around in the
furrows and dragged off the recently-plowed field. Then to Merced
airport, and into the hands of his A&P. All of this on Father's
Day! Rick lurks on this list, and I can't say it enough: THANK
YOU!!! Rick, you're my hero, and the Ercoupers rock!
Linda
N3437H (Sky Sprite)
L.A.
