ARUNDEL, Maine — A flight instructor and his student pilot walked away Friday evening from the wreck of a plane that had essentially split in two when it went down in a controlled crash in the woods off Proctor Road.
“They literally walked out of the woods,” Sergeant David Chauvette of the York County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday morning.
Instructor Richard Whicker, 58, of North Berwick and his student, William Hart, 50, of Lyman, had just taken off from Biddeford Municipal Airport at a little after 6 p.m. in a single-engine Cessna 160 when the plane apparently had engine issues, Chauvette said.
“Witnesses describe it as sputtering and coughing sounds,” he said.
Whicker, a pilot with 40 years of experience, took the controls and made a U-turn back to the airport, according to the sergeant.
When the plane continued to have mechanical failure, Whicker carefully picked a spot to come in for the controlled crash landing. He chose a swampy area in the woods and managed to land it between trees, Chauvette said.
Witnesses reported the crash to authorities, as did the men who walked away from the plane.
The Biddeford Fire Department and Arundel Fire Department went to the scene, along with the York County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Whicker and Hart were taken to Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, where they were treated and released for minor injuries, Chauvette said.
Investigators with the FAA were at the scene Saturday to look into what happened to the plane.
“At this point, we’re leaning toward mechanical issues with the plane,” the sergeant said.
How very lucky they were! So glad they were ok
That’s some pretty slick flying
How about they were treated for minor injuries and released, instead of what is written here.
wonder if the student will want to try again? dont think i would
Would you have given up driving if you where involved in a crash during your first outing with an instructor?
Depends on the severity of the crash. I should think a plane crash, even one you walk away from, isn’t quite on the same stress level as, say, running into one of the bollards at the McDonald’s drive-thru.
This really stretches the old pilot’s saying; “any landing you can walk away from, is a good one!”
I would really like to know the rest of the planes registration number N38???. Many years ago I first soloed in Cessna N3819X! However, I doubt it is the same plane since my first solo was in 1968 in western Massachusets.
I doubt it was a cessna 160…its probably a 150. They only made 1 cessna 160. If this is it, that would be quite the story. More importantly, glad they are both ok!
Certainly some great skill by the instructor! Talk about first hand experience for the student. Glad all could walk away unharmed.
I’m willing to wager this was not the instructors first emergency. One doesn’t normally fly for 40 years without a single…. OH S*#%!!! moment…
Why did the NTSB walk away from Safety Recommendation A-83-6 twenty five years ago?
What happened to FAA Safety Recommendations 99.283 and 99.284 about undetectable water in Cessna aircraft fuel tanks?
Why did the NTSB ignore my petition about UNDETECTABLE WATER in the fuel tanks of Cessna aircraft?
http://www.sumpthis.com/ntsbpetition/ntsbpetitioncontents.htm
Why does SAIB CE-10-40R1 not mention anything about positive detection of water in the fuel tanks of Cessna aircraft?
How many more pilots and passengers have to die for the NTSB to do a real world test on a Cessna aircraft for positive detection of water in their fuel tanks?
I would be happy to provide the drop of red food color and ten ounces of water. I will also provide the aircraft for your test!
NTSB your poor “investigations” are killing pilots and passengers!
Pending the discovery of a catastrophic engine failure could it have been undetectable water in the fuel tank that caused this crash?