Aircraft: RV-6A. Injuries: None. Location: Oakwood, Okla. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was landing on a paved country road to deliver paychecks to his farm crew.
During the landing roll the left wing hit a school bus sign and the plane veered off the road and into a fence.
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper decision to land on a road with obstacles.
NTSB Identification: CEN11CA389
This June 2011 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I hope to CHRIST the NTSB didn’t actually send someone out to investigate for just THAT finding.
Seems like with an RV-6A, if he stayed on centerline, no problem. Most rural roads in Oklahoma are at least 25 feet wide (less — and winding — in Vermont) with stanchions set back another three to five feet so trucks don’t whack the sign itself. I’ve done this (southwest rural road takeoffs and landings) safely in C172/182 during flood relief efforts with wires the biggest threat.
That YouTube 210 takeoff carom into the woods off the truck mirror at full power remains the best of the genre.