During a private fly-in fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, the chartered
pilot and fishermen left a cooler and bait in the plane; a bear smelled it. This is what he did to the plane.
The pilot used his radio and had another pilot bring him 2 new tires, 3 cases of duct tape, and a supply of sheet plastic. He patched the plane together, and flew it home.
Pics via e-mail. Might have originally been posted here, but not positive.
See what a self-reliant can-do attitude can do? You can bet the "authorities" would have deemed that airplane unsafe, a total loss to abandon in the wilderness. It is amazing what duct tape can do when you think about it!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a new "duct tape" episode for Mythbusters :)
ReplyDeleteOnly in Alaska would our wonderful FAA folks approve such a temporary repair. The FAA folks in Alaska operate by different interpretations of the regulations. Not because they are mavericks but because they have to, especially in cases like this. This would only have worked on a fabric skinned airplane. The metal skin is designed to be part of the load bearing structure and I don't believe the duct tape would hold up. I could be wrong, however.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the plane was made out of paper before it was retaped.
ReplyDeleteMythbusters have done this one, maybe the episode can be found on Utube.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find any NTSB reports with that N number and without the "D" it's the registration for a mini plane in Georgia.
ReplyDeleteDid he duct tape the bear?
ReplyDeletehey! didn't McGiver do this??
ReplyDeleteSee Red Green See!
ReplyDeleteI used to call it 110-mile-an-hour tape because it was great for patching up my convertible top on my Camaro. I would vouch for it working great up to at least that speed.
ReplyDelete