Good morning Roger,
I agree, the impact force involved must have been very high, but
perhaps the pilot was strapped into his seat. The aircraft was a small
biplane, probably built of wood and covered in canvas, "microlights" had not
been invented at that time, and the photograph was taken from the base of
the mast, looking directly up at the impact site. You can clearly see the
aircraft stuck into the lattice structure, the wings have been distorted
forward and are slightly "hugging" the mast, I assume that the nose of the
aircraft fitted nicely into the lattice dimensions, which might have reduced
the impact force, like the modern "crumple zone" of a car. But of course the
propeller went through the lattice structure first.
In the picture, you can also clearly see the aircraft stuck in the
structure, and how the mast has been bent or distorted by the force of the
impact.......so, if the pilot did survive, perhaps it taught him a lesson
that he never forgot. The duty crew at the transmitter site must have had
quite a surprise too!
According to the author of the book "Communication Structures", up
to the time of writing there had been 15 aircraft related incidents
involving tall masts/towers in the UK
73, John. G3JVC.
-----Original Message-----
From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Roger (K8RI)
Sent: 24 July 2010 08:50
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower-climbing pictures
On 7/23/2010 2:53 PM, Rex Lint wrote:
> Let's say it WAS a vertical radiator. What's the danger?
>
> -Rex-
>
> K1HI
> Rex Lint
> Merrimack, NH
> WWW.QRZ.COM/db/k1hi
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of John E. Cleeve
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Tower-climbing pictures
> ...
>
> I have also seen photograph of a light aircraft, where the pilot
> buried its nose into a high lattice structure some where in the USA, and
the
> pilot climbed out and down the mast to safety, how fortunate for him it
was
> a mast, and not a vertical radiator.
>
First time I ever heard of some one surviving a head on into a tower.
Even in a small trainer they are going to be doing better than 80 to 100
MPH. That's an awfully quick stop in a very short distance...unless it
was an ultralight. Even then I have a series of an ultralight hanging
off the roof of a shed and the pilot did not survive.
73
Roger (K8RI)
> 73, John, G3JVC.
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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>
>
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