Just a recap to help anybody with concerns or questions, feel free to add info! I witnessed all of them in person except for the beginning of Chiwami's sequence of events, and Marilyn's incident.
1. Friday: Pete Zaccagnino in Jet heat 1A,
-There's been a lot of speculation on what initially started the chain of events from the canopy shattering to a bird strike, etc. Pete stayed high above the course to ultimately try to make runway 14 as he came in from basically show center, but came up short after the engine stopped making power. Instead of trying to quickly turn and make the runway (which would've been very bad) Pete kept the gear up and set it down as gently as he could in the brush off the end of 32. Plane is destroyed
2. Saturday: Chiwami Tagiaki-Read in Sport Heat 2C,
-What I've heard and what makes sense is that the engine started smoking coming down the chute, she pulled off the course to make runway 14 and the plane started streaming fire and smoke as she touched down. She got out safely and the fire crew worked to put out the fire. Plane is destroyed
3. Saturday: Marilyn Dash post Biplane Heat 3B,
-I've heard from Marilyn that it was a ground loop. I don't really know the cause, but the plane was in the pits and seems to be in easily fixable shape.
4/5. Sunday: Jeff Rose and Eric Zine post Biplane Gold
-I saw this situation play out. It seemed like Zine was really anxious to get on the ground after barely holding off Kirk Murphy. He gunned it towards the sky and turned it around very quick to land on runway 8. He got it down safely and kept taxiing to get off at the exit near home pylon. Rose came in very hot and couldn't get the plane on the ground let alone slowed down before coming into contact with Zine. I've seen various times that the biplanes have rolled past each other as the runway is wide enough, but Rose clipped Zine's left wing and sent him in a very rapid 360. Zine spun 180 and rolled backwards until the tail snapped and the plane halted to a stop. Rose got out pretty quick and Zine took a little while, but it appears that he is fine.
6/7. Sunday: Steve Senegal and Thom Richard pre Formula One Gold
-A little more speculation here from a video of the incident as well as what I saw. The race began and Thom wasn't moving at all, he appeared to still be in the plane but the canopy was open. Senegal came up on Thom's right side and clipped what appeared to be Thom's right wing with either his left gear or his left wing. This spun Thom in almost a 180 and Senegal's left wheel departed the plane and looks like pretty much tore the left wing off. It slid a little further (while slowly spinning) and ended up backwards. Thom's plane was reported fixable, Senegal's plane maybe not so much. It didn't look awful but it took out a big chunk of the plane. What most likely happened is that Senegal wasn't able to see Thom as the tail wasn't yet up on Endeavor and visibility is obviously very minimal.
8. Sunday: John Parker post Sport Gold
-This was one of the craziest maydays and outcomes I have ever seen. John took second behind Jeff and immediately called a mayday after the race. As I was watching Andy put One Moment down I lost John in the sky until he came into view around the guide pylon (appx). He supposedly thought he was going to make 14, but didn't have nearly enough power as the plane was thrashed. The next thing I saw was John attempting to take the plane off roading through the brush pointing it right at the centerline of 14/32. The plane hopped up when it hit the runway and came to a stop, still standing on its gear. I was standing there in shock of what just happened and seeing the damage in person later I was even more amazed. I would post a pic but still to this day cant figure out how to. The bottom side was scratched up, the scoop was torn up a little and filled with sticks and leaves, they cycled the gear doors and more sticks fell out. The tail wheel was smashed into the airframe and there were some more dents here and there but the plane was in incredible shape.
Scary year but very happy everyone is alive and well!
1. Friday: Pete Zaccagnino in Jet heat 1A,
-There's been a lot of speculation on what initially started the chain of events from the canopy shattering to a bird strike, etc. Pete stayed high above the course to ultimately try to make runway 14 as he came in from basically show center, but came up short after the engine stopped making power. Instead of trying to quickly turn and make the runway (which would've been very bad) Pete kept the gear up and set it down as gently as he could in the brush off the end of 32. Plane is destroyed
2. Saturday: Chiwami Tagiaki-Read in Sport Heat 2C,
-What I've heard and what makes sense is that the engine started smoking coming down the chute, she pulled off the course to make runway 14 and the plane started streaming fire and smoke as she touched down. She got out safely and the fire crew worked to put out the fire. Plane is destroyed
3. Saturday: Marilyn Dash post Biplane Heat 3B,
-I've heard from Marilyn that it was a ground loop. I don't really know the cause, but the plane was in the pits and seems to be in easily fixable shape.
4/5. Sunday: Jeff Rose and Eric Zine post Biplane Gold
-I saw this situation play out. It seemed like Zine was really anxious to get on the ground after barely holding off Kirk Murphy. He gunned it towards the sky and turned it around very quick to land on runway 8. He got it down safely and kept taxiing to get off at the exit near home pylon. Rose came in very hot and couldn't get the plane on the ground let alone slowed down before coming into contact with Zine. I've seen various times that the biplanes have rolled past each other as the runway is wide enough, but Rose clipped Zine's left wing and sent him in a very rapid 360. Zine spun 180 and rolled backwards until the tail snapped and the plane halted to a stop. Rose got out pretty quick and Zine took a little while, but it appears that he is fine.
6/7. Sunday: Steve Senegal and Thom Richard pre Formula One Gold
-A little more speculation here from a video of the incident as well as what I saw. The race began and Thom wasn't moving at all, he appeared to still be in the plane but the canopy was open. Senegal came up on Thom's right side and clipped what appeared to be Thom's right wing with either his left gear or his left wing. This spun Thom in almost a 180 and Senegal's left wheel departed the plane and looks like pretty much tore the left wing off. It slid a little further (while slowly spinning) and ended up backwards. Thom's plane was reported fixable, Senegal's plane maybe not so much. It didn't look awful but it took out a big chunk of the plane. What most likely happened is that Senegal wasn't able to see Thom as the tail wasn't yet up on Endeavor and visibility is obviously very minimal.
8. Sunday: John Parker post Sport Gold
-This was one of the craziest maydays and outcomes I have ever seen. John took second behind Jeff and immediately called a mayday after the race. As I was watching Andy put One Moment down I lost John in the sky until he came into view around the guide pylon (appx). He supposedly thought he was going to make 14, but didn't have nearly enough power as the plane was thrashed. The next thing I saw was John attempting to take the plane off roading through the brush pointing it right at the centerline of 14/32. The plane hopped up when it hit the runway and came to a stop, still standing on its gear. I was standing there in shock of what just happened and seeing the damage in person later I was even more amazed. I would post a pic but still to this day cant figure out how to. The bottom side was scratched up, the scoop was torn up a little and filled with sticks and leaves, they cycled the gear doors and more sticks fell out. The tail wheel was smashed into the airframe and there were some more dents here and there but the plane was in incredible shape.
Scary year but very happy everyone is alive and well!
Comment