
This photo was taken very early Sunday morning. This airplane had a catastrophic engine failure and had to land on a highway in Oregon. They waited until very early Sunday morning to put the airplane on a truck and take it back to the The Dalles airport. Members from the local area sent in these photos and a description of the event below (thank you!):
"In the hanger (near) mine the owner went out today with the flight
instructor for a bi annual they got out of the dalles almost to Biggs when a
cylinder blew up it just had 6 new jugs on it. they thought (about landing) on the freeway or (highway 14) he picked 14 the windshield was covered with oil no traffic, came in
under a power line got out and pushed the plane off the road. We will tow it
back Sunday. The flight instructor was asked if he passed his bi annual and he answered in the affirmative."
Then this account later after the rescue:
"The recovery of the plane went well I did not sleep got up at 3:00am showered
and went to the airport to get my nitrogen tank ( we use that to air up the
struts that keep planes up it is an inert gas if we put air in it would
explode) so much for the department of useless information...The first picture was taken at 540 AM when the plane was loaded on the low boy the low boy was on a recess next to
the road there was no flash that is why the picture is so grainy. They (had)
to have two flag cars up front and one in the back there was three cars
including my truck in back One state trooper showed up at 430 right on time
and he thought we would have it loaded the man with the bucket is getting
straps out to tie the airplane down it took up the entire road. I found out
at 500 AM on Sunday morning not many people are out there we got it to the
air port the send picture is on the airport road it took up the entire road
the state policeman went ahead and got the traffic out to pull off the road
we were unloading the plane on the airport at 545 (a worker) came over and
mowed down the grass and we unloaded the plane at the side of the new
hangers. ... We did not put more nitrogen in the struts as I cautioned... that it could cause damage to
the struts as they can get bent. All in all it was an excellent adventure
and no damage to the plane... I whish you could be there it
was a good learning experience, I am easily entertained. You have to
understand that when someone who fly's has a problem they don't want the
world to know about it but we want to be there to help them and we learn
from each problem."
What a morning - Mt. Hood in the background.