So........I'd been flying for about 10 minutes and my Alpha 60 deadsticks on me. I was high, near the approach end of the runway. I've done many deadsticks on the sim and everytime I've flown I've pulled power once or twice at random locations and played it like a deadstick. So, no big deal. I do a couple of circles and back and forths across the runway to bleed altitude and then land it. I didn't get quite enough altitude off, so it landed long, but soft, then went off the end of the runway at not much more than walking speed. I walk down to get the plane, cross the runway to get to it, and it's just fine. Pick it up turn around, start back to the pits, step in a depression right at the edge of the runway, turn my ankle and promptly fall on the plane.

The back half of the fuselage and the tail section are pretty well trashed. And to add to the embarrassment, we happen to have the biggest group of flyers at the field since I joined the club, all of whom watched me go down in a heap on top of the plane.

I think I'd have rather crashed it. []

I'm going to attempt to repair the damage, but have ordered a fuse and tail from Hobby Zone (Horizon is back ordered on the ARF and most of the replacement parts.) Turned out one of the muffler bolts vibrated loose and I lost back pressure which caused the deadstick.

I came close to just ordering a PulseXT 60 instead, but don't really feel like I've had enough flights on the Alpha to do so. Besides, I'd like to keep the trainer flying even after I add a second plane. I should be back up and flying sometime next week.

I once snapped the horizontal stabilizer off one of my airplanes by hitting it with my car. [:@]

It has since been repaired.

There's more than way to crash a plane .

Sorry to hear about the damage and I hope you are ok.

sorry man, but that's kinda funny. it sucks, but it's still funny. i hope your alright and can fix your plane. good luck

Solution!!! get someone else to retrieve your planes. That is my grandson's job.

Bummer [&o]

I think you’re making a good decision in getting replacement parts to get up and flying sooner, but also tackling the repair. You’ll gain a lot of experience learning how models are put together and this could be a good prep for eventually building a kit. I've had to rebuild the wings on my Alpha 60, but I also got it with major damage to them. Here's the [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/article_display.cfm?article_id=910]How To: Wing Repair[/link] article I did on the repair just to give you a bit more insite on a repair.

Be sure to post pictures of your rebuild, and if you’re not sure of anything, ask lots of questions. Many of us here have had to do major rebuilds. I’ve got an Astro Hog with a fuselage broken in half at the trailing edge and the back end severely torn up where the empennage once resided, plus major center section damage to the wings, so you’re in not alone in the major rebuild category.

Hogflyer

Oh, I'm just fine, other than a bit of a bruised ego. The ankle isn't even sore.

A couple of the guys thought it was more serious when they saw me go down, but I was right back up again.

One of the other guys actually volunteered to go get it for me. The first thing I heard from him when I got back was "see, you should have let me go for it".

I was PO'ed at myself last night but got some perspective back this morning. It's just a plane. I'll be flying again next week. Life if good.

bob

[X(][X(]
This type of disaster is EXACTLY what I fear the most! I mean it will kill me if / when I crash my plane; but to lose it this way... I feel for you man..

Good luck with the rebuild, thats where I would be as well!

Glad to hear you are OK.

Dumb things happen. I borrowed my wifes car one day to go to the field when I was first strating to fly. I loaded her trunk the same way I loaded mine, Flight box and a plastic filing box with Stuff in first then the fuselage behind. Her car has a shelf up front and it was just right for the flight box. When I made the first turn, I heard someting in the trunk. Turns out that the shelf wasn't flat by had an angle on onside so the flight box was setting hanging off on one end. When I went around the corner it tipped and then flipped on it's side crushing the tail of my trainer.

Not to long after that, I was trying to fly my Quicke 500 on the budy box. Got it started and out to the flight line. Set it down and went to step over an planted my size 10 dead middle in the fuselage. The prop cut a grove about 1/4' deep in the aphalt before it finally quit. Susprising, the prop was about the ony damage. I only cracked the sheeting on top of the fuse and a couple drops of CA and some covering and the plane was ready to fly again.

So, you are not the only one. I'll bet that there are even more stories out there. Anybody??

Don

I do way more damage to my models trying to get then in and out of the appartment and car then I ever have actualy flying them... Hopefully the rebuild wont be to hard, hanger 9 stuff is pretty easy with the bolt on tail pieces and everything. Good thing the ankle is ok. I sprained mine wrestling in high school and it took a very long time before it was right again, it was far worse then a broken bone.

Virtually all of the damage on my trainer has been caused by getting it in/out of the house and/or car. [:@]

Fuse & Tail cost $100. For $60 more you could have gotten the entire plane (ARF) and lots of spare stuff. Something to consider if this type of thing ever happens again.

>>So, you are not the only one. I'll bet that there are even more stories out there. Anybody?? <<

Well, you guys are making me feel better with your stories.

I clear my engine by straddling it on the taxi-way, and then immediately roll on to the runway and take off. I've told myself several times that one of these days I'm going to come down on it with my foot or catch it with my foot as I step back over.

Some of you may remember a couple of my earlier posts. This will be my third fuselage, and I have yet to crash the plane. The firewall separated 5 minutes into the maiden flight on my first one. H9 replaced the plane after seeing pictures of the lack of glue on the firewall. I pinned the replacement.

I'm actually (sort of, anyway) looking forward to trying to fix it. I don't want to wait 2 weeks though to find out I can't and then order parts. That's why the fuse and tail are already on their way. If I can get everything straight/aligned and sound I'm thinking I may turn it into a taildragger. After the firewall separation H9 replaced the whole plane, not just the fuselage, so I've got a new set of wings still in the plastic they came in. Moving the gear forward should not be a big deal, but I'm not sure how to rig a steerable tailwheel.

Bob

Everybody is out of stock on the ARF at this point, and Horizon is back ordered on the fuse. Hobby Zone had both the fuse and tail in stock, but not the full ARF. That would have been the obvious thing to do but there is no telling how soon it would be available.

Bob

I managed to butt-flop onto the tail of my dynaflight butterfly one night in a drunken attempt to pick it up to repair it... Needless to say, I didnt fix anything and created a days worth of work of EXTRA repairs.. Moral of ths story... never screw with your planes when drinking... The AMA should add on to the part about not flying when drunk to include not even lookin at any form of airplane

We had a guy unload his plane, decide to move his car, and drove over his plane. destroyed everything.

Hmmmmm! Do they do that a lot in North Carolina?

I was walking my wing back to my car to load up for the evening and go home. I had to step over a parking barrier cable and I tripped going over it. I held the wing up nice and high and level so it wouldn't get damaged, but smacked my head pretty good on the gravel parking lot.

Part of me said that I should have landed on the wing, but my head was just fine after a few minutes (though some might debate that) and I'm still flying the plane!

Was getting ready to go to the field a few years back..airplanes were up on a shelf...stepped on the lower shelf to get the Mid Star 40 from the upper shelf..all is well airplane in hand...turned and looked before I stepped...hand slipped and down I came..let go of the airplane..but I still knocked the horizontal stab off.....Hangar rash happens..since you weren't in flight..It was hangar rash...tough break, I hope you are up and flying soon...by the way nice dead stick

You sure about that?

After I had built my Four Star 40 kit, and before I had flown it, I accidentally dropped a rolled-up sleeping bag on it and snapped off the vertical stab. I had ignored the suggestion about adding tri-stock during the build, but I definitely put it back together with tri-stock.

I'm glad you didn't get hurt. I'm always afraid that one of the less-steady old guys at the field is going to do this with a plane that is running. I usually volunteer to carry their planes off the starting benches for them.

Good luck with the rebuild.

Dude! That totally sucks, I would probably have laughed, but still felt really bad for u. I hope you understand.

I think you have your priorities set up just fine. Given the choice of a sprained ankle or a busted plane, I'd take the ankle any time.

By the way, all of these stories make me feel MUCH less embarrassed.

Bob

Wait until you back over your own plane with your truck!! Been there, done that. Had 4 planes with me that day and set one down UNDER the tailgate as I was unloading. To make a long story short I forgot it was there and then backed over it with the truck. [:@]

Ken