TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

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combine
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TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

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PilotDAR
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Re: TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

Post by PilotDAR »

This is not that Youtube guy again is it?
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J31
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Re: TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

Post by J31 »

He said he spoke with the owner of the plane over the phone, who told him he had been doing some maintenance work on it before the plane took off.

“It just took off. Once the engine started, it just took right off.”

Unsecured hand propping. :oops:
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Flight94
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Re: TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

Post by Flight94 »

J31 wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 7:46 pm He said he spoke with the owner of the plane over the phone, who told him he had been doing some maintenance work on it before the plane took off.

“It just took off. Once the engine started, it just took right off.”

Unsecured hand propping. :oops:
Didn't that happen in Australia a long time ago? A champ or something got hand propped at full throttle and cruised around for awhile before the military shot it down?

Maybe I made it up, I don't know.
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broken_slinky
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Re: TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

Post by broken_slinky »

Flight94 wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 9:19 pm
J31 wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 7:46 pm He said he spoke with the owner of the plane over the phone, who told him he had been doing some maintenance work on it before the plane took off.

“It just took off. Once the engine started, it just took right off.”

Unsecured hand propping. :oops:
Didn't that happen in Australia a long time ago? A champ or something got hand propped at full throttle and cruised around for awhile before the military shot it down?

Maybe I made it up, I don't know.
I remember a similar unpiloted aircraft story too. I thought it happened in the US though and it just eventually ran out of gas and bellied in somewhere mostly unscathed.
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pelmet
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Re: TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

Post by pelmet »

"The privately registered Bellanca 7GCBC Citabria, C-GVAU, was located at Schlenker's Field
(CFZ3), AB, 3 NM south of the Medicine Hat Airport (CYXH). The owner pulled C-GVAU out of its
hangar to do a run-up and perform the annual oil change; the aircraft engine had not been run for
about 1 year. The aircraft battery was not on site and a car battery was obtained and connected
using jumper cables. The owner climbed into the aircraft, set the park brake, turned on the mags
and master switches and after priming the engine, pushed the starter button. The engine did not
turn over due to the battery being dead. The owner exited the cockpit without turning the mags and
master off and retrieved a charged battery. After connecting the charged battery to the aircraft
system, he paused to turn the prop through in an effort to pre-oil the engine. He was standing
behind the prop but in front of the wing strut. The owner moved the prop in the direction of rotation
a short distance and the engine started. The aircraft began to creep forward overcoming the set
park brake. The owner attempted to reach for the mixture control and the throttle was inadvertently
moved to the full open position. The engine rpm increased and the aircraft began to accelerate.
The owner was no longer able to keep up with the aircraft and stepped away from the aircraft. The
aircraft was in a right turn by this time. The aircraft proceeded down a taxiway and across Runway
07-25 and into the field beyond. The aircraft became airborne and established itself in a shallow
climbing turn for the next 20 to 30 minutes. The aircraft proceeded north over the Desert Blume
area of Medicine Hat until it ran out of fuel. It then began a gliding descent and eventually crashed
into a field just west of the South Ridge residential area of Medicine Hat. The aircraft came to rest
against a house causing damage. There was no fire and no one was injured. The aircraft was
substantially damaged."

One can almost imagine this on 1920's black and white comedy film playing at triple speed with a cartoonish character playing the part with appropriate music, horns, and whistles in the background.
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Last edited by pelmet on Fri May 13, 2022 10:48 am, edited 2 times in total.
linecrew
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Re: TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

Post by linecrew »

pelmet wrote: Fri May 13, 2022 8:18 am "The aircraft became airborne and established itself in a shallow climbing turn for the next 20 to 30 minutes.
I can't imagine how this guy must have felt watching this for such a long time.
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Re: TSB investigating pilotless plane crash in Medicine Hat neighbourhood

Post by CL-Skadoo! »

"What exactly do you do? They basically fly themselves right?"
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