Had I known they were going to send the chopper out, I would have called them myself! They could have given me a ride back instead of waiting 4 hours!

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=38383495

Well Lanny, the 205 does have a big payload as you know!

If anyone knows how to make that link show up as a video within the post, feel free to modify it.

ajfriz wrote:Thanks for sharing your story. I was hoping you'd post after I saw it on KSL. It's a bummer about your plane, but at least you and your copilot are ok.
It was kind of funny how KSL made the story about the coyote hunter and the "weird" things he's found over the years. One of my Facebook friends is friends with that guy, so I saw it unfold there. I'm glad they didn't put the spotlight on you.

Yeah, like I said, KSL was very cool and respectful about it. My wife just confirmed that everyone was ok and they told her that they would be in Layton interviewing the hunter for a while in event I wanted to comment on it. The initial paper report said it was me and one of my children which generated some concern from some friends. Had one of my kids been with me, I'd never have done it.

Every now and then I'll have people ask me if it makes me nervous having all those people onboard at work. My standard answer was it didn't matter. I fly the same whether the plane is empty or full. In recent years I started allowing myself to take more risk when family wasn't onboard in my personal flying. In the future that won't be the case.

I'm glad everything worked out in the end and thanks for posting your lessons learned. Takes a big/humble person to be able to do that. I'm also very glad the insurance company and the faa were good to you instead of pouring salt in the wound.

I hope you found this cathartic. That was well-written. Thanks.

Z

Cory, I feel like I pushed you into posting this due to my "what happened" question on another thread. Sorry about that. I'm sure glad no one was hurt, and that you had hull insurance and it was enough that you were able to buy a replacement airplane.
Also glad that your interaction with the insurance company & the FAA was positive.
And glad that the news media left your name out of it "to protect the innocent".

I'm sorry to hear you experience this, but I'm glad everyone was ok-that's the main thing. I've realized over the years that when shit happens, it could ALWAYS be worse. Thank you very much for sharing this. I'm glad the insurance situation worked out, that you're learning from the situation, and that you're continuing to fly.

Grasspilot -are you going yo have it rebuilt or replace ? I have 182's if interested. Let me know I have fuselage and wing jigs .

Hey Eric,

Not at all! I knew that there would be inquiring minds when my plane changed colors. I figured someone would have picked up the news story so I had already talked to Zane about it. He suggested writing a Live to Tell. So I had been thinking about it for a while. And like I said, I hope it helps someone else from having to go through the same thing.

I'm always telling Adam "Actions have consequences." Luckily he's not old enough to realize that we are actually coming out in a better position. It almost makes me feel guilty for being rewarded for messing up. Still, not a fun experience to go through and I hope this can help someone else avoid it.

STOL, I already replaced it. It was fixable, but there were too many unknowns that could have easily made the cost of repair exceed what I had left of the insurance money after buying it back. It's on AIG's salvage auction site if anyone is interested in a project.

Cory, thanks for sharing about this experience.

When I read things like this I put myself in the situation and think about what would I have done. The answer this time is, I probably would've done the exact same thing! I will file your experience away for future use in my own flying.

Truth be known, it looks like the airplane faired pretty well, given the circumstances. And thank god the kids weren't with you. When I heard the news, thats all i could think about.

Im glad everything worked out ok for you!

Thanks for the lesson as well, "those that have and those that will". When it's not paved.

Great post Cory. Thanks for sharing this with us so we can all learn from it. We have had similar snow conditions up here this winter, just get a few inches and then it gets crusty and melts. Makes for a thick crust that really sucks the plane down. One landing and takeoff was enough for me to not want to try it again this winter.
Glad everyone was safe and that you came out on top.
David

As others have said, great write up. It's one thing to be willing to share the story, it's quite another to do such a good job doing so. Thanks for both.

Cory: Replacing the busted nav radio like a boss!
Much respect my friend. Here's to supportive spouses!
-DP

Hehe! Yeah, that's one way to do it. I've got two functioning nav heads now! I'm missing my Garmin GMA 340 and SL30 though.

Amen to the supportive spouses.

It isn't just a hazrd for off-airport op's either-- I know a guy who put his newly-rebuilt clipwing Cub on it's back in the same sort of snow on a paved runway. Just made him sick. It was the same Cub used in the Mel Gibson movie "Bird on a Wire" BTW.

Grassstrippilot wrote:Hehe! Yeah, that's one way to do it. I've got two functioning nav heads now! I'm missing my Garmin GMA 340 and SL30 though.

Amen to the supportive spouses.

I'm curious how insurance works here. Could you have kept avionics/whatever from the wrecked plane? Or would you have had to buy them back from the insurance company?

Or... "its a damn shame those things got stolen from the plane the 4 days it spent upside down in the desert..."

I wish. The insurance is an all or nothing proposition. Either you retain it all or sell it all. I would have loved to have kept them.

Welcome to the club!! You are not the first to bend a plane and won't be the last!! My wife only asked if I was OK when I took out my prop and never said a word about the engine teardown or the new prop. Depending on insurance if damage is more than 75% of the insured cost they total the plane and pay you off. I have seen cases where pilot wanted to keep the plane and would pay for any over the 75% if something came up at rebuild but that has to be a shop that the insurance adjuster knows and trusts. In the medical field we have what we call grand rounds. It is a time we can all come together and discuss difficult cases or present stuff that went bad!! It is a great chance to learn what not to do!! Telling a story of how you bent a plane may save several pilots from the same fate, Good on ya!!!
DENNY

Like Gump said, over insuring is the way to go. That is the only way for a lowly high school teacher to move up. No! I did not crash them on purpose.