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A Bit Of Excitement

** Mary Moe**
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The article details an author's observation and investigation of a high-performance piston single aircraft making an emergency landing on a private neighborhood runway due to a suspected engine-related problem.
  • Despite the emergency, the aircraft appeared undamaged and was quickly repaired, leading the author to commend the pilot's skill in executing a safe landing on an unfamiliar strip, likely with assistance from air traffic control.
  • The latter part of the article serves as an obituary for Robert A. "Bob" Wright, a frequent contributor, former FAA official, and respected aviation safety expert, detailing his extensive career and achievements following his recent passing.
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live close enough to a private runway that I walk by one end of it almost every day. So it was a few weeks ago when I encountered one of my neighbors hightailing it down the street on a single-seat ATV, pausing only long enough to share something about a crashed airplane at the far end of the runway before motoring off. I changed course in that direction long enough to spot what appeared to be a complete, undamaged airplane sitting in what passes for that runway’s run-up area.

Shortly, another ATV began towing the airplane toward me, so I reversed course and waited for it to roll past. It was a fixed-gear, high-performance piston single and it didn’t appear to have a scratch on it. The propeller blades were undamaged, it rolled easily, all the tires held air and there was no oil streaked down the side nearest me, nor an obvious fuel leak. I noted the registration and continued my stroll.

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