I Learned About Flying From That: Fat, Dumb and Happy

Jim Gunn

Friday, January 17, 2014 at 10:25 PM ET

Verified

** To see more of Barry Ross' aviation art, go
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Key Takeaways:

After a catastrophic engine failure at 4,500 feet, the pilot successfully executed a gear-up emergency landing in a plowed field, prioritizing safety over attempting to reach a distant airport or landing on a hazardous road.
The pilot and co-pilot demonstrated effective emergency procedures, including immediate declaration of emergency, quickly assessing options, maintaining aircraft control, and managing a 600 fpm sink rate.
Key takeaways from the incident emphasize making pragmatic landing decisions based on the actual situation, sticking to a safe plan, utilizing available resources, and disregarding unsafe external advice.

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There I was: fat, dumb and happy. My friend Tim and I had taken my 1977 Mooney 201 from Camden, South Carolina, to Myrtle Beach to get the oxygen cylinder filled. We filed IFR on the outbound leg at 7,000 feet msl and had to fly the ILS at Myrtle Beach to get through some thin, low clouds. We were probably legal for a visual approach, but we flew the ILS for practice anyway (it’s still free!).

On the return trip, the ceiling and visibility were unlimited, so we flew back VFR with flight following. Tim is a U.S. Air Force Sikorsky HH-60G pilot, flight instructor and evaluator. He only recently “saw the light” and got his fixed-wing license, so I let him fly home for practice.