A student and instructor flying a Jabiru J170 LSA near Brisbane, Australia, got a rude surprise when the engine of the training airplane quit in flight. ABC News reported the flight was the first for student Josh Matica, who quickly surrendered the controls to his instructor, Doug Field. With only about 1,000 feet between the airplane and the ground, Field had little time to evaluate the situation. But the 22-year-old instructor was able to execute a textbook dead-stick landing in a field while appearing totally calm as evidenced by the attached video.
Matica placed cushions on the panel to protect himself from the impact of the emergency landing. While the field provided a perfect landing site, the LSA hit a barbed wire fence. Neither the pilot nor the instructor appears to have suffered any injuries. Local authorities are investigating the cause of the engine failure.
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