Pilot pulls out of highway landing

[HamiltonWest]

Pilot pulls out of highway landing
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8461478/Pi...highway-landing

[Ian Warren]

Cripes .. if any of that is thru ... MEDIA ... whats with the pilot if not .. MEDIA ..again

[ZK-MAT]

"We understand while it was low, it was not ridiculously low by any means," he said.

‘‘He realised reasonably early it was the road and not the runway, so how people react on the ground can be quite different to the reality of the situation.’’

The Waikato Times understands the plane flew as low as 3m from the ground on the section of highway between Baypark roundabout and Domain Rd roundabout.

I would suggest that a plane of any description at 3 metres above road level was ridiculously low! Especially along that stretch of road, which is in the throes of earthworks, is full of barriers and speed limit restrictions and alongside it is earthworks and machinery. Here's a picture looking North from the Domain Road roundabout towards the Baypark roundabout. I wish I saw it!!!

[ZK-MAT]

Local media here (ie not the Waikato Times) suggest that the pilot mistook Hewletts Road as the runway, which is nearer and perhaps a bit more understandible, apart from being full of cars at any time in daylight hours, having a centre concrete barrier and lined with lighting poles....

[Ian Warren]

I bet the student would be getting a lotta ribbing over this .... but if that is what it looked like how could you mistake that for an airport ... maybe they should look at the student again

[ZK-MAT]

I'll stop after this one ... having a giggle now

He thought he was training for a Red Bull race and was going under this:

[Ian Warren]

Matt ... ya worst than i am ... don't ya see the signage 'AIRPORT' ... maybe they should look at the pilot again

[dbcunnz]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Mar 23 2013,10:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Matt ... ya worst than i am ... don't ya see the signage 'AIRPORT' ... maybe they should look at the pilot again

He was just flying low looking for the sign to point him in the direction of the airport

[benwynn]

It wouldn't surprise me if he was just having a bit of fun, ended up getting caught and used this crappy story as a cover.

[SUBS17]

Why would he report this if he did not actually land there lol.

[huff3r]

QUOTE (SUBS17 @ Mar 24 2013,4:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would he report this if he did not actually land there lol.

He would be caught out regardless. All CTC aircraft have Spidertracks. So they would have known about his mistake well before he got back to Hamilton.

[SUBS17]

The fact that he looked at a road and thought it was a runway does not make it a near miss, now if he then descended, lowered flaps and gear and prepared to land and thought he was on glideslope with the car head lights lol then I find find this news.

[huff3r]

QUOTE (SUBS17 @ Mar 27 2013,9:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The fact that he looked at a road and thought it was a runway does not make it a near miss, now if he then descended, lowered flaps and gear and prepared to land and thought he was on glideslope with the car head lights lol then I find find this news.

He did lower flaps and descend...

[Mith18]

He should've started a "Standard Overhead Circuit Joining Procedure"
The standard overhead circuit joining procedure is generally used at unattended aerodromes, or at other aerodromes when the pilot is unfamiliar with the aerodrome or uncertain of circuit traffic.
"The procedure is consistent with CAR Part 91.223(1) which requires that a pilot shall observe other aerodrome traffic for the purpose of avoiding a collision.

I think I've been studying Air Law too much... luckily that was out of the book and not from memory. Although in the "heat of the moment" it is easier to balls things up.

[ardypilot]

This story seems fishy- I find it really difficult to believe he mistook a heavily industrialized main road for a runway, especially considering this students instructor considered his flying to be adequate enough to be sent solo from Hamilton.

[huff3r]

QUOTE (Trolly @ Mar 28 2013,4:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This story seems fishy- I find it really difficult to believe he mistook a heavily industrialized main road for a runway, especially considering this students instructor considered his flying to be adequate enough to be sent solo from Hamilton.

The solo sign-out process isn't the best, and considering a student has gotten lost overhead Cambridge on a nav flight before.... I wouldn't be surprised to be honest. But I doubt he was as low as 3m... maybe 30m? But probably not even that!