An Air Drive OA-1K Skyraider II had a close-call with automobiles on an Oklahoma freeway this week. The crew – a civilian contractor and Air Drive energetic obligation member – pulled off an emergency touchdown with out accidents whereas flying a coaching mission with the Oklahoma Air Nationwide Guard.
Matthew Topchian was simply driving like every other day, when the airplane abruptly appeared, flying eye-level virtually immediately at him. His dashcam captured it.
Mayday declared simply 5 minutes after taking off
The airplane, working underneath name signal Zorro75, narrowly missed Topchian and different automobiles, coming to a cease in a subject as a substitute. The crew had simply took-off from KOKC. On departure the crew climbed uneventfully to three,500 ft., however rapidly misplaced velocity and altitude. They declared “mayday” simply 5 minutes into flight.
The Skyraider is assigned to the 492d Particular Operations Wing, however was working with the 137th Particular Ops Wing out of Will Rogers Air Nationwide Guard Base.
AvGeek Redhome Aviation was on-scene monitoring chatter and documenting. Go to their Fb web page for extra pictures and video.
“They struck the curb with one of many tires, went throughout a small, uneven subject, throughout a highway, placing a cease signal and utility pole, earlier than spinning to the left and coming to the cease in a subject,” says Redhome in an publish on Fb. “The plane is leaning on its proper wing, with the cease signal nonetheless on the forefront of the left wing.”
The crew had been seen strolling across the wreckage. Any touchdown you’ll be able to stroll away from is an effective touchdown, and no one on the bottom was harm both. Kudos to them and the primary responders.
Air Drive Particular Operations Command simply accepted their first missionized OA-1K Skyraider II earlier this yr, designed for shut air assist, precision strike, and armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Learn extra about it HERE.
The trigger is underneath investigation.
