RICHARD
09-09-2005, 10:02 PM
Pilot didn't know he'd lost half a wing
A pilot flew his plane for two hours without realising he was missing half a wing.
His passengers - two flight engineers on their way to repair a Boeing 767 - also failed to spot it had been ripped off, taking a fuel tank with it.
Their Cessna 210's wing was split in two when it hit a tree on take-off from an airstrip near Shannon in Ireland, reports the Mirror.
The pilot later said he heard a bang but thought he had just hit a small bird.
He only realised what had happened when he spotted his back-up fuel tank gauge was on empty as he flew over the Channel on the way to Portugal.
He put out a Mayday call and landed at Jersey airport.
A spokesman there said last night: "We were amazed it managed to fly as long as it had. It was in a real state.
"The pilot was the most shocked as he had not realised the extent of the damage while he was flying."
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The scary part??
two mechanics on board too!
A pilot flew his plane for two hours without realising he was missing half a wing.
His passengers - two flight engineers on their way to repair a Boeing 767 - also failed to spot it had been ripped off, taking a fuel tank with it.
Their Cessna 210's wing was split in two when it hit a tree on take-off from an airstrip near Shannon in Ireland, reports the Mirror.
The pilot later said he heard a bang but thought he had just hit a small bird.
He only realised what had happened when he spotted his back-up fuel tank gauge was on empty as he flew over the Channel on the way to Portugal.
He put out a Mayday call and landed at Jersey airport.
A spokesman there said last night: "We were amazed it managed to fly as long as it had. It was in a real state.
"The pilot was the most shocked as he had not realised the extent of the damage while he was flying."
----------------------------
The scary part??
two mechanics on board too!