Manitwo Flyers

Tower Hobbies 40

Inside View

Tower Hobbies 0.46 ABC Ball-Bearing Engine

Crashes Do Occur

It was a sunny, peaceful day in July. It was approximately 9:30am in the morning on Saturday, and I planned to do a little flying. After full throttle was applied, the plane gained speed and appeared to take off well. However, shortly after liftoff, the plane began a roll to the left and never recovered. Initial speculation suggested the ailerons were reversed, although this was later proven inaccurate. Crashing upside down, the plane exploded into a cloud of debris with pieces landing up to 30 feet away. The vertical stabilizer was ripped off, the wings broke in two, and the front of the fuselage was crushed into shards of plywood and nails. Spectators looked in horror as the great tragedy unfolded across the field.

After the dust had settled, three other people and I ventured to the crash site to recover what we could. Pieces of wheels, fragments of wood, a fuel tank, and more were salvaged. All was piled into the back of my car, and I left the site, knowing that it was going to take much epoxy, duct-tape, and glue to make this airplane air-worthy again.

To be continued...