November 7, 2007: Plane lands on I-70

[Coign]

This happened within 10 miles of where I live on Oct 10th last month. At work we got the e-mail the freeway had closed. About 30 minutes later we heard why.

(I think you need to sign up to read the whole article but I have not recieved any spam from my local newspaper.)
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20071011/NEWS/71010026





From the article:

David Kunkel seemed unusually calm after he landed his plan on Interstate 70 Wednesday afternoon.

“It was pretty much a normal landing,” Kunkel said.

Kunkel, 62, of Meeker, was heading from Denver to his hometown when he made an emergency landing on Interstate 70 next to the Eagle County airport Wednesday afternoon, the Colorado State Patrol said.

Kunkel landed in the westbound lanes between Eagle and Gypsum around 1 p.m. after his engine failed, the State Patrol said.

Kunkel lost one engine and then another and would have crashed if he had not landed his Cessna 340 on the interstate, he said.

“I wasn’t going to quite make it,” he said.

There were no reports of injuries, and no cars had to swerve to avoid the plane, the State Patrol said. The westbound lanes between Gypsum and Eagle were closed about an hour and a half.

[barefoot serpent]

I particularly like the 2nd pic with the Sheriffs 'crime scene' tape wrapped around the plane. WTF?

[SPUCK]

Originally Posted by barefoot serpent

I particularly like the 2nd pic with the Sheriffs 'crime scene' tape wrapped around the plane. WTF?

Often done because people looking at where they're walking don't see those sharp and pointy things at eye level and.. DOH!

Not much clearance for that wing tip!

Guy's a good pilot. Normally with a twin engine plane the second engine takes the plane to the scene of the wreck.

[bigw00dy]

I am going to google earth this interstate. It amazes me to think this guy was able to safely land this plane on a road and do it with one engine out.....

Hey Coign......is there a stretch of this road long and straight enough?? Or is this guy just plane lucky

[kerosene]

Doesn't 70 wind quite a bit up there? Wow.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by case

Doesn't 70 wind quite a bit up there? Wow.

So long as he was flying into the wind it would be okay.

Oh wait....

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by bigw00dy

I am going to google earth this interstate. It amazes me to think this guy was able to safely land this plane on a road and do it with one engine out.....

Hey Coign......is there a stretch of this road long and straight enough?? Or is this guy just plane lucky

Pssstt:

Kunkel lost one engine and then another

Both engines were out.

Yeah I'd say he was winging it, but he didn't need to get into a flap about it.

[Coign]

The e-mail that went around work that day.

-----Original Message-----
From: EC Alert Traffic [mailto:traffic570@ecalert.org]
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 2:22 PM
To: ECALERT
Subject: Important message from EC ALERT

Wb I70 mm 144 closed due to aircraft on interstate. use hwy 6 as
alternate route. expected to be open shortly

Sent on: 10/10/2007 14:22:12


------------------------------------------

The pilot is my former boss. I took one of the first flights in that plane years ago. On the way to CA he wanted to learn how his fuel gauge related to when the tank was actually empty. So we flew until we emptied one tank, stalled ever so slightly, switched to the other tank. He is a wily pilot and I am happy to hear he brought down his plane safely.

Katie & Lance - not sure if you flew as much as I did with him.

Holly

So a couple of my coworkers had flown with the guy.

It would have been this stretch of road just a few miles shy of the Eagle airport.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=s&ie=U...0595&z=14&om=1

And even though people say that is why freeways have straight stretches of road, it is a myth.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/faq.htm#question30

[glatt]

Originally Posted by case

Doesn't 70 wind quite a bit up there? Wow.

Not so bad. Where he apparently landed, there is a straight stretch for almost a whole mile.

[HungLikeJesus]

I just wonder what he's drinking out of that blue bottle.

[Clodfobble]

Liquid brass balls.

[Stress Puppy]

1/3 oz. Pineapple Juice
1/3 oz. Grand Marnier
1/3 oz. Peach Schnapps
Mix the three, and chill. Then pour and serve.

[Gravdigr]

"Hey, look at me! I'm flying, I'm fly----AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[TheMercenary]

Beats crashing anyday.

[SPUCK]

Anyone ask if he'd seen Steve Fossett?