Sean Tucker Crashes

[ACCBoomer]

Not so much AF related (unless you have been to one of many base open houses), but Sean Tucker Crashed his Oracle Biplane yesterday. The good news is that he got out ok! Sounds like the stick broke off.

Oracle Crash

A nationally known aerobatics pilot had to ditch his plane in Red River Parish this morning after the aircraft's control stick broke.

Sean Tucker parachuted safely -- despite getting tangled briefly on part of the plane after getting out of the cockpit.

The single-engine stunt plane crashed in a field near the Red River-Natchitoches Parish line.

Red River Sheriff Johnny Ray Norman said Tucker was in town to visit friends while on his way to a weekend air show in Florida.

He was making one last run in a practice area when the main steering control began to break.

Tucker switched to a backup control to buy him time and radioed in his situation. The sheriff's office helped him find a place away from any houses before he bailed out.

"When he was just about out of gas, they got a good field picked out -- no people around -- and he jumped out," Tucker spokesman Karl Koeppen said.

Tucker, who was not injured, was not available for comment after the crash.

The single-passenger propeller plane crashed about a mile from the airport and was destroyed.

In 2003, Tucker was named one of the 25 living legends of flight by the Smithsonian Institute.

[Guest sleepy]

Glad he got out. That guy is crazy. If Tucker doesn't fly at Sun-N-Fun, watch for the Red Eagle Team.

[LJDRVR]

Two happy endings in one week....sweet!

I wonder if he saved the stick so he could use it to beat the heck out of whoever did the welding?

[Guest Absolutlyfly]

A nationally known aerobatics pilot had to ditch his plane in Red River Parish this morning after the aircraft's control stick broke

I thought that only happened in cartoons.

[LJDRVR]

I used to teach in a J-3 Cub, I would often look and those 56 year old weld clusters at the base of the stick during preflight and wonder....what if?

Never was too much of a concern, if I had a student, they would fly, if solo, I'd simply climb into the other seat.

[ClearedHot]

Originally posted by LJDRVR:

Two happy endings in one week....sweet!

I wonder if he saved the stick so he could use it to beat the heck out of whoever did the welding?

I had a hot date last night, so lets make it three...

[Guest Xtndr50boom]

I thought the article was talking about that conservative nerd from CNN with the bow tie.

[ClearedHot]

Originally posted by LJDRVR:

I used to teach in a J-3 Cub, I would often look and those 56 year old weld clusters at the base of the stick during preflight and wonder....what if?

Never was too much of a concern, if I had a student, they would fly, if solo, I'd simply climb into the other seat.

I learned in a Super Cub. One of the best airplanes to learn basic flying skills in my opinion.

I've also seen a Cub demo at an airshow...a very versatile airplane to say the least.

I wonder how long it will take Tucker to get a new plane up and running.

[LJDRVR]

Originally posted by ClearedHot:

I had a hot date last night...

Ah yes, the joy of being stationed in the NCR. More women than you can shake a stick at. (STS) I even married one of them when I was stationed at Bolling.

If you get a chance during airshow season, drive out to Culpepper, VA (or is it Bealtown?) to see the flying circus. Charlie Culp's flying farmer routine in a J-3 is simply the most amazing piece of flying I've ever seen anywhere. Two-turn spins from pattern altitude and some other pretty unbelievable stuff.

Whose Blanik IL-23 are you flying? Great airplane!

[ClearedHot]

The Blanik picture is from some flying I did in New Zealand last Novemeber.

I've been doing the glider gig for over 20 years and was going to make a run at my Diamond Goal Flight (New Zealand is a great place to do it), but the conditions were aweful. Instead, I spent a few days fighting a bunch of old RNAAF A-4 pilots over Auckland...what a blast!

[ 05. April 2006, 10:13: Message edited by: ClearedHot ]

[Guest sleepy]

Originally posted by Xtndr50boom:

I thought the article was talking about that conservative nerd from CNN with the bow tie.

Tucker Carlson. Does he still have a job?

Originally posted by CH:

I've also seen a Cub demo at an airshow...a very versatile airplane to say the least.

A family member has a Cub that I get to fly whenver I want. While he is no Charlie Kulp or Dick Willets, he has done some minor airshow performances. He swears it is the most dangerous airplane BECAUSE it is so forgiving. Any neophyte jumping out of it and into anything else is gonna get their rearend handed to them.

[Stuck]

What "Back up control" are they talking about?

Cheers,

-Stuck

[Guest Hydro130]

Originally posted by Stuck:

What "Back up control" are they talking about?

Cheers,

-Stuck

It a combination of the Magic 8-ball and a hot-line to Ms Cleo...

Dude...

It's the news... Those idiots wouldn't recognize their ass if it was handed to them....

Cheers, Hydro

[Toasty]

Think they may have confused "back up controls" with trim/rudder/throttle?

[Guest sleepy]

From the weekly AOPA e-rag:

SEAN TUCKER BAILS OUT FROM AIRSHOW BIPLANE

Airshow legend and AOPA member Sean D. Tucker was forced on Tuesday to bail out of his highly modified 400-horsepower Pitts S-2S biplane, the Team Oracle Challenger, while practicing his routine near Coushatta, Louisiana, 38 nm southeast of Shreveport. Tucker said he was doing a 7.5-G pull at 225 mph when he felt his control stick give. He went to his trim lever as a backup control and was able to put the aircraft in a climb to more than 9,000 feet while he evaluated the problem. Tucker wanted to save the airplane, but it was oscillating dangerously. "This was the most magical airplane I've ever flown," he said. Tucker thought he might die and passed along his love for his family to the ground crew. The local sheriff and a judge raced to the scene, closed down a road, and directed him to a farm when a bailout became inevitable. "The last thing you want to do is save your life and kill someone else," Tucker said. He ducked his head and pulled release pins holding the canopy, but was still hit twice on his helmet by the bubble as it flew off. After a brief tussle in getting free from the aircraft, Tucker popped the silk. He landed uninjured after a 25-minute ordeal and asked the sheriff to take him to the wreckage, a tangled bright red mess in a freshly plowed field. Tucker figures the airplane hit the ground at 250 mph. He found that a torque-tube linkage controlling the main elevator had failed. Tucker expects it will take a month or two to re-engine a backup biplane and return to the airshow circuit. While visibly shaken, Tucker said at Sun 'n Fun, "I want to build a better aircraft, get back to being the best aviator I can be, and start spreading the magic."

[Guest thebronze]

Sean D. is the sh*t!

Glad he made it out.