Seems the 210 is rugged if nothing else...

[BSEC]

The pilot of this one didn't even know he ripped the wing off....

210 sans wing... (http://www.westpress.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=146238&command=displayContent&sourceNode=146064&contentPK=13040192)

[jay heil]

now how the heck is that possible ???? says he thought he had been struck by a little bird???? did the ailerons even work? looks like its at the very least damaged or maybe half gone

[mghallen]

Yep,

Another one of those "great" Cessna flights; on A wing and a prayer

[Lawn Dart]

Hey...I can sorta relate to this story.
I once took off without my reading glasses. It was like almost 10 minutes before I realized that something was missing.

But then again, I didn't hit any trees on departure...I think :o

[RYAN_WINGS]

Looks like theses guys should apply with America West for pilot and maintenance positions......

[Sgt. Rock]

Those are the mechanics that I want maintaining the boeing 767's I'll be flying on!! They should have left that Irish whiskey back in the hanger!! :drinking:

[Ruidoso Ron]

I once flew a friend's 170 into my farm strip. On my return to civilization (well, actually it was Plano, TX) I noticed everbody watching and pointing as I taxied to the tiedown. After I deplaned, I noticed the 5' cedar tree jammed in the groove between the horiz stab and the elevator. It flew fine! That's not as bad as this one though.......
Another friend had borrowed the same 170. He was a retired Braniff Captain who had flown the 747 for the last few years of his career. He managed to taxi the 170 out, take off, fly around the pattern, land, and taxi back to the tiedown without realizing that the gust lock was on the rudder! Guess they teach you how to do without the rudder pedals in a 747.

[pacer160]

What happened to the preflight and run up procedures on that 170 that took off with the rudder locked up. I thought your supposed to make sure your control surfaces are working before you take off.

[Steve Pierce]

Used to work on a Corsair for a major organization that was often flown by a big wheel CEO. He would have us pull it out before he got to the airport, he would jump in and off he'd go. Well we had a little airshow one weekend and the same scenario except we didn't take the gear locking pins out. He was gone for quite some time after take-off but finally appeared with the gear up. Seems to risk embarrassment he had flown to a neighboring airport and removed the pins. This is the same guy that tore that plane up at least twice.

[Jerry Gaston]

I'll bet some of Gunny's scotch was envolved here.

[Aviator]

Looks like another typical sensationalist write-up. It seems to me he only lost the wingtip (with the integral fuel tank). Notice that the outboard aileron rib appears intact. The missing piece is probably 5 feet chord-wise, and not a 5-foot wing "section." Though a bummer, it's certainly not "...half the left wing...missing."

[Scruffdog]

After 43 years, I STILL go through the CIGARS acronym every single time I take off. Never have forgotten a gust lock or anything else.

[mvivion]

Looks to me that all that's missing is the Flint wingtip fuel tank. Those are about 2.5 feet or so long.

Still, the guy musta been numb above the waist to have missed losing that much of the airplane. Had to have been just a little bit of yaw involved there when it hit.

MTV

[irishj3seaplane]

Hey,

The guy who owns that Machine is local here in Ireland. Small exec operation. It was the aircraft owner, and not its regular pilot who clipped a tree on take off.

The reason he didnt notice, is the big turbine that hauls her.... Not the first time someone around here got saved by good aul HP.

Take care

William Flood
Ireland

[Alex Clark]

5 feet was the cord. they used a fish eye camera and poor reporting to make it seem larger than the tip tank.

[mountainflyingvideos]

Always knew the big ol' gnarly Centurion was overbuilt...

Chalk another one up for Clyde Cessna.