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"the dark dangers of the clark fork river"

mountainflier

Registered User
Recently I was sent this short story and pictures about someone that landed their Supercub on a gravel bar on the Clark Fork River. They came very close to losing their airplane to the river. What happened, the person came in and landed on the gravel bar with his Supercub and got out of the airplane to take a piss break. During that time, the river water was rapidly rising from the dam miles up stream due to the demand of electricity. The gravel bar was under water in less than three minutes! After two failed attempted takeoffs, he barley got off the gravel bar on the third try. I bet this got his heart pumping!!
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Scary. Take a jar. I learned the hard way. Really had to take a #2, had something, landed a O1D Bird Dog in a grain field. Judged by time of year I though it wouldn't be too long. It was 2 feet +. Not a farmer, I don't know what it was but just a little taller would have been too $##&$ much. (of coarse a jar wouldn't help #2) I had to go again before I got back. I won't tell the rest of the story. I should NOT have been flying. Dumber than above. (BTW I was a civilian in military flying club, NOT on a mission in VN.....)
 
Dang, the Brazos River goes up to 27 feet plus and down below 3 ft but never that rapidly. Know your river and what it can do.
 
That was a close one!

This must be on the short section of the river in Idaho? I can’t think of a section of river in Montana on the Lower Clark Fork where there is both a hydroelectric dam and gravel below.
 
In the 90’s I was fortunate enough to go on a trip to Alaska for some fishing. I’m from NY, so a big deal for me. We were helicoptered to a spot on the Rocky River (I think. Kenai Peninsula) the River is fordable on foot until the tide turns and it runs backwards and it changes very quickly. Two of us got caught on one side and two on the other. The guys on the other side had the only fire arm for bear protection. The helicopter pilot warned us, but we didn’t take it to heart, I guess. When he came to get us he had to land twice, which pissed him off.

Where I live the tide runs about 18 inches :)

Rich
 
I’m wondering if there’s any chance of finding this sandbar urinater then having him make a confessional YouTube video describing how he peed his name in the sand, followed by rapidly rising water then a tail high aborted T/O followed by a successful soft field/tail low departure while only being interrupted once by a Square Space and Manscaping ad....
 
I’m wondering if there’s any chance of finding this sandbar urinater then having him make a confessional YouTube video describing how he peed his name in the sand, followed by rapidly rising water then a tail high aborted T/O followed by a successful soft field/tail low departure while only being interrupted once by a Square Space and Manscaping ad....

They only make the YouTube video after they crash. To
Make sure the faa and insurance knows exactly what happened. Duh.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have to wonder what would have happened if he had jumped on his brakes when he hit his maximum speed rolling through the water. I used the technique with a 100 horse 12 with no flaps on gar aero 29’s. I have read on this site that brakes don’t make any difference in takeoff and landings for water assisted landings, but it made a huge difference with my 12. Hit the brakes and you’re instantly on the step taking off. Dump the brakes in shallow water and the airplane fell off the step water spinning over the wheels and hitting the wings.

One time i was landing on a strip that was short for that setup. I landed with my brakes partially on and immediately hydroplaned and used up alot of the strip before I wised up and got off the brakes, fell off the step and threw water everywhere. I added some moose meat for my buddies who wanted out of camp because of torrential rains..The strip was covered with 6 to 10 inches of water. Put the power to it and got no acceleration past a certain point. I jumped on the brakes and came off way faster than I would have on the dry strip. I used the technique often until the airplane was modified with a 150hp with borer prop and flaps.
 
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I landed an island once at Thompson Falls MT, back in the early '80's, on an XC in my Pterodactyl ultralight. I blew up my raft after setting up my camp, and rowed across the river into town to get something to eat, and maybe drink. On the return trip, now very dusky, I failed to account for the river current, and soon found that vigorous rowing would be needed to hit the island before drifting past it. I did it, just barely. The next morning on takeoff, I then saw there was a dam about a 1/2 mile or less downstream, with hydro intakes, screened I suppose, but I still wonder what would have happened.....
 
That was a close one!

This must be on the short section of the river in Idaho? I can’t think of a section of river in Montana on the Lower Clark Fork where there is both a hydroelectric dam and gravel below.

You are right on spinner2! It is in the short section in Idaho below the dam. To add to the story, during the attempted takeoffs, the engine ingested a bunch of river water and lost power. The river water level came up about 4-5 feet that evening and it was dark about an hour or so after the Cub got off the gravel bar. Some of locals that live along the Clark Fork River below the dam have a collection of Supercub parts that have washed up on the river banks.
 
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I have to wonder what would have happened if he had jumped on his brakes when he hit his maximum speed rolling through the water. I used the technique with a 100 horse 12 with no flaps on gar aero 29’s. I have read on this site that brakes don’t make any difference in takeoff and landings for water assisted landings, but it made a huge difference with my 12. Hit the brakes and you’re instantly on the step taking off. Dump the brakes in shallow water and the airplane fell off the step water spinning over the wheels and hitting the wings.

One time i was landing on a strip that was short for that setup. I landed with my brakes partially on and immediately hydroplaned and used up alot of the strip before I wised up and got off the brakes, fell off the step and threw water everywhere. I added some moose meat for my buddies who wanted out of camp because of torrential rains..The strip was covered with 8 or 10 inches of water. Put the power to it and got no acceleration past a certain point. I jumped on the brakes and came off way faster than I would have on the dry strip. I used the technique often until the airplane was modified with a 150hp with borer prop and flaps.
I don't want to practice that technique. ;)
 
Clark fork landings

You are right on spinner2! It is in the short section in Idaho below the dam. To add to the story, during the attempted takeoffs, the engine ingested a bunch of river water and lost power. The river water level came up about 4-5 feet that evening and it was dark about an hour or so after the Cub got off the gravel bar. Some of locals that live along the Clark Fork River below the dam have a collection of Supercub parts that have washed up on the river banks.


Ask Bill Rusk about those parts :oops:
 
I don't want to practice that technique. ;)

Roger that Steve! I haven’t used that technique since I had a ragged out old underpowered 12 that needed a rebuild...and I was 35 years younger and bulletproof! A few things about the airplane are different now too. More weight on the nose and I have flaps. I don't think I would use more than a notch of flaps.
Still if I needed to use it to save the airplane or ditch in deep water it would be with the brakes locked!
 
Good to know, I was balls to the wall without enough bar left when I had to rotate, skipped three time and I joined the Club. Applying brakes might have saved me on that one. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Ask Bill Rusk about those parts :oops:

This was a part found along the river bank a few years ago. It looks like a right front cowl door from somebody's Supercub, and appears to had a bumpy ride down along the bottom of the river with a little river slime on it. The person that found it, would be happy to give the part back to the original owner.
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That looks like Bill Rusk's that went through the generator.
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This was a part found along the river bank a few years ago. It looks like a right front cowl door from somebody's Supercub, and appears to had a bumpy ride down along the bottom of the river with a little river slime on it. The person that found it, would be happy to give the part back to the original owner.
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I’d be convinced...how neat to be able to have that piece back after that experience.

—Amy
 
Thank you Steve. I have not been very active lately.

Yes, I had a bad day on that river and left many parts (pretty much all) downstream of the dam. We did not even know where the airplane was for a couple of months. At the face of the dam or downstream? Two months after my mishap we found a part of the fuselage and only then did we know for a fact that it had gone over the dam. I do not have any parts or memorabilia from the mishap and would appreciate anything offered.

There is info in a thread on the site (don’t have time to link it right now) if you want to look it up.

That river and I do have a history.

Bill
 
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I landed on a bar on the Clark Fork in my old PA18 in 2009 that was almost too short. Some friends that came by in a jet boat took the picture.

Bill, I thought about your Cub. Maybe this thread will reunite you with a few pieces.
 

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