A light aircraft pilot had a close shave early yesterday morning when his microlight lost power shortly after taking off near the Gonubie Farmer’s Hall.
Tommie Adlam, 43, said he and six friends had planned a “fun flight” to Cove Rock and back but their plan was scuppered when the engine of his microlight died.
“I was the fifth of six of us to take off from Flamingo Airfield at about 5.15am,” said Adlam, who is a captain with the SAPS.
“Shortly after take-off I made a left towards Gonubie in a southerly direction and kept on climbing when the aircraft lost power.
“The engine died and I called in an emergency which was immediately heard by the others who turned back to help me.”
Adlam, a father of four, realised his only option was to make an emergency landing and that the N2 and a farm field were his only choices.
“The N2 was an option but it was full of traffic and it could be that drivers may not expect an emergency landing and I could have been hit.”
The microlight enthusiast had to make a split second decision and took his aircraft down on a lumpy field on the eastern side of the Brakfontein N2 off-ramp.
“As I landed the front wheel caught in a ditch and the plane lifted up and collapsed.”
Adlam said although the front wheel and front profile tube of his aircraft were damaged, he had escaped unharmed. – barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Pilot cheats death after emergency landing
Tommie Adlam, 43, said he and six friends had planned a “fun flight” to Cove Rock and back but their plan was scuppered when the engine of his microlight died.
“I was the fifth of six of us to take off from Flamingo Airfield at about 5.15am,” said Adlam, who is a captain with the SAPS.
“Shortly after take-off I made a left towards Gonubie in a southerly direction and kept on climbing when the aircraft lost power.
“The engine died and I called in an emergency which was immediately heard by the others who turned back to help me.”
Adlam, a father of four, realised his only option was to make an emergency landing and that the N2 and a farm field were his only choices.
“The N2 was an option but it was full of traffic and it could be that drivers may not expect an emergency landing and I could have been hit.”
The microlight enthusiast had to make a split second decision and took his aircraft down on a lumpy field on the eastern side of the Brakfontein N2 off-ramp.
“As I landed the front wheel caught in a ditch and the plane lifted up and collapsed.”
Adlam said although the front wheel and front profile tube of his aircraft were damaged, he had escaped unharmed. – barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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