I was watching flight operations at Thun Field (Pierce County Airport KPLU – Pierce County Washington USA) May 1 at about 15:30 PDT. I had been watching two Cessna pilots prepare their aircraft for flight. It was apparent they were planning to fly together. I was standing at the fuel dock about mid- runway.
The first plane took off on runway 34 (3600’ x 60’) followed 20 seconds later by the second Cessna. It was clear and calm, about 72° Fahrenheit. As the 2nd plane climbed through 100 feet I heard a distinct “clunk” and saw the Cessna level out. At that point the plane was still over the north end of the runway at about 150’.
Then the pilot tried to return to the runway. He banked 40 degrees left, let the nose drop and then completed a 240° turn while rapidly descending. The last I saw of the plane was as it disappeared behind the hangers to my north. I then saw a wing pointed straight up, a cloud of dust, and the vertical stabilizer flash over the top of the low hangar.
I rushed to the crash site and found the Cessna on it’s back facing NW. A few seconds later the pilot climbed out of the cabin and walked toward the half dozen spectators. He was apparently uninjured.
The reason the pilot escaped injury was that the left wingtip had impacted on a porta-pot (Sanican, Honeybucket, portable toilet) and caused the plane to cartwheel. The fortunate thing for the pilot was the area was filled with hundreds of the plastic porta-pots and the plane landed upside down on them and crushed quite a few of them, each acting as a shock absorber. Eventually the plane came to rest with the nose on a porta-pot and the fuselage on a 6’ high pile of soft wood chips.
Here is a link to pictures of the porta-pot landing.
Seattle, WA News Channel - News in Seattle, Washington and the Pacific Northwest - KIRO