Just looked at the photo sequence at the link up this thread, assuming they're in order the 5th photo shows the tail wheel protector almost touching the grass, then photos 6 and 7 show it somewhat further above the grass and the aircraft at a much steeper pitch attitude.
So, the question is, would an u/c malfunction cause all 3 wheels to stay retracted as shown, I thought that perhaps the tail wheel would extend even if the mains did not. And, if this was due to forgetting to lower the u/c, would the pilot not sense that the wheels had not contacted the grass and see an unnaturally different view from the cockpit before anything hit the ground, leaving time to then pour on the coals to climb away? I suppose there is always the risk of stalling at a higher altitude and having a far worse crash in this case, so a decision would again be needed to choose between embarrassment or worse.
Puzzling....
Last edited by Feathers McGraw; 6th Jul 2011 at 17:02.
Reason: Correct phraseology to adjust the meaning