Not so light relief

[Brian Abraham]

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A Cessna Citation 550 cleared a piston single taildragger by only 15 feet while the jet was taking off last week from Caruaru Airport, a non-tower airfield in northeastern Brazil. The jet lifted off early to avoid the single-engine airplane, which was landing from the opposite direction. (Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo published a dramatic series of photos of the near collision.) The Citation was carrying two pilots and six musicians on tour, and although owned by charter firm Abaeté Táxi Aéreo, it is not licensed for charter use. According to Folha, Abaeté owner Jorge Mello claimed the airplane was being loaned for trial before a possible purchase. The taildragger lacked a radio, and its nose-up attitude during landing blocked the view of the runway ahead, while the runway’s inclination blocked the jet crew’s view.

[con-pilot]

Got only one thing to say about that, Oh My God.

The only incident I ever had that was close to that was landing at a non-radar environment small airport in the Southeast United States.

The weather was around 3-500 OVC and probably one mile visibility. I had to shoot an ILS. Just after we landed I noticed a single engine light aircraft taxi in behind us, so quick after we had landed I thought that he had taxied from one of the hangar areas.

Turns out no, he had landed just behind us. I overheard him tell the service agent that he and his wife were scud running VFR and when he ran into the lowering weather conditions, he just climbed up into the clouds, and shot the ILS.

In other words, I had passed him somewhere on the ILS while we both were shooting the approach, while IMC. If he had been a good instrument pilot, we would have hit him.

Yes, I had words with him. He was released from hospital in about a week.

No, I did not beat the crap out of him, didn't even touch him, but I was sorely tempted.