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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
Grumman Avenger ditching at Cocoa Beach
- Thread starter Priller
- Start date
Motormouse
SOH-CM-2025
Reasonably soft-ish landing, repairable I would expect if they are careful fishing it out of the oggin; unlike wot happened to that pby couple of years back.
Ttfn
Pete
Josh Patterson
SOH-CM-2023
At first I was wondering why they didn't use the tailhook to pull the plane out instead of wrapping the straps around the tail, then I remembered how the Grumman tailhooks of this era operated. It's pretty much flush with the rear of the plane with no power to extend it.
Mike71
SOH-CM-2026
Navy tail hooks are pretty much foolproof, designed to be available in the DOWN position anytime, by gravity. In the TBF, it was held up with a latch operated by a cable to the cockpit. A simple idea, been around for a LONG time. They probably did not want to fumble around in the semi - submerged cockpit trying to get to it.
heywooood
Mayor Emeritus of Taco City
I wondered why he went in the water rather than try the hard packed sand but figured he couldn't get the gear down. Possible it might have flipped if he had tried it.
The thing I was struck by when I first watched the video was how most people held up their phones to record the incident - before anyone moved to check on or assist the aviator.
The thing I was struck by when I first watched the video was how most people held up their phones to record the incident - before anyone moved to check on or assist the aviator.
It's what people do when there are accidents or even murders. They film it. Welcome to the 21st century. Even exalted, superior beings called aviators aren't immune to this century.
Priller
The beach was packed with people, so a beach landing was a no-go.
With the advent of cell phone cameras and social media, by-standers no longer assist or come to the aid of someone in trouble, they film it and hope to be the first to post it to their social media page.