The Headlines Read: Plane Goes Down Near Dothan Airport

While today had all the makings for a routine flight training day--the morning briefing officer predicted beautiful weather, assigned us an airplane, and my stick buddy was set to fly first before we would hot-swap so that I could get my time--then we walked outside and things started to change almost immediately.

With only a small difference in temperature and dew point, and nearly calm winds, we had all the makings for ground fog, which began to form as we walked out to pre-flight our airplane. We had just unbuttoned the airplane when the maintenance guys informed us we need to fly a different airplane due to an overnight maintenance problem. As we walk to the newly assigned tail number we notice that a group of workers are busy cleaning up a fuel leak, and have a bucket under the wing catching the still-dripping jet fuel. Seems they needed this airplane flown to burn off the fuel so they can change out a faulty check valve. No big deal. We finished our pre-flight inspection and went into the hangar to use the facilities before taking off for the first portion of the flight. While inside, we also filed an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan so that we could take off legally in the marginal weather.

The first round was uneventful as my stick buddy flew an ILS instrument approach while the fog burned off. Since landings are the most difficult maneuver to master, he then began doing a number of landings in different configurations: normal flaps full, flaps approach, no flaps, single-engine, go-arounds, and touch-and-goes. There was also a crop duster working near the approach end of the airfield that we needed to keep an eye on.

We swapped seats and I finally had my chance to fly after the long Columbus Day weekend. I too shot an ILS approach before doing some traffic pattern work and landings. On my second traffic pattern things began to get hectic, as a small Cessna had taken off for the south. He hadn't gone very far when he called the Dothan tower reporting an emergency and was turning back to the airfield. We were in the downwind leg of the traffic pattern when the tower advised us of the plane's position and situation, and we saw the plane on final well short of the runway. He barely made it over the wood line before beginning his flare, making a perfect landing in a cotton field a half-mile short of the runway. As we flew over his position on final approach we saw that two occupants were out and safe, and that there was no post-incident fire. Emergency vehicles quickly arrived and all was well.

That is as close to an aircraft mishap that I care to come.