FAA Flight Standards District Office: SOUTH FLORIDA FSDO
DUE TO ENGINE DIFFICULTIES AIRCRAFT EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT MILES GRANT GOLF COURSE.
Date: 28-JAN-17
Time: 21:20:00Z
Regis#: N92500
Aircraft Make: PIPER
Aircraft Model: 28
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: UNKNOWN
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: MARTIN COUNTY
State: FLORIDA
STUART — A small airplane made an emergency landing Saturday afternoon on a golf course in Stuart, Martin County Sheriff's Office officials said.
Deputies got a call at 4:07 p.m. for the landing involving a single-engine plane at the Miles Grant Country Club in the 5100 block of Southeast Miles Grant Road, sheriff's spokeswoman Christine Christofek said.
Witness Ted Pasternack, 69, said he and his neighbors heard a loud bang, went outside and saw the plane headed directly toward the clubhouse. He saw the plane make a slight right turn and skid on the grass on the 10th hole near the clubhouse, right in front of the tee-off area.
"(The engine) must've backfired," he said. Christofek said there was no damage to the plane.
Nearly a half-dozen neighbors went to the scene after the plane landed, Pasternack said. No golfers were on the hole at the time, he said.
He said about two or three men were on the plane and all exited the plane when he got there.
Pasternack, who has lived on Miles Grant Road near the 14th fairway for four years, said he talked to the pilot and that he seemed quiet, somber and controlled.
"I think he did a great job of landing and saving everyone's lives. It could've been worse," Pasternack said.
No injuries were reported and it's unknown where the plane was coming from or going to, Christofek said.
Pat Tully, general manager for the country club, was inside the clubhouse with his staff preparing dinner for their residents when the incident happened. He didn't witness the landing, but said the plane was still sitting on the golf course in front of the dining room about 7 p.m.
"He did everything correctly and made a safe landing. It's amazing," Tully said. "I think our golfers do more damage on the golf course then he did."
Martin County Fire Rescue and the Federal Aviation Administration also were at the scene. The cause of the incident is under investigation by the FAA, Christofek said.
Source: http://www.tcpalm.com
Far from heroic, the pilot ran one fuel tank dry, the other was full. There was damage to leading edges of both wings (probably the bang that was heard) and the nose gear was bent and was replaced. Had the pilot followed proper fuel tank switching procedures he would have neither endangered his two passengers nor damaged the aircraft or golf course.
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