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Developers Report
I have heard for years from persons, that don’t know the aviation world
and for that fact probably don’t care to know anymore about it,
“Those little planes are dangerous” or “I would never ride
in anything like that.” My standard answer to them is, “I
have never once been in any aircraft doing 55 mph that I had someone
pass within 10 ft of me going the opposite direction that could have been
drunk and a few probably were!”
Saying that brings me to this month’s story AND very glad to be able bring
it to you!! (Not the drunk part but the dangers of ground transportation.
FIRST HAND!)
My brother Bill Collom
has moved to Arkansas and will be taking care of office duties at Holley
Mountain Airpark for JoAnn and I. While helping him move a left-over load
of household items, just leaving Longview TX , we were entering onto US
259 and making a left turn at a traffic signal.
I
was proceeding thru the intersection as a Freightliner-semi
tractor/trailer rig blew thru the red light destroying my Chevy Avalanche.
As the light turned
green, Bill (pulling a small trailer behind his truck) had already cleared
the intersection only to watch the horror in his mirror as I – his brother
-- got hit.
 When I first saw the
semi-truck, he was within an estimated 15 to 20 feet of my driver’s door
and coming FAST! At that point is when the pilot training and many
years of flying kicked in…
Instead of applying the
brakes (which would probably have resulted in me being
rolled-over-and-over like being hit by a train), I used the only ground
evasive maneuver I had:
STOMP THE
ACCELERATOR (REMEMBER: get in trouble, ADD POWER!!) and try to
get off the bulls eye.
It worked. Though I
didn’t have room to get totally clear, the tactic saved my life.
Instead of plowing
directly into my left door and plowing through the cockpit area of the
truck, the Freightliner ended up hitting right behind the left passenger
door, shearing off my left rear axle & wheel assembly, dragging it with
him another 40 yards or so, under his truck, until he came to a stop.
The impact jerked me
backwards (HARD!!) and put me in a snap loop 270-degree flat spin! AND
Boy it Hurt!!! However, without that pilot evasive action quick reaction
which put the impact three-foot behind me, the hurt would have been sudden
and quick.
For their caring and
professionalism, I extend my best regards and a sincere thanks to
Longview’s Good Sheppard Hospital ER Staff and the Longview Fire
Department.
To all of us, remember
two things: The next time you hear someone say “I feel like I have been
hit by a Truck,” question the validity of their statement AND foremost
remember, IT’S SAFER TO FLY!
Jim Collom
501-745-8700
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