Pilot: it’s a mircale we survived
Published: August 27, 2003
Richard Murray (57) was flying his six-passenger Beechcraft Baron twin-propelled airplane accompanied by his wife Ruthann (57), their son Matt (30), and their two dogs. They were flying back home from a stay at their cotage. 40 km. from Kingston Airport, where they planned to refuel, the right engine failed and fuel pressure dropped. The engine restarted shortly only to give up again. Richard would have to land on one engine.
As the plane, just 60 metres in the air, hurtled toward the ground at 100 knots, a huge gust of wind pushed the nose upwards and caused the aircraft to nearly stall and then descend.
Murray, who has been flying for five years, was able to push the nose back down to allow the plane to pick up speed.
Again, he tried to align the aircraft to land on the runway.
A second gust of wind struck the plane, but once again the pilot managed to line up the 38-year-old Beechcraft for a landing at the fast-approaching airport.
Then a third gust buffeted the aircraft – and it was too late. At nearly 160 kilometres an hour, the right wingtip slammed into the ground, sending the plane cartwheeling on its wings.
The aircraft skidded to a stop on its belly in grass about 200 metres north of the runway.
Moments later the firecrew and stunned paramedics arrived, amazed to find everyone, up to and including the dogs, uninjured.
Richard attributes the miracle to his pilot’s training and the grace of God.
“I know my wife was praying in the back of the plane and everyone was calm,” he said. “We are Christians and we were all prepared at any moment to depart [this world].
“We are all aware that we have a lot to be thankful for.”
“Everything around us was disintegrating and here we were in this cocoon where we were all preserved safely”
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