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sandworm101

Such things happen more often than people like to think. The image from this 2019 incident is almost unbelievable.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/pilot-uninjured-after-plane-get...

And Florida 2021:

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/09/24/florida-p...

Ontario 1986:

https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/32617

Power lines seem surprisingly good at catching small aircraft without shattering them.

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Also trees: https://abc7news.com/plane-crash-connecticut-small-plainvill...

It happened in my neck of the woods (Maryland) a few years ago: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/27/plane-cra...

it happened by a guy who had literally previously done it and i think at that same airport. i hope they took his license after that last one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arresting_gear

It reminds me of flies being caught in spiderwebs.

Looks like someone thinking they're a navy pilot trying to hit the #2 wire

Somewhat related, but I quite enjoy Growler Jams on YouTube. Cool to listen to him explain carrier operations.

You might also enjoy Ward Carroll (older-timer, talks a lot about F-14 ops). Way less in-cockpit footage than Growler Jams, of course.

That probably has something to do with the elasticity of the power lines (also that there is always some amount of slack in them), which however does not apply to a radio mast as in the article. The odds of the propeller entangling itself with the mast in just the right way to keep the airplane hooked, without destroying the mast, and staying that way until the pilot was rescued, are probably much smaller...

They're also good at catching a moose: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/high-wire-act/

I'd be very curious to see how similar the forces experienced by power lines are in wind storms vs catching a small aircraft.

How slow can a light aircraft go if pulling up heavily into a stall? Are they only going a few kmh when snagged like that?

Depends on the plane, but something like 40-50 mph isn't uncommon, even slower if there's a headwind (relative to the ground) or they have a STOL kit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr1Jl1jwLDg

The WW2 Stork was like that - and I’m sure I’ve read of it flying backwards in a head wind, but can’t find that now.

For those who'd like to read more:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_156_Storch

The Collings Foundation of Stow, MA has (had?) one that they used to fly. I don't know if they still do though.

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