Flight To Joliet
The Tree That Caught an Airplane
During my flight training, I had two instructors. Both were excellent pilots who related well to their students. Each had served as a flight instructor in the Army Air Corps during World War II, teaching primary flight training to military cadets. Their knowledge and confidence were evident every time they climbed into an airplane.
One of my instructors walked with a pronounced stoop. Although his back was severely bent, he was highly respected by everyone at the airport. Naturally, many of us students wondered if his condition had something to do with flying. No one seemed to know the complete story, but there were plenty of rumors.
Years before, my instructor and his wife had accepted an invitation to fly with another pilot and his wife to a small, unfamiliar grass airstrip.
After their visit, the four of them climbed back into the airplane for the return flight. As the takeoff roll continued, the pilot became increasingly aware that the end of the runway was approaching much faster than expected. Beyond the runway stood a line of trees, and with every passing second they looked larger.
Finally, the pilot turned to my instructor and said, “I think maybe you should take over.”
I doubt those words came as a surprise. An experienced pilot can usually recognize a developing problem before it becomes an emergency. My instructor had undoubtedly been watching the situation unfold and was probably already considering the few options that remained.
There wasn’t much time.
The airplane had enough speed to lift off the ground, but not enough to climb safely away. Pulling back too soon would almost certainly result in a stall. Staying on the ground would carry the airplane into the trees at high speed.
My instructor chose a third option.
He realized the airplane did not have sufficient airspeed to climb safely over the trees. Instead, he made a remarkable decision. He would use the top of one of the trees as the safest landing area available. If he could place the airplane into the upper branches under control, the tree itself might absorb enough energy to save everyone on board.
Rather than forcing the airplane into a steep climb, he allowed it to gain just a little more speed before easing it into the air. The airplane climbed only enough to reach the tops of the trees.
Then, with remarkable precision, he settled the airplane into the upper branches of one of the trees.
The branches absorbed the airplane’s remaining energy and brought it gently to a stop. Remarkably, all four occupants escaped without a scratch.
My instructor helped everyone climb safely from the airplane. Then, as he started down himself, one foot shifted the weight on the airplane’s landing gear. He lost his balance and fell to the ground, breaking his back.
That injury explained the stooped posture we students had always noticed.
Over the years, I have thought about that flight many times. It taught me that experience, sound judgment, and calm decision-making can turn an impossible situation into a survivable one.
It also reminded me that what first appears to be an obstacle may become part of the solution.
On that day, one very lucky tree caught an airplane—and the four souls aboard—in mid-air.