Photo Shoot Model Struck by Aircraft Wing - Episode 215

Flight Safety Detectives

A photo shoot in a dry Nevada lakebed went horribly wrong when the wing of an airplane hit the model in the head. Miles O’Brien, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia discuss the June 2023 accident that involved an Aviate Husky plane.

The pilot, photographer and his wife, who was the model for the photo session, met early on the morning of the accident. On the fly, they planned a complex photo session involving the aircraft flying close to the model.

The pilot misjudged his approach and the wingtip of the aircraft struck the back of model's head and caused a serious injury. John compares this event to the 1982 fatal accident where actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed in a helicopter crash on the set of the Twilight Zone movie.

Todd shares the pilot's prior experience with similar photo sessions, and compares his approach to the much more structured approach that occurs in professional film and television productions.

Miles and John share personal experiences with risky decision making. For Miles, it was his decision to continue flying with low fuel and landing with little left in his tanks. For John, he recalled a flight over the Atlantic where he had concerns that aircraft would not make it to land, and how he had a sudden interest in the operation of the life raft!

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Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8