Lucky escape: Plane almost lands on German sunbather
Amanda Hoh
Journalist

HELGOLAND: -- A man sunbathing on a German beach will be reconsidering his choice of location next time after a plane almost landed on top of him as it was approaching the neighbouring runway.

A video filmed by a fellow sunbather shows a small Piper PA-28-181 Archer 11 flying dangerously close over the man as it flew in from the coast of Dune beach in Helgoland, a tiny archipelago in northern Germany.

In the video, the man appears to look over his shoulder as the plane approaches before flinging his head down as the aircraft passes over him.

The back wheels of the plane appear to miss the man by centimetres.

Rainer Schmidt, who shot the video, said he watched five other planes land on the beachside airstrip before the incident.

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/lucky-escape-plane-almost-lands-on-german-sunbather-20140603-zrw11.html


-- The Age 2014-06-03

Whew, looked touch and go there for a second ...

In one unfilmed incident he was seen shaking his fist grumbling "My towel was here at 6am!".

Echoes of Catch 22.

Could have been very nasty.

That was close!!!!!!!

Don't you just hate it when you get sunbathers caught in the landing gear.

St Marteen airport approach is more impressive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpBmChT4KTs

Was this at Phuket?

I really wouldn't want to be near an aircraft that is landing. Your balls will be fried by the radar.

The approach was far to flat for the length of airstrip.

Both the pilot and the sunbather were lucky.

Any skidmarks?

Any skidmarks?

Not on the outside.....

The pilot seems to have had an even luckier escape. Its a miracle he missed "that there" perimiter fence (or whatever those posts are) by inches. Looks like possibly concrete pillers. But what ever they are .. even wood ... it would have been nasty.

That was a setup...designed to provoke...there was plenty of beach where the man could have rested...out of the line of danger...he needs to have his head examined...before it gets knocked off...

I really wouldn't want to be near an aircraft that is landing. Your balls will be fried by the radar.

When I worked as groundcrew we were told that it would take between 5 and 10 minutes stood in front of the radar before you exceeded a safe dosage.

The plane would have to be flying rather slowly.

Was this at Phuket?

Hahahahahahahahahahah!

Still want to blame Th.

Why dont people realize stupidity has no nationality?

Where did the pilot train and where is he from?

If this was done by a 3RD WORLD COUNTRY pilot, would it make a difference?

That was a setup...designed to provoke...there was plenty of beach where the man could have rested...out of the line of danger...he needs to have his head examined...before it gets knocked off...

Ah no, people lie on that beach all the time. And Heligoland is not an archipelago....

The guy should lose weight and then no problem.

I really wouldn't want to be near an aircraft that is landing. Your balls will be fried by the radar.

When I worked as groundcrew we were told that it would take between 5 and 10 minutes stood in front of the radar before you exceeded a safe dosage.

The plane would have to be flying rather slowly.

What... Radar on a light aircraft, more bs from people who have not a clue but need to spout off .

Well, one life down, 8 to go! :-)

Was this at Phuket?

Hahahahahahahahahahah!

Still want to blame Th.

Why dont people realize stupidity has no nationality?

Where did the pilot train and where is he from?

If this was done by a 3RD WORLD COUNTRY pilot, would it make a difference?

Mmm...quite a reaction. The reason why I asked was that, the thread was also linked in the Thai news section.

The pilot seems to have had an even luckier escape. Its a miracle he missed "that there" perimiter fence (or whatever those posts are) by inches. Looks like possibly concrete pillers. But what ever they are .. even wood ... it would have been nasty.

Actually it appears he didn't miss it as there is damage shown on the front cowling in the video.

Radar? I used to fly that same make and model and never seen a weather radar system on one due to size and low engine power. It is possible in larger high performance singles but not that one.

Odd that it should be in Thai news, unless they were simply aiming at the large number of holidaying Germans we have in the country.

The pilot was German by the look of his name (although may not have been, that is also true), and the incident took place in northern Germany.

Very obviously the pilot was far too low at that point in his approach, and narrowly missed the perimeter fence as well.

Mind you, I don't think that beachgoer will decide to pick a spot in line with the end of a runway again!

Was this at Phuket?

Hahahahahahahahahahah!

Still want to blame Th.

Why dont people realize stupidity has no nationality?

Where did the pilot train and where is he from?

If this was done by a 3RD WORLD COUNTRY pilot, would it make a difference?

Mmm...quite a reaction. The reason why I asked was that, the thread was also linked in the Thai news section.

I am sorry, I meant no offence.

Just that I would have 'misinterpreted' your question about an incident that obviously happened outside of TH.

Right at the end of the video, I think you can see one of the concrete posts cartwheeling (far side of the plane), suggesting that the plane wheels hit the wire and pulled out the post.

The pilot has already admitted to f**king up the landing. But who would sleep in such a place? And why would anyone go about videoing landings at this airstrip? Germans have weird ideas about holidays, it seems ...........

The bloke sunbathing is doing nothing wrong.

The pilot on the other hand needs a bloody good slap just to start.

Right at the end of the video, I think you can see one of the concrete posts cartwheeling (far side of the plane), suggesting that the plane wheels hit the wire and pulled out the post.

There was some damage to the aircraft as it clipped a pylon or two as can be seen in this capture.