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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-uninjure

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-gets-tangled-in-power-lines-1.4700201 https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/pilot-uninjured-after-plane-get... And Florida 2021: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/09/24/florida-pilot-left-dangling-for-hours-when-plane-gets-caught-in-power-lines/ https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/09/24/florida-p... Ontario 1986: https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/32617 https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/32617 Power lines seem surprisingly good at catching small aircraft without shattering them.

hammock 3y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arresting_gear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arresting_gear
hypertexthero 3y ago
Also trees: https://abc7news.com/plane-crash-connecticut-small-plainville/2408546/ https://abc7news.com/plane-crash-connecticut-small-plainvill...
zoogeny 3y ago
It reminds me of flies being caught in spiderwebs.
monitron 3y ago
It happened in my neck of the woods (Maryland) a few years ago: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/27/plane-crash-power-lines-montgomery/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/27/plane-cra...
- iamtheworstdev 3y ago
  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.
dpedu 3y ago
I'd be very curious to see how similar the forces experienced by power lines are in wind storms vs catching a small aircraft.
dylan604 3y ago
Looks like someone thinking they're a navy pilot trying to hit the #2 wire
- kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 3y ago
  Somewhat related, but I quite enjoy Growler Jams on YouTube. Cool to listen to him explain carrier operations.
  - sokoloff 3y ago
    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.
duck 3y ago
They're also good at catching a moose: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/high-wire-act/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/high-wire-act/
silasdavis 3y ago
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?
- bombcar 3y ago
  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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr1Jl1jwLDg
  - lostlogin 3y ago
    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.
    - mauvehaus 3y ago
      For those who'd like to read more: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_156_Storch 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.
rob74 3y ago
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...

hammock 3y ago

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

hypertexthero 3y ago

Also trees: https://abc7news.com/plane-crash-connecticut-small-plainville/2408546/ https://abc7news.com/plane-crash-connecticut-small-plainvill...

zoogeny 3y ago

It reminds me of flies being caught in spiderwebs.

monitron 3y ago

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

iamtheworstdev 3y ago
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.

dpedu 3y ago

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

dylan604 3y ago

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

kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 3y ago
Somewhat related, but I quite enjoy Growler Jams on YouTube. Cool to listen to him explain carrier operations.
- sokoloff 3y ago
  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.

duck 3y ago

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

silasdavis 3y ago

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?

bombcar 3y ago
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr1Jl1jwLDg
- lostlogin 3y ago
  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.
  - mauvehaus 3y ago
    For those who'd like to read more: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieseler_Fi_156_Storch 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.

rob74 3y ago

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...