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Tom McNerney wrote:
So, if only the tail and tail cone were damaged.. Wouldn't that mean he saved the airplane in the last possible second, bouncing the tail on the runway and then going around? I doubt that that is what happened. I heard about the gear up 3rd hand before I saw the press release and there was no mention of a go-around and there was a mention of needing a new prop. You should keep in mind that the press release and the AvWeb article said that the tail was damaged -- they did not say that that was the only thing that was damaged. Even if it was, on many aircraft you can land gear up, or gear partially down, with virtually no damage to the airframe. Older Mooney aircraft have an after-market single piece belly that also incorporates skid plates that prevent damage to the airframe in the event of a gear up landing.
Addressing you hypothetical scenario:
I mean, sucks the gear wasn't down to start with, but saving the airplane that late is worth something. A very large percentage of pilots that die in airplane accidents do so because they tried to save the airplane. Pulling up the nose hard while adding power close to ground in a panic situation, what could possibly go wrong? The hypothetical pilot in your hypothetical scenario needs to be rebuked, not commended.
Regards,
Hamid
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