Gliding Experience Helps

To all of my flying friends,



Glider Training is what seamlessly enabled me to switch gears and take this
event in stride on this one. A guardian angel might have helped as well.

I was talking to Detroit Metro tower, circling over a densely populated site
8 miles east of Detroit Metro (DTW) airport in a borrowed airplane when the
engine started to run rough. After application of carburetor heat, the
engine ran slightly better, then rough again. Full throttle and mixture
were applied to no effect. It was at that time that I announced to the
Metro tower cab that I was not able to maintain altitude and was going to
have to "set it down". They gave me the wind data and said they would
inform emergency services about the situation. I was only 1500 feet above
the ground and because the Cessna 152 has at a glide ratio of 7:1 which
yields 2 miles in range and 90 seconds to touchdown although the engine was
intermittently producing some power which helped to extend my glide
somewhat. In my view to the South West were several options: 1st a school
yard, too small and what about the kids? 2nd and further away was an
industrial area with a snow covered field. Snow covered fields may look good
from afar but what lurks beneath? Nonetheless that was my goal with I-75
below me along the way i traveled Southwest bound with the vehicular
traffic, and into the wind. Aware that I wouldn't make the 2nd option I
concentrated on I-75. Over the freeway I settled earthward, lower and lower
until I became aware of huge power transmission lines paralleling my flight
path, the tops of which were now at my altitude, and 50 yards to my right.
Also prominent in view were the tops of cars and trucks but more
importantly, open areas of concrete looming closer below. Since my airspeed
was roughly equal to the speed of the moving traffic I was able to adjust my
relative position for and aft pushing and pulling on the yoke to drop into
an opening between the vehicles and eventually settled down onto the
pavement in the flair between the cars. I was careful to let the Cessna
roll as far as I could so that the traffic behind could avoid hitting me.
The Engine had stopped some time ago.

I got lucky because there was not a scratch on the aircraft, nor any fender
benders in any of the 6 miles of traffic which had eventually accumulated
behind me.



After getting out of the aircraft the first eye contact I made with and
individual was a woman passing by in a sport utility vehicle flipping me
off! To her I say, in the words of Steve Martin, "Well Excuse Me!!!"

My first task was to push the aircraft back to the side of the freeway which
allowed a lane of traffic to flow. I then called the owner of the aircraft
to inform them of the situation. Next was a call to the Detroit Metro tower
staff and I talked Angelina to let those people know that I got down safe
and sound. Then I called the FAA where I got into voice mail but it turned
out that he was trying to call me so we connected and by then blue-suits
from 5 different agency's arrived which was reassuring because not a single
vehicle driving by bothered to stop and check if I needed any help. And that
was a lot of cars. The cops gave me a breathalyzer test which was fun but it
was so cold out I had to try 10 times before it worked. By then I was sober
right? The FAA wanted to make sure that there was fuel in the aircraft so
they had the police check the gauges which confirmed that they were full to
the brim and I was off the hook so it was ok to move the aircraft.

We actually got the airplane onto a standard automotive flatbed truck and
hauled it down the freeway and Westbound to Metro airport and what a parade
it was. People anticipated our passing with cameras in large groups the
entire route. We had an escort of 6 police cars ahead and at least as many
behind, lights flashing for the 8 mile ride which too an hour and a half at
5 miles per hour. So the Cessna sits in a hanger metro waiting for the FAA
to look at it and perhaps discover some information which might help to
prevent this kind of an event from happening again.



Best Regards,

John Sullivan















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