Google:
"Max McVicker" and you'll discover his 15 minutes of fame, so far.
I say "so far" because I think Max is going to go a long way in life and earn far more than 15 minutes of fame, and it won't be from crashing into, not one but two deer at 142.8 miles per hour, skidding off the runway, and bursting into flames! Except for that part, it must have been really fun to pilot the private jet
of the owner of the Dallas Cowboys! Wow, do we get to meet the cheer leaders? At Love Field? (no kidding - that's the name of the airfield in Dallas, Texas, from where Max took off). Max was hurt bad and would have died for sure if not for several pilots running over with fire extinguishers.
It was a honor to meet Max and see the Learjet that afternoon. It would not have happened if I was not flying my crazy home made gas turbine jet powered ultralight. How cool can this get?
October 19th 2006 I received an eMail (because of this page here) from THE Troy firefighter who entered the burning plane and rescued the pilot, Mr. Eddie Collins! He said he'll never forget that day. I'll ask him if I can publish here his name and contact info. Me - I'm looking for the couple who pulled me out of the Oakland-Alameda Estuary and revived me from drowning around 1960. I'd love to say to them: "Thanks for saving my life!".... you know? And ask what all they remember from that day - I bet a lot of things I don't remember since I was passed out and under water for an unknown time with no one around - excpet them.
Uh, back-to-the-bag, as Bill would say. -- I received the OK from Jeff to publish his contact info here - with the hope that Ed or Max will get back to him or me. Jeff says:
Jeffery Berry ( jefbry at hotmail dot com )
Subject: How is Eddie Collins?
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 20:29:05 -0700
"Yes you can use my email and name.
I did receive a football and a letter thanking me
from Jerry Jones after the accident happened.
I just wandered how they were both doing now.
Thanks Jeff ".
Monday, January 15, 2001
2 survive crash after plane hits deer at Troy field By WILLIAM THORNTON The Birmingham (AL) News
TROY - A Learjet belonging to Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones struck two deer and then burst into flames while landing at the Troy Regional Airport Sunday.
Pilot Eddie Collins, 51, of Jacksonville, Ark., and co-pilot Max McVicker, 31, of Irving, Tex., were in stable condition at University Hospital Sunday night after being airlifted from Edge Regional Medical Center in Troy.
They are being treated for orthopedic injuries. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were to be in Troy today investigating the crash.
The plane attempted to land at the Troy airport around 11 a.m., when it struck two deer and crashed at the edge of the runway, according to Troy police. The deer, which darted out in front of the plane's intended landing space, were killed on impact.
Collins and McVicker were the only people on board. Flames immediately broke out after the crash.
Several pilots on the ground kept the two men from perishing, said Dr. Mark Griffin, who treated the victims at the Troy hospital.
"Those guys would have burned alive if three or four guys hadn't acted quickly," Griffin said. "And I mean with hand held fire extinguishers to keep the flames out of the cockpit. There is no way they would have survived."
As it was, neither man suffered burns, he said. It took rescue workers approximately 40 minutes to remove Collins from the wrecked plane and transport him to the hospital.
Jones said in a prepared statement Sunday that rescuers' "reactions and efforts were a blessing."
The plane was picking up Jones' son, Stephen, and several other employees of the Cowboys' organization, said Benny Scarborough, public information officer for the Troy police.
"They were in town on business," Scarborough said.
According to an unconfirmed Associated Press report, the jet was to pick up guests from a visit to country music star Hank Williams Jr., who had a home in the area and still comes for hunting trips.
Williams has ties to professional football by his "Are You Ready For Some Football?" opening of ABC's Monday Night Football since 1989.
Efforts to contact a spokesman for Williams were unsuccessful.
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Monday, January 15
One pilot in critical condition after fiery crash
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Associated Press
TROY, Ala. -- A Learjet owned by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones crashed and burned on landing, injuring the pilot and co-pilot and striking two deer.
The two pilots were the only people aboard Sunday and were airlifted to University Hospital in Birmingham.
A hospital spokeswoman, Joy Carter, said Monday that Max McVicker, 31, of Irving, Texas, remained in critical condition, while Eddie Collins, 51, of Jacksonville, Ark., was upgraded to fair condition.
"There was a heroic effort involved by other pilots and ground personnel at the airport that was critical in saving the lives of these two men," Jones said. "Their reactions and efforts were a blessing."
Dr. Mark Griffin, who treated the pilots in the local emergency room, said the rescuers had used hand-held fire extinguishers and entered the flaming jet.
Dallas Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the jet had been sent to pick up Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones, who is also the owner's son, and two other members of the organization who were in Alabama on business.
Stephen Jones arrived at the Troy Regional Airport as rescuers were pulling the men from the plane.
The accident happened about 11 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration in Atlanta. Dalrymple said the jet had substantial damage.
The 1994 Lear 60, which has a Cowboys helmet painted on the tail, slid off the end of the 5,000-foot runway after striking the deer, flipped and broke on an embankment. The plane then began to burn.
Kenny Campbell, a Troy businessman, and another man, pulled the pilots out.
Jerry Jones said this was the second time in a month that the jet has struck a deer while landing. He and his son were on board in Parsons, Kan., when the jet hit a deer. No one was hurt, but the collision caused extensive damage to the plane. The plane was repaired and returned to service.
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HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On January 14, 2001, at 1345 central standard time, a Learjet LJ-60, N1DC, collided with two deer during landing and ran off the end of runway 7 at the Troy Municipal Airport, Troy, Alabama. The airplane was registered to and operated by Ark-Air Flight Inc. The business flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan was filed. The Airline Transport pilot (ATP) and ATP rated first officer received serious injuries, and the airplane was destroyedand there was a post-impact fire. The flight originated from Love Field in Dallas, Texas, at 1030 on January 14, 2001.
According to witnesses, the airplane collided with the deer shortly after touchdown and continued down the runway with the tires smoking, and veered off the right side of the runway near the end, crossed a taxiway, and impacted into a ditch and burst into flames. Local rescuers were able to extricate the crew before the fire engulfed the cockpit. According to the pilots, the thrust reversers failed to operate when engaged.
PILOT INFORMATION
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ATP privileges for airplane multiengine land, with type ratings in the Learjet LJ-60. He also held commercial pilot privileges for airplane single engine land, and was a certified flight instructor for airplane single and multiengine instrument airplanes. The pilot reported 20,750 total civilian hours on his most recent second class medical certificate, dated June 5, 2000, with no waivers or limitations. The pilot's most recent biennial flight review was in May of 2000, in the Learjet LJ-35.
The first officer held an ATP certificate with privileges for airplane multiengine land. He also held commercial pilot privileges for airplane single engine land, and was a certified flight instructor for airplane single and multiengine instrument airplanes. The first officer reported 3,500 hours total flight time in all aircraft with 750 hours in the LJ-60. The first officers most recent first class medical certificate was dated February 7, 2000, with no waivers or limitations. The first officers most recent biennial flight review was dated May of 2000, in the LJ-60.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The Learjet LJ-60, S/N 60-035, N1DC, was manufactured in 1994. FAA records show the airplane was registered to Ark-Air Inc., on June 12, 1997. The maintenance records revealed the airplane was on a manufacturer's inspection program and was last inspected on August 8, 2000. The airplane had accumulated a total time of 2,088 hours at the time of the accident, including 241 hours since its last inspection.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
Visual Flight Rule conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, with visibility at 10 statute miles, ceiling at 8000 feet above ground level, temperature 16 degrees Celsius, dew point 8 degrees Celsius, wind 170 degrees at 8 knots and altimeter 30.19 inches of mercury.
WRECKAGE EXAMINATION
Heavy black skid marks were noted beginning at the first taxiway turnoff about 1500 feet down the 5,010 foot runway. Two fragmented deer carcasses were found several hundred feet after impact. The skid marks continued for about 2,500 feet and departed the right side of the runway near the Instrument Landing System shack at the end of the runway and proceeded an additional 500 feet over grass and dirt. The airplane was found resting on its left side down an embankment. The cockpit section of the fuselage was crushed upward into the crew seats. The fuselage aft of the cockpit was consumed by the post crash-fire. Examination of the landing gear found all three gear collapsed and deer fur was found lodged in the squat switch on the left main landing gear. The right and left main tires had areas of rubber that were worn completely through. The flaps were found extended, and both thrust reverser’s were found in the stowed position. Examination of the cockpit found the throttles in idle, and the thrust reverser levers in the stowed position.
MEDICAL/PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Both pilots were hospitalized with serious injuries. There was no toxicology analysis conducted.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
With an estimated empty weight of 15,800 pounds and estimated fuel of 1,100 pounds, it was calculated that the airplane traveled 1500 feet down the runway after touchdown in 4.2 seconds before striking the deer, the performance group at Learjet using the weather reported at Troy, Alabama (variable winds and temperature at 14 degrees Celsius) the airplane landed with a ground speed of 124 knots. At 124 knots and maximum braking applied, the airplane should have come to a complete stop in about 850 feet.
A sound spectrum study was conducted using the Cockpit Voice Recorder as the source of the sound. The study was conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorders Division. The study revealed that the engines fan speed increased from 8727.5 (82.3 percent) rpm to 9590 (90.4 percent) rpm between 11 seconds after touchdown and 18.2 seconds after touchdown. This increase in fan speed does not achieve the calculated takeoff N1, however, this engine speed is higher than achievable on a reverse thrust schedule. According to Pratt and Whitney of Canada, N1 is governed during reverse operations. The governing limit varies, and is based on ambient conditions and the airspeed. At 100 knots or greater, the maximum governing limit for N1 should be about 85.2 percent (according to Bombardier Aerospace) instead of the 90 percent found on the engines 20.4 seconds after landing.
Normal operating procedures include deploying the thrust reversers within 4 to 6 seconds after landing. Pilots deploy thrust reversers (T/R) by raising piggyback levers located in the cockpit with the throttles. With the loss of the squat switch on the left main landing gear, the T/R relay box deenergized the deploy solenoid and the T/R's go to the stow position. The electronic engine control (EEC) commands the engine speed to go to idle. As the T/R's complete the stow cycle, the unlock switches open, signaling the T/R relay box to remove the discrete signals. The EEC's switch to the forward thrust schedule and within 2.6 seconds estimated, and if the piggybacks remain at the max reverse position the engines rpm begins to increase to near takeoff power.
The airplane was released to the owners representative USAIG 2635 Century Parkway Suite 120, Atlanta, Ga. 30345.
since IPO.
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