Swamped

Don Taylor had a bad practice day at the Senior Nationals at Seminole Lake Gliderport in Florida yesterday, but fortunately he was not injured. According to Charlie Spratt's report:

All of us are in terror as people began to run toward the last sighting. Suddenly on 123.3 Don’s voice comes over loud and clear “I am down and OK not even a scratch!” We all finally take a breath of relief and began to try and find him.

Don has crashed into the swamp behind some of the airport houses at the north end of the runway. The wings are shredded but the fuselage is undamaged, coming to rest in a cypress with an unbroken canopy some 5 feet above the swamp. Don was able to get out of the glider after once again radioing the gate telling everyone he was OK. By this time someone has called 911 and we can hear the sirens coming toward us.

Several pilots and crews slog through the swamp to get to Don, but he had already walked out.