The FAA is investigating the collision between a piloted 35 percent scale replica of a B-29 with a golf cart at Glenndale Airport near Kokomo, Indiana, that sent a woman to the hospital on Sunday. Howard County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement the woman was at the side of the runway at the small airport shooting video of the homebuilt aircraft from a golf cart. “As the plane came down for a landing, the plane drifted and struck the golf cart causing it to roll over, knocking the sole occupant unconscious,” the statement said. The woman was airlifted to the hospital and her condition wasn’t known.
The aircraft involved is a reproduction of a B-29 and is powered by four Honda Fit automotive engines with belt reduction drives to the props. At 35 percent scale, it’s about 35 feet long with a wingspan of almost 50 feet. The aircraft was built from scratch over the past few years by Tom Hodgson. Hodgson was flying the aircraft, according to local media reports. Videos on YouTube have documented the construction process, which involved some unique processes using composites.
An earlier story identified the pilot by his full name but he goes by Tom Hodgson.
WOW! That airplane is amazing. What a fantastic build from this gentleman, can’t believe he fabricated that aircraft. I will add Mr. Hodgson my very short list of people I’d like to meet before I go.
Fingers crossed for the injured woman and hopefully she has recovered.
Holy Smoke! Undamnbelievable, his B29! Cannot imagine that level of commitment to a project like that. And how much money must be invested. And sorry about the accident. Hope she is quickly ok.
Why was the woman so close to the edge of the runway? Hopefully she recovers and the plane is repairable
Probably forgot the camera had a zoom function. 😉
Sorry she got hurt. However, a runway is a dangerous operating environment. Bystanders need to remember that things happen. Ask any sideline photographer at a football game.
What damage resulted to the aircraft?
My family and I lived in Kokomo for 4 years while I was a flight surgeon at Grissom AFB. I did much flying out of Glenndale airport. It is located on the southwest side of the city. It is a 2,000 ft grass strip. The south end has a typical approximate 4 ft-tall “farm” fence structure. The north side of the field has another of the same fences BUT probably 100 ft north of that are a couple of telephone? lines. If you are landing to the south at night with no moon, you have to concentrate on clearing the red light that is on top of one of the two telephone poles and then drop into land. That raises your blood pressure. Equally taking off anytime to the north requires you to climb above the wires. The right side of the sequence of the telephone poles moves further away from the end of the field. As you took off, you would put in a gentle bank to the right to gain advantage! Anyway, the field itself is very narrow. I and my instructor flew my Piper Seneca in and out of that field one time. Very light, no passengers, not a great deal of fuel. There was not a lot of room on either side of the strip with the wingspan of the Seneca at 39 ft. Another 11 ft makes me that much more uncomfortable. If you could land without any side drift at all, you might be alright with that aircraft. If not………
Would love to see an update on the woman and the plane when available.