Tom Taffel in Reeve Aleutian Airways'
"FAMOUS" Lockeed Electra L-188
You will be captivated by this phenomenal re-creation of my favorite turboprop: Lockheed's L-188 Electra . . . Tail: N1968R in one of history's most harrowing, and miraculous "saves."
These are my 35mm photos in the exact same aircraft - in flight - six weeks before this near-catastrophe.
BTW, I knew and flew with the same pilots - and they all smoked in the cockpit during two-hour and forty-five minute flight: ANC-DUT-ANC.
This a "must-see" (factual) reenactment of my favorite turbo-prop of all-time, the L-188, (Reeve Aleutian Airways') Lockheed Electra, N1968R - which I few many times from Dutch Harbor to Anchorage, and was always invited up to the cockpit and seated in the jump seat.
I'm seated a passenger seat, in the Captain's seat, (at the aircraft's maximum altitude, 25,000 feet), and in the cockpit's jump seat. Seated in the passenger compartment, you can faintly see the ill-fated Allison 501D-13 turboprop engine, [Allison Division, General Motors Corporation], seen at the top of my passenger's window. This is the engine which detached from the aircraft in 1983. In the background is snow-covered Anchorage Airport. Photographed from the cockpit jump seat is our approach to Anchorage International Airport.
Be sure to watch this true - miracle landing. The 45-minute documentary is absolutely riveting . . . . . . you won't believe your eyes!
"Rogue Propeller Causes Emergency Landing"
The Polaris Air Award, (the world's highest and rarest Civil Aviation award), was awarded to the aircrew of Reeve #8, in 1985. This is rarely - (and only), given to aircrews which have, successfully exhibited outstanding airmanship in the most dire of situations. This crew were the one and only aircrew in the entire world given this huge honor in all of 1985.
The L-188 Reeve Aleutian Electra N1968R was repaired and is still in service as a fire fighter. She will be 64 years old!
1983 June a Lockheed Electra N1968R, being operated by Reeve Aleutian Airway declared an inflight emergency. On Reeves flight #8 from Cold Bay to Seattle, the propeller on #4 engine broke off and tore through the bottom of the cabin causing cabin decompression. Most of the plane's control lines were severed. The autopilot was still working and the flight crew was able to steer the crippled plane back towards Alaska. The aircraft was about 700 miles from Anchorage and the captain decided to risk trying to make it to Anchorage.
The aircraft was critically low on fuel when it approached Anchorage for an emergency landing. The pilot did one fly by for a visual inspection by ground personal and on the first landing attempt, the plane was too fast, and he had to go around. Now low on fuel, this second attempt would be all or nothing. The landing was hard and he had no brakes but the captains shut off the remaining engines and engaged the auto stop switches for the remaining engines. The roll out used up most of the runway and the aircraft came to a stop in a ditch next to the runway. It was a magnificent flying job by the crew. All the passengers and crew escaped death and major injuries.
You can see the Reeve Aleutian Airways Lockheed Electra with its damaged engine, landing in Anchorage. (Local TV Newsreel Footage)
HISTORY: The Lockheed L-188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flown in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner built in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes that led to expensive modifications to fix a design defect, no more were ordered. With its unique high power-to-weight ratio, huge propellers and very short wings (resulting in the majority of the wingspan being enveloped in propwash), large Fowler flaps which significantly increased effective wing area when extended, and four-engined design, the airplane had airfield performance capabilities unmatched by many jet transport aircraft even today-particularly on short runways and high field elevations.
Tom Taffel
(415) 566-7673
www.TomsGroupCruises.com
Because some experiences in life are simply better when shared with others