Bear attack on plane 2009 Gutsy repairs

[blanston12]

A buddy sent me this in an email: Enjoy

Checked the registration - - '58 Piper PA18A-150. Registered 2003 to owner in Anchorage, AK.

Apparently a bear attacked his plane while parked in a remote field up
here in AK. He had not cleaned out the inside after a long fishing
trip and the bear smelled it.

He had 2 new tires, 3 cases of Duct Tape and several rolls of
cellophane delivered. Then went about repairing the plane so he could
fly it home.

Gutsy to say the least.

[Garry Russell]

Bad as it looks.the main structure seems to be OK.....ish

Thanks for that Joe....something a bit different

Gary

[Chris Trott]

I'd tend to agree with Garry's evaluation. It looks like beside the right horizontal stab that there was little other structural damage. As long as he did a satisfactory repair to that structure, even if temporary, then I see no problem with him getting a sign-off for a ferry permit (we'll assume that since the pictures are being posted that the flight was conducted legally with a ferry permit).

[forthbridge]

Brilliant!

Alaska eh?

Jonesey and Peter seem to have been wearing 'bearpaw' shoes, as they sabotage a bootlegging competitors' machine.....

[DaveB]

Do not mess with a hungry bear

Nice one Joe

ATB

DaveB

[airboatr]

maybe he was teaching the cub who was boss


good duct tape job ... that'd make Bob Villa proud

[jonesey2k]

I'm betting that much duck tape weighs quite a fair amount! The Mythbusters made a seaworthy boat out of the stuff and now somebody had repaired an aeroplane with it!

Brilliant!

Alaska eh?

Jonesey and Peter seem to have been wearing 'bearpaw' shoes, as they sabotage a bootlegging competitors' machine.....

That's a good idea but would be a lot less hassle to just put a .50BMG through the engine

[petermcleland]

An excellent job with the tape...I imagine he will now need to find a little firm that specialises in covering work. My Dad would have helped...He was a "Carpenter Rigger" by trade in the RAF

[Garry Russell]

Interesting ....lookslike you too Peter

Garry

[blanston12]

The tape would certianly effect the balance of the AC. I wish the after pictures would have shown the repair he did to the right elevator, but the repairs must have worked since he survived to post the photo's.

You don't want to mess around with bears, notice the rifle case strapped to the wing spars.