Beaver Twist at end of runway (photo)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

At about 3:45 a.m Sat. 1/26/08 5 young guys (18-20 years) were checking out the strip conditions on the local runway in Ocala, Florida, perhaps after watching one of the recent Top Gear shows on BBC America on their DirecTv, like I did.

Well, without filing a flight plan, they decided to drive a 2008 BMW along said private runway at Jumbolair Aviation Estates, (one home of John Travolta) at high speed. Either they did not know the length of the runway or see its end or were trying the Top Gear stunt of trying to see how close to the end of the runway they could stop. In any event the $75,000 car sailed off the end of the runway which is 85 feet above the surrounding ground, and flew into the trunk and/or big branch of a very large oak tree.

The car disintegrated and all 5 occupants died. The linked Ocala Banner article shows a picture of Auxiliary Highway Officer Lt. Beaver Twist inspecting the scene.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20080126/BREAKING_NEWS/30775910/1368/googlesitemapnews

2

I almost posted that yesterday. You know, I was 18 once. But I wasn’t that stupid.

3

So, were the last thoughts of the passengers “Whee!” or “Oh SHIT!!!” I wonder? :frowning:

4

It’s a shame about the car.

5

She then added, “On the upside, the average IQ of the North Marion community has just jumped by about 3 points.”

6

And their families.

7

I thought this was about some swimsuit/bikini model losinger her thong on the fashion runway! Shows where MY mind is at!

8

Almost as hard as that car hitting the tree.

9

I’m sorry. It was a bit of a teaser. I thought it would get more hits that way, like the camel foot one did a few months ago. That got almost 6000 hits in a couple of hours. but not on Sunday a.m. This one got 6 comments with only 4 hits - how can that be (more posts than views)?

Anyway, the runway can be seen at
http://www.jumbolair.com/Aviation%20Estates.htm

10

I thought he same thing. You’re not alone. I was reading the OP thinking, “ok, when do we get to the chick who flashed her beaver?”

As to the OP – hooray for natural selection.

11

Or maybe they didn’t realize that BMW now discounts the theory that their logo is based on an aircraft propellor

12

Beaver Twist…it would be an awkward name to go through life with.

Regarding the OP, I can remember being young and stupid. I can take you to a couple of places where I almost died in a tragic accident. It’s amazing I’ve lived for forty-five years, three years more than my old man, though.

13

Is the tree ok?

14

Hm. the first thing I thought of when I saw the title was the crash of a DHC-2. Shows where my mind is.

15

I for one, frequently post before reading. Often before thinking even…

16

I chuckled as I read the photo caption out loud to my husband, and voiced the same pity for the poor guy tagged with that name. My husband said, “That’s not his name, that’s his reputation…” So perhaps the good Lieutenant made out okay with that name.

17

How many runways in the U.S. end at an 85-foot cliff? That seems almost as dangerous for small planes as it is for cars.

18

I don’t know; but there’s a cliff off the end of LAX. Very convenient, as aircraft are allowed to pass through LAX airspace offshore at 100 feet or below. (And, I haven’t been there but there’s a bit of a drop at each end of the airport on Catalina Island.)

Of course generally aircraft operate out of airfields out of which they can operate. A cliff doesn’t make any difference when you’re flying over it. (At least in an aircraft. Cars are a bit more problematic.)

19

From the headline of the article

Booze, students, powerful car, airfield, cliff - it was never likely to end well, I suppose.

20

[Gary Larson]

Trouble brewing

[/GL]