# Ever been in a car that's gone airborne? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 17, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-in-a-car-thats-gone-airborne/814344 "2018-05-17T12:47:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-in-a-car-thats-gone-airborne/814344/21 "2018-05-18T00:45:56Z")
I hit 2 deer at one time which caused me to miss a curve and I went over the shoulder and deep ditch and apparently was airborne for a minute before the car flipped over. When I came around I was hanging upside down from the lap belt. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital. I have no memory of my flight. I am going by what I was told. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-in-a-car-thats-gone-airborne/814344/22 "2018-05-18T02:04:27Z")
Yes, it’s a hazard of rallying. I used to think it was a blast, but the cars are well set up for it. Landing can be scary, because not only can you not be sure the suspension won’t break but also because if you weren’t straight on take-off, there is a possibility you will roll off the road. There’s potential for human damage, car damage, and nature damage or unintended human damage to those just passing by. If you want to do it right, get involved in rally or stadium trucks. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-in-a-car-thats-gone-airborne/814344/23 "2018-05-18T08:26:03Z")
I was talking to a state trooper once who referred to it as “that awful slience”. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-in-a-car-thats-gone-airborne/814344/24 "2018-05-18T09:24:54Z")
When I was a young and stupid teenager, I managed to get my mother’s Chevy Citation airborne. A Chevy Citation. Not a muscle car. Not a sports car. A Chevy Citation. A hatchback, even. Yes, I was driving way too fast, and yes, I was being stupid. That said, I didn’t ramp it intentionally. I just went over a hump/hill way too fast. All four wheels came off of the ground. The impact threw the transmission out of gear, the engine stalled, and I broke the front motor mount. I managed to limp the car home, and quickly changed the motor mount (had to ride my bicycle to go and get it). My mother never knew that I broke the car. In all honesty, I’m surprised there wasn’t more damage. I wasn’t hurt at all. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-in-a-car-thats-gone-airborne/814344/25 "2018-05-18T11:51:59Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Without a ramp, you would fall directly into the river. How far out would depend on how fast and how deep the embankment. If both embankments are the same height, then at best you would slam head on into the far embankment at high speed. So imagine the damage from just driving into a wall. If you just land in the water, depending on how deep it is, think about drowning. But your car will be flooded. Insurance will probably total it. I did that but on a small scale. There was a ford where the ramps into/out of the stream were about 2 feet high and the water about 6 inches deep. Approached it far too fast, flew off edge and landed in the middle of the stream. A load of water flew up onto the windscreen but it landed so hard that the stalk-mounted wipers came on automatically. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-in-a-car-thats-gone-airborne/814344.md?page=1)