I landed my beautiful RV4 in a cow pasture after engine failure Dec 2006. It flipped. Here are a few notes from my experience.
After the plane came to rest on it's back and I realized my son and I are okay (not a scratch on either of us hanging upside down in seatbelts), I noticed it was kind of dark. At the time I didn't know the forward momentum bent the roll bar and it sank in dirt a couple inches. There was only about 2 inches between the ground and the canopy skirt.
Dont release seat belt until you dig an escape hole. I released my seatbelts. Now I'm upside down on my shoulders trying to dig with my hands. Almost an impossible task.
Dont try to slither out the hole you just dug until the hole is big enough to get through.
I got my head and shoulders through the hole getting scratched up by broken plexi. I got stuck. I pushed very hard with my legs to force my way out. Broke a rib doing this and was very stuck now.
Tried to channel my inner Hulk. With my back already against the ground, I put my feet on the floor of the plane and tried to lift the plane. I didn't turn green, my muscles didn't bulge, the plane didn't move.
At the time I had a flip phone in my pants pocket. After intense squirming, I was able to get my flip phone out and dial 911 to tell them my predicament. They asked for my address. I told them I was in a cow pasture about 7 miles north of the airport.
While all this was going on, people in a near by subdivision seen the crash, called 911, rounded up a couple neighbors and came to my rescue. They lifted the tail, my son and I slid out from under the plane. I would not have gotten out with out help.
My son was 12 at the time. He unlatched his seat belt and was small enough to turn over to his hands and knees. He came out unhurt.
I now carry gloves, a glow stick and a multifunction survival tool all with in reach.
I tried to attach a picture of the bent roll bar. Maybe it will work.
The link to the accident report
Aviation Results
https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb....?queryId=99708b28-c8c6-4f98-b32d-84383efed2b6 in
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