Strange Incident

I was looking at random incident/accident reports and I found this.


** Report created 5/22/2009 Record 22 **


IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 440ES Make/Model: C172 Description: 172, P172, R172, Skyhawk, Hawk XP, Cutla
Date: 05/17/2009 Time: 2130

Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Minor

LOCATION
City: COLUMBUS State: OH Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT ON FINAL, REPORTED BEING STRUCK BY A GOLF BALL, COLUMBUS, OH

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER

FAA FSDO: COLUMBUS, OH (GL07) Entry date: 05/18/2009

Fore!

I gotta say, that is one helluva shot. Wonder if the plane was OB?

Not surprising - the aptly-named Airport Public Golf Course is less that 100 yards from the east end of 28L.

I played golf there all the time when I worked for FSI. Great place to watch airplanes from. And yes, always an idiot that tries to Tee one up on a landing airplane. Which isn’t that hard to do. And wake vorticities do weird things too a good drive. :angry:

Google maps link

Looking at the layout of that course, the only way a golf ball could come close to a plane would be for a righty to slice one off the tee on the hole that parallels the runway. I could see that happening, but one would think if a plane were landing, why would you tee it up and take that chance. Not to mention the distraction of the plane. Must have been intentional in my opinion. Still not a very smart place to put a golf course.

Springwater Airpark in Barrie, ON has a driving range right next to the runway. That’s aptly placed compared to a golf course.

Would that be a lateral hazard?

All better than a shooting range!

There’s probably less of a chance of being hit by a bullet from a shooting range than from a golf ball. Shooting ranges are intended for shooting at targets below or at eye level, and firing into the air is extremely dangerous. Golf balls, on the other hand, are intended to go into the air. And besides, there would probably be more responsible people at a shooting range than on a golf course. Everyone knows what a bullet would do to an airplane, while the dangers of the impact of a golf ball might not be as well understood.