Plane runs into Countach

[F1_Master]

From the article.

The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon man has sued over a traffic accident that involved an unlikely pair of vehicles — his Lamborghini and a small plane piloted by FBI agents.

The propeller from the Cessna airplane mangled the driver's side of the black Lamborghini that Marlowe Treit had given himself as a 60th birthday present in 1998.

Filed earlier this month, Treit's lawsuit against the U.S. government accuses the pilots of negligence in the May 2006 collision, and seeks $105,500 in damages.

According to federal court filings, the accident happened on a road that goes through the Aurora Airport — about 25 miles south of downtown Portland.

Two FBI agents, John Jeffries and Robert Brockmeyer, were co-piloting the plane, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's report on the incident.

One of the agents wrote in a report filed with the transportation safety board that the plane was "moving down the taxiway about to enter our hangar area, moving at about a fast walk and crossing a narrow inner taxiway perpendicular to us when the aircraft crunched to a sudden stop.

"Out the left side window of the aircraft I saw a small black sports car dart from under the prop moving to my left, gushing fluid," the unidentified agent wrote.

Treit, a licensed pilot who lives in Aurora and owns a business at the airport, claims he had the right of way and that the pilot should have seen him.

But the transportation safety board determined that Treit and the agents shared blame for the wreck. Investigators said both failed "to maintain an adequate visual lookout," which contributed to the wreck.

Treit was not injured, but his car hasn't been driven since.

A spokeswoman for the FBI's Portland field office declined to comment about the incident, citing the lawsuit.

Owner's Take + footage of the aftermath
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=1034545169

[Suka]

Ouch, the damage looks terrible.
If i was the owner i would have fallen to my knees and wept...

[Quiggs]

"I only drove it 200 miles in the eight years I owned it." makes me cry on the inside.

[Matra et Alpine]

Cars are a LOT more controllable than planes.
All this guys fault I don't care how many people were in the plane !!!!

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine

Cars are a LOT more controllable than planes.
All this guys fault I don't care how many people were in the plane !!!!

Are you sure?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZxSXWGK2jY

[Lagonda]

Why didn't he just step on the throttle? Seriously.

And it's sad that it he has only driven it for 200 miles during 8 years of ownership.

[fisetdavid26]

Originally Posted by Lagonda

Why didn't he just step on the throttle? Seriously.

He's 68, and look at those glasses. I don't think his reactions are optimal honestly. Ouch, that was a harsh comment.

It's a real shame the car was almost never used, maybe he just kept it in a showroom to brag about it or something...

[Lagonda]

Originally Posted by fisetdavid26

He's 68, and look at those glasses. I don't think his reactions are optimal honestly. Ouch, that was a harsh comment.

It's a real shame the car was almost never used, maybe he just kept it in a showroom to brag about it or something...

Sure but he was doing 5-8 mph. If you can't see everything around you at that speed you really shouldn't be driving anymore.

[fisetdavid26]

Originally Posted by Lagonda

Sure but he was doing 5-8 mph. If you can't see everything around you at that speed you really shouldn't be driving anymore.

I think you should watch, if not already done, the video Ferrer posted: seems like it's impossible to see anything out of this car!

[Ferrer]

Originally Posted by Lagonda

Sure but he was doing 5-8 mph. If you can't see everything around you at that speed you really shouldn't be driving anymore.

Again remember it's a Countach, a car which is pretty difficult to see out.

However if he is a lincensed pilot and does that in a car, I don't think I want to know what he can do in a plane...

[Dino Scuderia]

All I know is I don't want to ride with either pilot.

[NSXType-R]

That's very strange, why would he be parking his car in a hangar?

However, that really sucks. FBI agents should be aware of their surroundings.

Field training huh? Some field training.

[my porsche]

Yes, 1 down, 2000 to go.

[nota]

Originally Posted by NSXType-R

That's very strange, why would he be parking his car in a hangar?

Maybe for secure storage? You occasionally hear of exotic cars being stored at airports. One of our big V8-Supercar teams works out of Moorabbin Airport

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Originally Posted by my porsche

Yes, 1 down, 2000 to go.

Countaches or Cessnas?