On Nov 22, 1968, exactly 39 years ago, on a reasonably clear, uneventful day, a new JAL DC-8 descended toward the SFO airport. The landing was so well executed that no one was hurt when the pilot landed the plane into the San Francisco Bay, several miles from the airport. What explanation did 15 year veteran pilot Captain Kohei Asoh give for his botched landing? It was so unusual (especially in this day and age), so refreshingly honest, that it came to be known as the Asoh Defense. Amazingly, the plane was recovered, refurbished, and was in service for another 35 years.
posted by eye of newt on Nov 22, 2007 - 50 comments

Agency Was to Crash Plane on 9/11 How weird is this??!?
posted by bas67 on Aug 22, 2002 - 8 comments

A small plane has ran into a skyscraper in Milan.  CNN is reporting that a small plane has struck the 25th floor of the Pirelli building. The skyscraper apparently houses government offices. Details are still coming in.
posted by bshort on Apr 18, 2002 - 64 comments

Cessna pilot sympathised with Bin Laden...
Does Americas enemy lie within?
posted by tomcosgrave on Jan 6, 2002 - 38 comments

More than 100 dead in Milan plane crash
There's no evidence as I post this that this has anything to do with the WTC / Pentagon attacks, or the retaliatory attacks by the Allied forces...still, a Cessna that comes out of nowhere seems odd to me, fog or no fog...
posted by tomcosgrave on Oct 8, 2001 - 7 comments

What the Pentagon has lost The American spy plane carried very sophisticted andf important snoopware...did they destroy what they could before landing?
posted by Postroad on Apr 2, 2001 - 25 comments