Curious people hoping to get a glimpse at a World War II airplane over the Chehalis-Centralia Airport got a bigger show than anticipated Thursday night.
Crews from the Chehalis Fire Department were called to the airport at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in response to a report of an airplane needing to make an emergency landing because of broken landing gear.
The plane, a T-6 Texan World War II fighter jet owned by Kevin Keegan, was scheduled to be at the airport through Monday offering rides for sale. Gary Tarmina, Parkland, the passenger during the flight, said pilot Pawel Wolski noticed a problem shortly after takeoff.
Wolski radioed another pilot flying in the area and asked that pilot to come up close and take a look. The other pilot confirmed part of the Texan's landing gear was in an incorrect position. Wolski then spent about 50 minutes circling while talking over landing scenarios with crews on the ground.
"It was an hour, but it felt like a week," Tarmina said.
The pilot decided to attempt to land the plane on the asphalt, which was expected to cause less chance of flipping than on other surfaces. With Tarmina pumping the hydraulics and turning the emergency battery off at the right time, the pilot steered the plane onto the landing strip, where it slid but finally came to rest intact, and both men quickly exited so crews could inspect the aircraft.
A loud cheer ran through the crowds of people who had by that time stopped along Louisiana Avenue to watch the spectacle.
"Oh my God, he did it," cheered Dan Ewing, owner of Dan's Eat Shop in downtown Chehalis and a pilot. "I've seen things like that on TV, but that was the most outstanding landing I've ever seen in my life."
Afterwards, a shaken but jovial Tarmina was greeted by his wife, Sue, and best friend of 42 years, Pat McBee. The airplane ride had been McBee's birthday gift from his wife, and he'd talked his friend into coming along and having a ride, too.
"I got my birthday ride first and he said to me as I was getting into it, 'Don't wear it out,' " McBee said with a laugh.
Though it took some time for word to reach those on the ground that something was wrong with the plane, McBee said he noticed right away the landing gear didn't look right. They waited anxiously, watching the plane circle the runway and listening to the radio for what would happen next.
"It was scary," Sue Tarmina said. "But I didn't have any bad feelings. I just didn't think it was going to end badly, and I don't know why."
Tarmina praised Wolski's flying skills and said he believed the pilot truly saved his life. He said the only thing going through his head was trying to be of help to Wolski during the landing, and hoping everything would turn out all right.
"That was my first crash and hopefully my last," Tarmina said with a smile.
Keegan, who has visited the Chehalis-Centralia Airport many times with his two T-6 Texans, said he's never had something like this happen before. He, too, praised Wolski's piloting skills, noting he brought the plane in safely in much the same way as pilots used to in World War II. Though he needed more time to assess the full damage to the plane, Keegan said he was confident it was not a total loss.
"We're going to get it fixed up," he said. "It'll fly again."
Carrina Stanton covers municipal government and health for The Chronicle. She may be reached at 807-8241, or by e-mail at cstanton@chronline.com.
