Airport hosts unexpected visitor

Harry Mattox has a surprise landing at Russellville Municipal Airport – an Air Force training plane that experienced maintenance issues and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

By Alison James

alison.james@fct.wpengine.com

An emergency landing brought a special plane to the runway of Russellville Municipal Airport. With no injuries to report, airport manager Harry Mattox’s only regret is that he wasn’t there to see it happen.

Mattox was home for his day off last Wednesday when a call came through in the late afternoon over his headset. Student pilots from Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi were having some flight trouble and needed to land their plane.

“I said OK, no problem, I’ll notify the authorities,” Mattox said.

The T-6 Texan was waiting to greet him the next morning, and although the pilots had returned home, a nice hand-written note awaited him that began “To the very friendly personnel at Russellville Municipal Airport” and went on to say “thank you is an understatement for your help.”

It was accompanied by a special patch Mattox plans to pin up on his bulletin board or maybe put in a place of honor in his military display case, which holds memorabilia from his own military service as well as model military planes.

Eddie Vice, airplane engine mechanic, said a low pressure fuel light came on, which necessitated the unscheduled landing. Upon investigation, it was discovered the plane had a bad engine driven fuel pump, according to Vice.

With the area designated a military operating area, Mattox said he often sees these training pilots in flight above, but this is the first time in his tenure that one has landed at Russellville Municipal Airport.