Lessons Pay Off
Not long ago I read with some dismay about a beautifully restored C-45 that had crashed in eastern Colorado.
The C-45 Expiditer is the military version of the good old Beech 18. I love the Beech 18. It ranks right up there with the DC-3 as some of my fondest hands on memories. I only have 1.5 hours in the right seat of the DC-3, but it was an experience I will never forget.
Anyway, I digress.
The Accident investigator found two pools of oil on the ramp where the old Expiditer had sat. They also found that the right engine oil drain was open and the left was partially open. Cause of the crash was listed as catastrophic failure of one or both engines. Oops.
Rule #2, Regulations for Operation of Aircraft (1920): Never leave the ground with the motor leaking.
There are times When engine failure is totally unexpected, but a simple walk around should have seen an oil pool. Engines fail. That's a fact. That's why from day one in pilot training, emergency landings are practiced. Airline pilots with thousands of hours regularly climb into a simulator and practice emergency procedures over and over and over until they become second nature. Because you never know.
I got a call one morning from my Chief Pilot/Flight Instructor asking if I wanted to go with him to take N87Q to Oklahoma City for it's annual. I had a fews days off so naturally I jumped at the chance. It would be some good multi-engine dual.
Pre-flight was normal. Oil was up (and no leaks). We even double checked to make sure nothing was loose in the cabin. Engine run-up went without a hitch.
wind was calm and it was a perfect day to fly. Take-off was as good as I could make it and climbe out began as routinely as one could expect. I was feeling good.
BAM...the left engine sucked a valve and decided not to work anymore. My heart jumped right into my throat. My brain shut down. My body just instinctively started working on it's own. Hands grabbed controls pulled props back on left engine, fuel shut-off, hard right rudder. "get it under control!!'
After a few seconds my brain kicked back in and I emediatly violated Rule #8 "in case the engine fails on takeoff, land straight ahead regardless of obstacles.
Had I landed straight ahead I would have been in downtown Wichita Falls. I started a right turn back to the airfield and was reaching for the mike to declare an emergency when the Instructor said "we are going to the maintenance facility anyway, let's just keep going". So, being totally convinced that he knew everything about flying, I got to fly to Oklahoma City on one engine thereby violating Rule #25: If an emergency occurs while flying, land as soon as possible."
My flight instructor made the landing at OKC without a problem and without telling the tower about our condition.
Now, flying cross country on one engine is not something I recomend as a daily routine but it proved to me that all of the emergency simulations I had done in the past WAS important and that it really did become almost automatic. I am also firmly convinced that next to raising 2 girls, this incident was dirctly resposible for the begining of the end of my full head of hair.
The C-45 Expiditer is the military version of the good old Beech 18. I love the Beech 18. It ranks right up there with the DC-3 as some of my fondest hands on memories. I only have 1.5 hours in the right seat of the DC-3, but it was an experience I will never forget.
Anyway, I digress.
The Accident investigator found two pools of oil on the ramp where the old Expiditer had sat. They also found that the right engine oil drain was open and the left was partially open. Cause of the crash was listed as catastrophic failure of one or both engines. Oops.
Rule #2, Regulations for Operation of Aircraft (1920): Never leave the ground with the motor leaking.
There are times When engine failure is totally unexpected, but a simple walk around should have seen an oil pool. Engines fail. That's a fact. That's why from day one in pilot training, emergency landings are practiced. Airline pilots with thousands of hours regularly climb into a simulator and practice emergency procedures over and over and over until they become second nature. Because you never know.
I got a call one morning from my Chief Pilot/Flight Instructor asking if I wanted to go with him to take N87Q to Oklahoma City for it's annual. I had a fews days off so naturally I jumped at the chance. It would be some good multi-engine dual.
Pre-flight was normal. Oil was up (and no leaks). We even double checked to make sure nothing was loose in the cabin. Engine run-up went without a hitch.
wind was calm and it was a perfect day to fly. Take-off was as good as I could make it and climbe out began as routinely as one could expect. I was feeling good.
BAM...the left engine sucked a valve and decided not to work anymore. My heart jumped right into my throat. My brain shut down. My body just instinctively started working on it's own. Hands grabbed controls pulled props back on left engine, fuel shut-off, hard right rudder. "get it under control!!'
After a few seconds my brain kicked back in and I emediatly violated Rule #8 "in case the engine fails on takeoff, land straight ahead regardless of obstacles.
Had I landed straight ahead I would have been in downtown Wichita Falls. I started a right turn back to the airfield and was reaching for the mike to declare an emergency when the Instructor said "we are going to the maintenance facility anyway, let's just keep going". So, being totally convinced that he knew everything about flying, I got to fly to Oklahoma City on one engine thereby violating Rule #25: If an emergency occurs while flying, land as soon as possible."
My flight instructor made the landing at OKC without a problem and without telling the tower about our condition.
Now, flying cross country on one engine is not something I recomend as a daily routine but it proved to me that all of the emergency simulations I had done in the past WAS important and that it really did become almost automatic. I am also firmly convinced that next to raising 2 girls, this incident was dirctly resposible for the begining of the end of my full head of hair.
posted by Rob | 9:42 AM
3 Comments:
Great story!
We've only had one Emergency landing. Fouled plugs at 13,000 feet over nowhere Calif. we had to call for help, and got directed to follow the freeway below into Needles. at that time, Needles GA was a single wide trailer and a runway. On landing we had to wait about 2 hours for a mechanic to drive out and help. We ended up flying into havasu, over the mountains at about midnight.
John was only IFR rated at the time, and had me looking on his map with a flashlight to find the highest peak around, so he could fly a thousand feet higher to ensure we lived.
Yeah. Stupidest thing we ever did. But, we made it and never told my pilot father.
Okay, so had I survived this flight (which I probably wouldn't have, given the heart failure that would have occured), I NEVER would have boarded another airplane for the rest of my life!
You can never again blame me for your hair loss!
Coming out of bloggy vacation to comment to this.
I'm beginning to think it's a miracle you ever HAD two girls! And I know exactly why you've never told me these "hair-raising" stories. Thank you for respecting the condition of my heart.
And thank you for surviving. :-)
PS - We both know your hair started falling out about two weeks after you met me, so stop blaming it on our daughters!
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