pursuit of these goals will be a big APR 2013 FROM THE PRESIDENT factor when the IRS evaluates our VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2 application for tax exempt status. We jeff edwards hope to become designated a 501c(3) organization later this year. Winter is past and This April, I accepted an invitation to spring is here! I just represent LOBO as a speaker and got out of the participant in the NTSB’s General in this issue basement after Aviation Listening Session at NTSB tornado sirens HQ. I advised NTSB leadership on ways sounded here in to improve EA-B aircraft accident from the president St. Louis multiple investigations. Specifically, I offered 1 times tonight. Are the NTSB the expertise and knowledge you ready for the challenges of spring of LOBO’s membership as a resource safety brief flying? Convective activity, higher for investigating Lancair accidents. 2 density altitudes and windy conditions In the five years since LOBO’s inception make for interesting flying. Get ready we have gained 353 members against social occasions now for the spring flying season with a about 1000 flying aircraft. Since then 5 recurrent training session. Click here to there have been 45 serious reported contact a LOBO-approved instructor in accidents, only three of which involved your area! loss of power LOBO members. That tells me you are 8 all doing a great job of managing risks WHAT’S NEW? and safely flying your Lancairs, keep it up! emergency landing! Your LOBO board has been busy! 13 Here’s some of what they’re up to. SHARING THE WEALTH LOBO is on the march making great progress towards achieving our goal of Two nights ago I was invited to speak 501c(3) tax exempt status. What does at EAA chapter 429 in Jefferson City. I 501c(3) mean for you? Achieving fired up the Lancair and flew 20 501c(3) status would vali- date LOBO’s commitment to the goals of improving flight safety and educat- ing our mem- bership, as well as others editor: mark sletten in the Lancair and wider GA LOBO communities. 3127 creve couer mill rd, h-n5 saint louis, missouri 63146 LOBO’s PHOTO BY MARK LEET COURTESY OF LANCAIR www.lancairowners.com
Apr 2013
minutes to KJEF where I was met by fellowship and fun. If you are planning chapter members who oohed and to fly in to Wittman Regional Airport to SAFETY BRIEF ahhed over the Lancair’s sleek lines. attend Airventure please review the NOTAM. If you’ve never flown to jeff edwards After some pizza and a bit of friendly Airventure before consider reaching conversation I spent a couple of hours out to those that have for some “been DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T talking about our type club. I focused there, done that” advice. In addition to on what LOBO is doing to address KNOW? our annual Oshkosh banquet, LOBO safety concerns and how they, as will host a Lancair forum—so stop by If you fly behind glass, do you know fellow experimental amateur builders and participate. Also, don’t forget your what you don’t know? Do you know and fliers, can take steps to reduce tiedowns! how to program a flight plan, add a their flying risks. As an aside, on the waypoint, activate an RNAV approach way home I logged a few night Planning continues for this year’s on the GPS navigator or transition the landings. Have you looked in your annual LOBO/Lancair Landing, slated autopilot from enroute to approach logbook lately to check your currency to be held at Greenville, SC in October. mode? Are you an expert with all the status? Be sure to read Claudette Colwell’s bells and whistles of the glass cockpit article later in this edition of LOBO or are you a “direct to” flier? Have you UPCOMING EVENTS News for more information about both read the flight manual supplement for Oshkosh and this year’s Landing. If I your cockpit instrumentation, availed LOBO is working hard to make a great know Claudette, she has a terrific yourself of John and Martha’s Avidyne showing at this year’s Airventure. lineup planned to entertain and or Garmin course or just winged it? Please join us there for an evening of educate us all!
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airspace system utilizing glass cockpit LACK OF PROFICIENCY KILLS technology. In other words, I believe responsibility for pilot proficiency lies On March 26, 2005, a turbine single with the pilot in command. What do aircraft flying from Florida to Penn you think? State crashed while flying the ILS approach to University Park, PA. Radar OBSTACLES TO PROFICIENCY data suggests the aircraft was flown by the autopilot during the nearly four One big factor working against pilot hour trip. While being vectored to final, proficiency today is high cost. Most ATC instructed the pilot to maintain directly, high fuel costs mean fewer 4000 feet MSL until established on the flight hours. AOPA’s recent pilot approach. The pilot leveled off at 4000 survey indicates pilots are averaging feet MSL, but failed to begin a descent only 5 hours/month or about 60 at glideslope capture and quickly hours/year. Is this enough for pilots to exceeded the upper vertical limit of the stay instrument proficient? Research glideslope. Passing the outer marker, suggests it’s not when you consider PENUE, the aircraft began a rapid the average instrument pilot logs 10 descent as the pilot apparently percent or less of their total as actual attempted to get back on the instrument time. Research also glideslope—a classic unstable indicates that overuse of the autopilot approach. is linked to a decline in hand flying Analysis of radar data indicates the instrument skills. Ms. Susan Parson, pilot was flying below the writing in the FAA’s Safety Briefing recommended approach speed and says that, “instrument flying skills— close to the aircraft’s stall speed. It like any other skill—are perishable.” appears the pilot eventually What are your obstacles to abandoned his attempt to capture the proficiency? Identifying them is the glideslope, and pitched up without a first step to eliminating them. commensurate application of power. The result was a stall and subsequent The 2010 NTSB Safety Study, Introduction of Glass Cockpit Avionics into Light Aircraft, concluded, “[T]he introduction of glass cockpit PFDs has not yet resulted in the anticipated improvement in safety when compared to similar aircraft with conventional instruments. Advanced avionics and electronic displays can increase the safety potential of general aviation aircraft operations by providing pilots with more operational and safety- related information and functionality, but more effort is needed to ensure that pilots are prepared to realize that potential.” (Emphasis added.) At the heart of this argument is a question: Who is responsible for pilot proficiency? The study suggests the FAA and manufacturers are. I believe that pilots should place more effort on their own preparation to ensure they are prepared to fly in the national
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Apr 2013 crash. transmission on the ATC recording the pilot said, On November 13, 2008 an “…seven golf mike’s gotta instrument-rated private go...” pilot and his wife in a “new to him” piston single According to data crashed while on approach downloaded from the GPS, to Tallahassee, FL. Night airspeed during this final IMC conditions prevailed, segment fell below 65 with a 400 foot broken miles per hour. The aircraft ceiling and 10 miles stalled and crashed in the visibility. The pilot front yard of private purchased the aircraft just residence. a month before the During a post-accident accident, and had logged a established on the localizer. Radar and interview, the accident pilot’s CFI said total of eight flights, four with an GPS data shows the aircraft he’d counseled the pilot not to fly instructor. The accident flight was the intercepting the localizer, but the pilot instrument approaches without a CFI. second leg of a cross country failed to descend to the glideslope The aircraft manufacturer recommends originating in upstate NY. intercept altitude of 1800’ MSL. Near at least 100 hours of time in type Radar and onboard data indicate the the final approach fix (GACED) the before instrument or night flight. The autopilot was engaged for the majority aircraft deviated north of the course, pilot had logged 17 hours of flight time of the trip. flying a serpentine flight path while in the aircraft—with one hour at night. descending. ATC issued a vector of 240 The aircraft was equipped primarily What is the root cause of these to rejoin the localizer, which the pilot with steam gauges, but included a acknowledge-ed. The aircraft initially accidents? In a word, proficiency—or Sandel HSI and Avidyne moving map lack of it. turned to the directed heading, but display. Additionally the pilot used a again deviated north while continuing The piston pilot had acquired his handheld Garmin 496 GPS, from which to descend. Despite being aircraft only a month prior to crashing the NTSB was able to download data approximately one mile north of the it. He had logged only six night IMC and reconstruct the accident flight path final approach course, with the HSI approaches in his flying career—most The pilot requested and received likely indicating full-scale CDI at his home airport. Additionally, the clearance for the ILS 27 approach. ATC deflection, the pilot continued the accident investigation revealed the provided vectors to final and directed approach, eventually descending pilot had not complied with an the pilot to maintain 2000’ MSL until below 400 feet MSL. In his last radio important checklist item listed in the
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Airplane Flight Manual. the localizer or glideslope, likely due to SC for the 3rd LOBO/Lancair Landing, their inability to couple the autopilot in scheduled for October 4-6! Although the turbine pilot was more the approach mode. The resulting hand experienced and had more time in type We’ve rolled out the online flown approaches were well outside than the piston pilot, accident registration, and you should have the maximum CDI deflection, the reconstruction revealed these pilots received an email with a link to the hallmark of an unstable approach, yet had at least two things in common: page on LOBO’s website by now. Our neither pilot performed a timely Both were initially well above the glide newsletter editor extraordinaire, Mark missed approach. path on approach, likely precluding a Sletten, worked hard to make it easy successful coupling of the autopilot in Would you? for you to register and pay online, so approach mode, and it appeared please take time to complete the neither possessed the skill to hand-fly registration form in full. We use the OCIAL CCASIONS their aircraft in instrument conditions S O information to make your event as to Practical Test Standard (PTS) or claudette colwell enjoyable and informative as possible, Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) and it starts with a registration packet standards. we’ll have ready when you and your LANDING UPDATE sweetheart arrive in Greenville. Recently, the FAA rewrote 14 CFR 61.57 requiring that IPCs be Kick the tires, light WHAT’S UP IN GREENVILLE? comprised of all PTS tasks for the the fire, pull on your goggles and leather instrument rating. Flight path I’m glad you asked; we have exciting cap, grab your reconstructions indicate the pilots of things planned for everyone! We knew sweetheart and both accident aircraft deviated from this year we would likely move our head to Greenville,
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Apr 2013 daytime activities to our host hotel out who will fill the forum schedule winery, farm and shops (click here for since airport facilities that can host from our impressive roster of more details). On Saturday you can events such as ours are rare and sponsors/exhibitors. look forward to another style show!!! unique. So, the Hilton Greenville is our Watch this space for details about the For the ladies, Judy Pastusek has location for all activities… BUT… we’ve style show. planned a passel of fantastic activities. massaged the format this year so we’re Remember how much fun Donna We’ll see all y’all in Greenville! through every day by 3:00p, giving Scales had in Branson, MO during our everyone a chance to make the short first annual event (click here to read her 2013 LOBO OSHKOSH BANQUET trek to the Greenville Downtown article on pg. 16 in the Jan 2012 LOBO Airport, KGMU, for a bit of hangar News) at the style show? Remember If you’re going to AirVenture/Oshkosh flying, or just to sample all the Lancair how she talked about the VIP this year then don’t miss a chance to eye candy sitting on the ramp. treatment our ladies were given and have dinner with your closest flying Keep an eye on your inbox and our how everyone looked forward to buddies – those fearless stalwarts of website, as we’ll be publishing an seeing their new friends the next year? the sky – your fellow Lancair pilots!!! agenda soon. On it you’ll find all the Well, ladies—do we have plans for you! Brought to you in part by Lancair details, including what to expect for all International and NationAir Aviation Sign up for an all-day tour of the three tracks of the LOBO Ground Insurance, the LOBO Oshkosh Banquet famous Biltmore Estate of the School—Jeff’s for those already flying has become the most popular Lancair Vanderbilts on Friday. Included is a their Lancairs, Bob’s for those getting evening event of the AirVenture private bus trip to/from, lunch with ready for their first flight and Sue’s for experience. your friends and a visit to Antler Hill’s the Cockpit Companion. You’ll also find
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Date: Thursday, August 1st. Place: The away some who waited brand new Best Western Premiere until the last minute. Don’t Waterfront Hotel, 1 N. Main Street, be that person! Oshkosh. Time: Bar opens at 5:00p; There is no place else on dinner at 6:15p. The speaker: LOBO the globe where you can member and Lancair 320 pilot Dr. spend a more informative Alberto Behar will spin us a yarn about and scintillating evening in his experience as an investigative July than dinner with your scientist on the Mars Curiosity Rover fellow Lancairans during team. Dr. Behar is a member of the Oshkosh! Robotic Vehicles Group for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he has Price per person: worked since 1991. His section designs LOBO members -$33.00 the rovers and in-situ surface systems Non-members - $39.00 for NASA’s planetary exploration missions. In his spare time, Dr. Behar Price includes a no-host holds a professorship at Arizona State bar; mixed-green salad; University, as well as Rotary and Fixed- choice of two entrees with Wing pilot certificates with Multi, CFII in-season vegetables and and ATP ratings. He also has a type herb roasted potatoes; rolls rating in the Gulfstream G5 and is a w/butter; coffee or tea; and certificated A&P mechanic. dessert. Stay tuned for updates on transportation A caveat: Dr. Behar recently returned arrangements for those from the Antarctic where he’s been camping on the field. conducting climate research. There’s a chance he may be on assignment to Click here to register via Greenland at the time of AirVenture. In email. Please include your that event, we’ll find another speaker – name, the name(s) of your the talk just won’t be about Mars! guest(s), your aircraft type and N number (for name We are fortunate to have a new venue tags). Click here to pay via this year; the Hilton increased its prices PayPal, or you can write a nearly 70%, and we were rapidly check to LOBO and mail to: outgrowing its banquet facilities. The Best Western has great prices and a 3127 Creve Coeur Mill friendly staff. Road Hangar N5 Maryland Heights, MO Please RSVP as soon as possible; the 63146 last two years we have had to turn We have to guarantee our attendance numbers to the Best Western ten days in advance, so please make number of requests for website reservations prior to that. Because of advertisements, so we know there is a scheduling and contracting require- demand. Your duties would include ments, reservations made after July 18 marketing/soliciting prospective will increase by $5.00 per person. advertisers, negotiating prices subject to approval by the LOBO Board of LOBO NEEDS A FEW GOOD Directors and coordinating with LANCAIRIANS vendors and our webmaster to proof and prepare ads for posting to the site. We are looking for a volunteer to handle solicitations for ads on LOBO’s website. Over the years we’ve had a
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Site advertising has the potential to do the math, some 25 percent of generate more traffic on LOBO’s Lancair accidents involve loss of power. OSS OF OWER website, inform members and site L P Discussing ways to mitigate this risk visitors about products and services colyn case seems to hold promise in LOBO’s goal available to them, generate revenue of improving the Lancair fleet safety. for LOBO and increase sales for vendors who advertise with us. This is the first part MULTIPART SERIES of a multipart series If this sounds like something you about how loss of This is the first in a series of articles in would be interested in please contact power accidents af- which I’ll look at the loss of power me via email (address below). Include fect Lancair fleet implications for each phase of flight. your name and phone number and a safety, and what you We’ll begin with flight preparation. For perhaps a brief note describing your can do to prevent/ this article I’ll examine preparing for sales and marketing experience. This mitigate them. flight with two primary goals related to is a great opportunity to help yourself loss or power: and your fellow LOBO members; INTRODUCTION please step up and offer to help. 1. Avoid engine failure if at all Thanks! LOBO has tracked a total of 194 possible. Lancair accidents from 1989 through 2. Maximize your survival prospects for questions about the fly-in contact lisa mid-2012, with 56 involving a loss of should one occur anyway. ([email protected]) or claudette power. Fatal accidents totaled 94 with ([email protected]) 23 related to LOP. No matter how you
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Amateur-Built (EA-B) rate is even worse at 2.3, while the Lancair fleet, at 5.0, is a dismal 500 times worse than airlines. It may not be fair to compare Lancairs to airliners, so let’s just stick to the wider GA community. The Lancair fleet currently experiences fatal accidents five times more often than the GA fleet. If the Lancair community wants to lower its fatal accident rate to match GA numbers we need to reduce the number of fatal Lancair accidents by four per year. Ever heard a pilot rationalize with a sentence that begins pilot who manages to amass 20,000 “99 percent of the time…?” In the case SEDONA MATH LESSON hours in his/her Lancair. Or it means of of fatal accident rates, the difference Now you may be thinking “I know all twenty average Lancair pilots, one will between one fatal accident per year about that.” But before you flip the die every ten years. Or… Well, you get (the GA fleet) and five fatal accidents page, let me tell you about a the idea. per year (Lancairs) is the difference perspective-changing bit of math I What does this mean to an insurance between avoiding fatal accidents wrangled with while putting a few company? Insurance is all about 99.999 percent of the time and slides together for a talk in Sedona. calculating odds; in the case of our avoiding them 99.995 percent of the time—the action is in the third decimal The resulting perspective inspired estimated statistics the odds say there these articles, so I thought you might will be one claim involving a fatal place! That’s going to require serious want to know. accident for every 200 Lancairs insured attention to detail. I was trying to figure out exactly how in one year. If such a claim results in a In writing this article I’m looking for bad our fleet accident record is, and $2 million payout, an insurer would ways to close the gap. how one might make a case to an have to charge $10,000+ per airplane insurance underwriter that providing just to break even. ONE DOWN; THREE TO GO insurance for the Lancair fleet makes The fact that Lancairs experience five That brings us back to the subject. In good business sense. The Lancair fleet fatal accidents every 100,000 hours the introduction I stated that loss of experiences about five fatal accidents flown is just bad any way you look at it; power is a factor in about 25 percent of each year on average. We’re still we already knew that. So then I started fatal accidents every year. If we can working on getting accurate, verifiable thinking about the situation in reduce the number of fatal accidents numbers, but our current best quantitative terms—and about what resulting from power loss we will have estimates suggest there are roughly might be required to make the addressed one of the four annual 1000 flying airplanes in the fleet. If you numbers better… And that’s what accidents needed to at least match the assume those airplanes average 100 surprised me. GA community. hours a year, then our fleet flies about Let’s compare safety stats between 100,000 hours a year. Of the 56 loss-of-power accidents Lancairs and other segments of the (both fatal and non-fatal) cited in the That’s a really convenient number aviation community. There are .01 fatal introduction, 16 occurred during because one of the ways the NTSB accidents per 100,000 hours flown for takeoff, and six during climb. We know quantifies accident rates is to compute commercial aviation (airlines), which that bad decisions both on the ground the number of fatal accidents per means they avoid fatal accidents and in the air were contributors. This 100,000 hours flown. The Lancair fleet 99.99999 percent of the time. General article is focused on preflight fatal accident rate is five for every aviation is 100 times worse at 1.0 fatal preparations that minimize the 100,000 hours flown. accident per 100,000 hours flown— possibility of engine failure and which seems obscene—but means GA What’s that mean to you and me? It providing yourself an out if one occurs pilots still avoid fatal accidents 99.999 means the probability of a fatal despite your best efforts. accident is 1.0 for the average Lancair percent of the time. The Experimental
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POWERPLANT PREFLIGHT When you have an A&P set up the fuel steps you can take to avoid a similar flow on your engine you should be fate: This section discusses preflight actions. looking over his/her shoulder, checking 1. Be there when anyone puts fuel in I’ll concentrate on these areas of that it’s done by the book. For a your aircraft. It takes time, but that concern: Continental TSIO-550 you would want is part of the cost of being your to consult Continental Service Fuel System own ops department. Information Directive (SID) 97-3E. Engine Oil 2. Get locking fuel caps. Ignition System Etc… Post Maintenance Fuel System According to Bob Pastusek’s maintenance article in the September 2012 edition of LOBO News, the NTSB has found that fuel system problems are the leading factor in Experimental – Amateur built (EA-B) aircraft accidents. The problems can be insidious though. Why the extra pair of eyes? Here’s a 3. Install decals at fuel filler ports For a compelling account of how a real life incident: A couple years ago I specifying type and grade fuel. 30,000+ hour Air America pilot and test flew a Mooney Rocket I was They’re ugly, but they work. Lancair expert got tricked by an aircraft considering buying. I wanted to which he had flown many hours, check Engine Oil evaluate climb and cruise performance, out Mike Busch’s story from April 2012 so I asked the owner to do a full power Sport Aviation. I didn’t fully appreciate the role that oil Vy climb. With cowl flaps full open, plays in our engines until I saw all the Here are some of the failure modes mixture full rich, wide open throttle, parts out on the table during my visit to that can be a problem: close to ISA temps, we made it to 2500’ Continental for training. Plain bearings AGL before the CHT exceeded 400° F Fuel level sensors not calibrated handle huge loads which, were it not necessitating a power reduction and Baffle door/vent obstruction for oil, would grind our engines into airspeed increase. I noted the fuel flow Shape anomalies in the tank uselessness in a matter of seconds. and looked up the manufacturer’s Debris in the fuel lines recommendations in the SID when I According to Continental, the oil flow Air leaking through the fuel got on the ground; it was 6 gph too rate for the TSIO-550 is 24 gallons per selector low! minute, therefore it’s critical to check Fuel flow sensor not calibrated anything that might let the oil out. The We talked to the mechanic and learned path to the outdoors may not be as Bob Pastusek has a detailed and only that he wasn’t interested in no obvious as a loose fitting. Check out excellent article on the subject of stinkin’ SID. Instead, he had carefully— Fred Moreno’s account of mystery oil checking out your fuel system in the and incorrectly—adjusted the fuel flow loss in this post on the Lancair Mail May 2012 LOBO News (pg. 8). on the engine according to his own List. Fred’s story points out that Engine Fuel Flow personal standards, and the engine seemingly trivial modifications can now had 600 hours on the Hobbs. have totally unanticipated results. The Fuel flow setup, especially on the TSIO- Needless to say I didn’t purchase that same is true for fuel systems. 550, is critical. I know of at least 2 airplane. Lancair IV-P’s that crashed due to a A review of accidents involving loss of black-smoke, over-rich condition and Fueling oil traced problems to these areas: at least one other aircraft that landed Another Lancair fatal accident Three flights experiencing loss of safely following an over-rich situation. occurred after a line maintenance oil pressure for unspecified reasons Conversely, a too lean setting can worker put JET-A into a IV-P piston. Turbocharger oil line came off cause unrecoverable damage to an There was enough 100LL to get Oil filter gasket extruded engine, even if it doesn’t stop right airborne but then the engine got away. unhappy in a hurry. Here are some
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exhaust connections, everything. It’s amazing how much can be revealed by a small hint. One day I was looking around in my engine compartment and noticed the nylon cover to the fuel line going into the gascolator was frayed. “Wait” I thought, “there’s nothing moving here that would cause abrasion”. On closer inspection I determined that the nylon was actually melted, and a nearby slip joint for the exhaust was leaking. On even closer inspection I learned that all the slip joints were leaking… But that’s another story. The point is any anomaly that you can’t explain convincingly is likely a problem. One thing we learned at the engine course at Continental Motors is that using correct torque values is critical. The engine literally will not stay together if this is not done. One attendee brought pictures showing his cracked crankcase. Based on the pictures, the Continental experts surmised that the hold down bolts on the cylinders were never torqued correctly or that paint in one of the load-bearing areas extruded, thereby changing the torque value. From there motion starts developing and stress is not evenly distributed among the bolts. See more comments on the Continental training course on page 16 of the February 2013 edition of LOBO News.
POST-MAINTENANCE
At least one Lancair fatal accident occurred just after maintenance. An Did some of these involve a failure to Continental Motors provides this engine failure resulted, apparently due observe fastener/fitting torque require- document about ignition theory on to an over-rich condition that showed ments? My LIV-P has seven high- their website. If you have a Continental up shortly after rotation. If your pressure oil lines plus the oil filter IO-550 series engine, ignition is airplane goes in the shop and someone gasket. That’s 15 fittings that need to covered in Chapter 6 of the else works on it, consider all the careful be properly torqued. This is not an area maintenance manual. work you did prior to your first flight to cut corners. that might have been undone. Etc. Ignition System Check everything you possibly can that AIRPORT SELECTION The ignition must be set up by the might threaten the health of your We all learn “Always have an out”. In book and it must pass every test you engine: electrical connections, oil this case, having the right airport is can muster on the ground. connections, control connections,
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part of the out. Sometimes that’s going newsletter I’ll cover planning to mean choosing a different airport emergency actions prior to takeoff than we might have had in mind. If that and the takeoff. means hiring a truck to move the for questions contact colyn at airplane, so be it. [email protected] That may seem extreme, but the Lancair is a very fast airplane with a very small wing. The characteristics that give the Lancair such great cruise SETTING RECORDS performance result in tradeoffs, like jeff edwards higher landing speeds, which burns up
runway faster and/or means more energy to shed for off-airport landings. By now most of you have probably BILL & SUE’S IV PHOTO COURTESY ROB LOGAN Most Lancair owners are happy to give heard that Lancair IV builder and flier, up access to airports with shorter Bill Harrelson, set a new record by This is not Bill and Sue’s first grand- runways in return for glorious cruise flying non-stop (7,051 NM; 38.5 hrs) scale aviation adventure. Some of you speeds. Choosing a favorable airport is from Guam to Jacksonville, Florida on might remember their presentation at an appropriate response to that March 1. Bill, a former LOBO board the 2011 LOBO/Lancair Flyin at tradeoff. member, and his aviatrix wife, Sue, Branson, MO, where they thrilled us have already built and flown two with their story about flying from the Here are some considerations in Lancairs, and their third kit-built United States to Europe in their Lancair recognition of this tradeoff: aircraft nears completion as this goes 320. Runway Length to print. Bill recently traveled to Sun ‘n Fun in The first line of defense is a long, and Bill built his IV with the purpose of his IV (practically around the block for preferably wide, runway. Ideally, find a setting a new record—a polar Bill) where the GA crowd caught up runway that is long enough to get circumnavigation of the globe with just with him. I heard he had a tough time airborne, notice a problem shortly after six legs: getting away from all the admirers in Lakeland. takeoff, and put it back down again. Bangor, Maine to Recife, Brazil We’ll look at the numbers further on in To the southern tip of Argentina Technology certainly favors Bill with the next article but for now figure 5000’ Over the South Pole to New GPS, autopilot and weather is bare minimum. Zealand forecasting, but it is still the aviator Obstacles On to Honolulu, Hawaii against the elements. Please join me in North to Fairbanks, Alaska wishing Bill and Sue the best as they If you have a low altitude power loss Over the North Pole to Bangor prepare for their next big adventure! and can’t get it back on the ground before the runway ends, your next Bill made a record attempt in mid- option is going to be whatever is March, but was forced to cancel after EMERGENCY LANDING! beyond the runway or just left or right several days of waiting for favorable of it. Power lines, trees, freeway weather in Argentina. He plans by howard “rusty” hamer overpasses, gravel pits, etc. are not another attempt in October. Bill’s ideal. wife Sue is the mission’s “Capcom,” OR HOW TO GET monitoring his flight via Spidertracks CARRIER QUALIFIED IN A Nearby Off-Airport Landing Sites and satellite phone. As with other ANCAIR Once you are in the air you now have record setting attempts like Burt L 235… Rutan’s and Jeana Yeager’s aboard access to nearby landing sites, if there This story starts like Voyager, Steve Fossett’s in his 10- are any. An airport surrounded on all many involving a near story-high balloon, Spirit of Freedom, sides by trees or cliffs is not ideal. disaster: I decided to modify my Lindbergh’s flight in The Spirit of Saint Lancair 235 to go faster. A friend of a Louis, and Earhardt’s Electra 10E, a PART TWO PREVIEW friend was selling a Lycoming O-290 he good aircraft, great pilot and careful had modified based on a Master’s We’ve prepped the plane and selected planning and execution are a must. Thesis written for California State an appropriate airport. In the next
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University, Sacramento. The paper bought a complete Lycoming O-340 assumed a mistimed mag was causing described converting a Lycoming O- out of a Twin Navion that had landed the vibration. 290G (used in military ground power gear up. I checked the runout on that Unfortunately, while trying to adjust carts) for aviation use. This particular engine’s crankshaft and found it well the mag we tore the gasket. Now I had engine had a crankshaft from an O- within tolerance, so I shipped it to a big oil leak. Since there were no other 340, which increased total Lycon who inspected it and blessed it aircraft on the field we called a repair displacement to 308 cubic inches due with a yellow tag. I had planned to station in Klamath Falls about a new to a quarter-inch stroke increase, and install it in the fall after the summer gasket and the possibility of borrowing high-compression pistons. These flying season, which would have been a timing device. They had the gasket I modifications were thought to increase well before the 250 hour inspection needed, and agreed to loan us a the engine’s overall power output to interval I had set for the repaired magneto timer. They also suggested near 180 HP. crankshaft in the engine installed on we bring the magneto with us so they my 235. I bought the engine and sent it to Evert could look it over, which seemed like a Hatch for a teardown and inspection very good idea. STRANGE VIBRATIONS (Evert had previously worked on this We flew down with the magneto, engine). Evert said everything looked Late that summer I joined local group which checked out fine. Since I had fine except the crank had been flying from my home airport, Nevada limited experience with magneto repaired after having spun a bearing on County Airpark in Grass Valley, CA, up timing (and my wife was with me), I the number three rod journal. He had to Hood River Oregon. As I flew asked if a mechanic could drive up and the repair tested by Magnaflux and said between Klamath Falls and Sun River I reinstall/time the magneto. He agreed, it looked good, but reminded me suddenly noticed a strange vibration and we all packed in a car and made Magnaflux testing isn’t particularly and notified a fellow flyer that I was the trip back up to Chiloquin. After the good at finding subsurface defects. We making a precautionary landing at a mechanic installed and timed the debated the repair and Evert small air field in Chiloquin, OR to check magneto we closed up the cowl, fired recommended I use the crank, but have out the vibration. up the engine and taxied to the run up it inspected again after 500 hours. I area. During the run up something still decided to use the crankshaft, but to My post-landing troubleshooting was seemed wrong, so we taxied back to halve Evert’s recommended inspection unsuccessful at identifying the cause of the ramp and shut down. We checked interval. what seemed a fairly subtle vibration. My friend landed and we pulled the plugs and plug wires, and had the The engine ran great for several years, cowl. One thing we found right off was mechanic scratching his head trying to but I never stopped looking for a good a loose magneto—I was able to move it find something. We restarted, taxied O-340 crank. In the spring of 2000 I with a slight twist. At that point we out, did another run up, then started a
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takeoff. Something still didn’t seem speed increased and my fixed pitch plane.” right, so I aborted and taxied once prop also accelerated. There were pine I banked slightly right to line up with again to the ramp. After pulling the trees all around, so I angled left for US Highway 97, which has four lanes cowl and doing some more head Highway 97 which was close and the and is undivided, and started scanning scratching, the mechanic rechecked only cleared area. A few seconds later, for traffic. I saw a tractor-trailer ahead the timing on the magneto and found it after getting a nose gear up light, it going the same direction as me which I was ten degrees off. He was noticeably seemed like somebody pulled the didn’t think I could avoid. There were embarrassed, remarking he had never throttle closed, which didn’t make two more tractor-trailers running side made that mistake before. sense because I had my hand on it and by side in the oncoming lanes which it was still fully open. We decided a test flight was in order also appeared on an intercept path. I before going back up with my wife I quickly got the boost pump on, judged I could possibly stay over the aboard. The ground check was much checked the mixture and cycled the right hand lanes until passing the two better but the static RPM was about 50 magneto switch. The engine was oncoming trucks and shift to the RPM less than at my home field. I running, but it wasn’t making any oncoming lanes just before rationalized this was possibly due to power. I checked my altitude—around touchdown. In the meantime, I had lost the higher field elevation. 250’ AGL—and couldn’t help a longing sight of the truck in my lane as it look over my shoulder at the runway I passed under the nose of my aircraft. THE LITTLE LANCAIR THAT COULDN’T knew I couldn’t safely return to. I I held the airspeed constant as the noticed my airspeed had decreased to aircraft descended. Just as I was The takeoff roll was slightly longer and the high 60s from the 80s, and was still getting close to the ground, and about the climb rate lower than they should decreasing. I thought, “Time to fly the have been. As the gear came up the air to pass the two oncoming trucks, I felt
Volume 5 Issue 2
Apr 2013 an impact and heard two almost wall in front of me moved to the side of back to the airport, but when you’re on simultaneous bangs coming from the the road. a highway you do what the Highway prop and the tail. Suddenly, there was Patrol says, even if you’re in a plane.) a large plywood wall in front of me, and WHERE AM I? There, we used a couple of straps and a somewhere in the back of my mind I wrecker to lift the plane off the trailer, was wondering what in thunder I had Once stopped, I released the canopy where-upon I turned on the master hit. Then my thoughts turned quickly latches and jumped out of the plane, switch and put the gear down. After to survival, and I realized I badly landing on a wooden deck. I heard a getting three greens we lowered the wanted out of that cockpit. It was at door opening sound toward the front plane to the ground on its wheels. that moment I realized I was still of the plane and turned to see I called one of my friends who had moving about 60 mph. I felt the aircraft someone jumping down from the cab flown up to Hood River ahead of me to slowing, and watched as the plywood of a truck… The truck which was pulling the flatbed trailer I had just tell him not to expect me, and he landed on! The driver and I relayed news of the crash to the rest of just stared at each other the group. Katie, one pilot’s wife who for a moment, amazed. had remained home, volunteered to drive her truck to Chiloquin the next The nose of the plane was day with a flatbed trailer large enough wedged into the truck’s to transport my plane. Some of the sleeper cab about eight group flew back from Hood River the feet above the trailer bed. next day to help me disassemble the One blade of the prop was Lancair. caught between the cab and the cargo retaining Katie arrived at Chiloquin around bulkhead—made out of 1:00p, a record time from Nevada plywood. The plane had County to Chiloquin! By then, the guys rolled slightly to the right and I had the 235 apart, and I called the after impact and the right wrecker back to lift the fuselage onto flap, undamaged, was the trailer. We reattached the upper resting on the side of the cowl and fastened the wings to the flatbed trailer. This put the trailer bed. Katie flew back to Hood left wing high in the air— River with her husband, and my wife high enough so that traffic and I headed home in Katie’s truck with was able to get past. Fuel the Lancair on the trailer after turning was leaking from the right in our rental car in Klamath Falls. What vent, so I plugged it with a a great group of pilot friends, and I small stick. The include Katie who is also a pilot! empennage was almost While driving home I returned the call completely broken off, but to the FAA using the number passed to the ventral fin was wedged me by the tow truck driver. The first into the wood bed of the thing they said was I should leave the trailer. The wings were aircraft at the accident site. I told them somehow undamaged. it was too late, and that the wreckage was already on the way back to Grass THE TRIP HOME Valley, CA. Besides, I told them, the accident site was a flatbed trailer that The Highway Patrol was currently on its way to the apple directed the driver to move orchards in Washington State! I his truck—with my plane suggested a compromise: I would not still sitting on the trailer—a perform any further disassembly until mile down the road to a FAA inspectors were present as state highway gravel witnesses. Not having much choice, supply area. (It would have the FAA representative reluctantly been closer to take me agreed.
Volume 5 Issue 2
Apr 2013
I now believe I took off with a N84LH was flying within three months broken crankshaft held together of the accident for another 10 years— only by the main bearings; the with the same CG as I had with the engine lost power when the rear original O-235. main bearing failed enough to for questions about this story contact allow the broken halves of the crank to turn independently of rusty at [email protected] each other. The ten degree “mistake” the mechanic thought he made was the result of play between the pieces of the broken crankshaft. WHAT HAPPENED? Several years later a former Back at my hangar, with FAA Rolls-Royce Merlin mechanic inspectors present, I rotated the prop came by my hangar and we and got the requisite clicking from the talked about the failure. He magnetos. There was good said that Rolls used to repair compression in all the cylinders, so the nitrated Merlin crankshafts valves were working. The header tank that had spun a bearing, but had fuel and the engine fuel pump ended the practice when worked. The throttle was fully open. I they found those crankshafts started wondering myself what I had always failed at the point of screwed up, or if I had been repair. Lycoming crankshafts hallucinating. The first indication of a are nitrated. Mine failed at serious problem came when I removed 208 hours. the oil screen; there was a significant amount of bearing material and some To set the record straight, unidentified pieces of steel. That I’ve never wanted to get seemed to satisfy the FAA reps, and carrier qualified, and I wasn’t they left. trying to land on that flatbed trailer. I’m just a very lucky At this point I knew a catastrophic fellow, or somebody was failure of some sort had occurred, but looking after me that day. exactly what had failed was still unclear. After removing the cylinders I AFTERMATH finally found it: The crankshaft had broken between cylinders three and A special jig and a few layers four. Additionally, the rear main of fiberglass restored the tail bearing and mount on the crank case to its proper position. A had started to fail. The slippage Lycon rebuild of the O-340 between the two crankshaft portions (which Lycon measured on a had significantly impacted timing for dynamometer at 178hp) the front three cylinders. along with a new Catto prop got the front end sorted, and
Volume 5 Issue 2