New project?

tshort · Post by **tshort** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 2:48 pm

Anyone need a new project?

http://tinyurl.com/88frp

This was my exciting end to the month of September ... and my 3rd or so hour of tailwheel time. The final NTSB report is here:

http://ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=2 ... 150&akey=1

An interesting experience ... I was with a high time former United captain who flies bush planes in alaska and has lots of TW time, and even he couldn't control the airplane. We had a mild x-wind from the L (about 7 kts), and the airplane started heading right and just kept going. Brake was ineffective (in part because the pedal was all the way to the floor as the cable was broken) and a burst of power to get some air across the rudder didn't work. Things happened fast - we departed the runway at about a 45 deg path to the runway, and I thought we might just roll out in the grass, but things kept going (looping). The left main gear dug in and sheared off, then the wing tip and prop hit and we came to a stop. Having the aerobatic harnesses on kept us well protected - not a scratch on either of us.
I definitely had some second thoughts about building a TW plane before that happened, and it was the weekend before I closed the deal on the 170. Knowing that it was a mechanical failure made me feel better! I still want the challenge of learning to fly the TW plane well.

T.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:38 pm

The picture looks so sad!

I wish I could adopt it!

CJ

tshort · Post by **tshort** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:58 pm

It was a real bummer to see it laying in the dirt like that afterwards ... it sucks to bend a perfectly good airplane.

T.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:18 pm

sad to see the pics. glad you're ok! she is gonna need a lot of work...

i noticed the wing ribs were bare AL. seems like all the certy'd manufacturers never prime. why the hell are we so obsessed about it!!

jim_geo · Post by **jim_geo** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:31 pm

Chad, not all of us are obsessed.

aerial · Post by **aerial** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:23 am

So who owned the plane? Did they ever figure out who did the seat modification?

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:25 am

jim_geo wrote:Chad, not all of us are obsessed.

i'm actually thinking of not priming my wing ribs. not sure yet.

i hate priming.

tshort · Post by **tshort** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 9:48 am

aerial wrote:So who owned the plane? Did they ever figure out who did the seat modification?

It was owned by the FBO. I never heard any more about the undocumented mod / repair to the seat...

T.