Another nice gear-up twin landing

Interesting insurance renewal on the KA this year. In the past, I've offered a higher deductible for a gear up landing and insurer declined. This year, they offered a 10,000 deduct for a lower premium which I took. If I do something stupid, like don't lower the gear, it should cost me something.
Did that on something else. Did something dumb and just fixed it. Reported to insurer with no claim. They didn't know how to deal with it (g).

Best,

Dave

Dave thinks like I do..... If I do something dumb I should feel the financial pain of repair.... All my vehicles and home have huge deductables... It is nice to have 1 mil in liability and full coverage with a 2 grand deductable on my Tundra worth 20,000 and my premium is 160 every 6 months.. I can live with that..:yes::)
 
One Fire Extinguisher got BOTH props?:dunno:.:eek:.

That's like one in a million odds... ;)

Tony can telll the story better than I can, but as I recall his boss was being marshalled in at night at another airport. Fire extinguisher on the right side (not visible from pilot's seat) got hit by right prop, flung under plane, hit left prop.

Line guy looked for another job, FBO insurance wrote a check. :)
 
Why save engines with 1000 hours on them, when you can get 2 new rebuilt engines thanks to insurance?

I think some will try to pro-rate the Engines based on TBO ?
 
Do like the local Navion did, hear the flaps and prop hit the runway, realize the gear are up, apply throttle, go around and try again with the gear down.

Ended up with one blade bent forward, one back and the flaps nearly gone.

But the belly was OK

I heard that story the other day, pretty interesting really!


-VanDy
 
There was a Piaggio that landed gear up in HPN. The pilot shut them both down on short final. I spoke to the Captain after and he said he was surprised at the amount of push they got when they feathered them. He landed long as a result.

Landing long, however was made up for by the extra 'braking' action provided by the belly scraping down the runway.

Also, a Piaggio is a 5 bladed prop. Not one prop ever touched the ground.
 
As an instructor I had a technique I always employed when a student left the gear up. It only happened a few times and always during instrument training. I assume because they'd be so focused on the approach being shot...

Anyway, I'd let them fly it right to the MAP, let them break out and fly it to shot final. Then at about 50' I'd say, "my controls" and start a missed. This would always shock them as an approach NEVER ended that way. It was always a landing or a missed...with them flying.

So they'd look at me wondering what was going on and I'd smile at them and ask, "what's that horn noise"?

Then they'd hear it and realize they just did what they sworn they'd never ever in a million years do...
 
I've pulled similar pranks on. Bonanza students (under the hood or otherwise incognito) ..pull.the gear cb and let them.lower the handle at the fix....taught them about the the rote trap...you gotta look listen and feel that gear...not just recite some checklist
 
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There was a Piaggio that landed gear up in HPN. The pilot shut them both down on short final. I spoke to the Captain after and he said he was surprised at the amount of push they got when they feathered them. He landed long as a result.

Landing long, however was made up for by the extra 'braking' action provided by the belly scraping down the runway.

Also, a Piaggio is a 5 bladed prop. Not one prop ever touched the ground.

I've always imagined the sensation of feathering on final would feel like braking and then hitting a patch of ice in a car.
 
I hope some of you have the chance to meet Henry that flew the twin Comanchee in the news. I've known him for som 25 years. He has an incredible aviation history. He has some crazy number of hours, like 30,000. All of his ship's registrations end with VK. I can't help but think that to him it was just another day.
 
Most of my friends who've had this happen say the insurance has just paid for the prop strike inspection, not a complete overhaul. So you could probably give the shop the money for the difference, but that doesn't end up meaning free overhauled engines.

You will get new props, which makes for a great opportunity to do an STC upgrade if you were thinking about it. I recall Tony saying they did that on the 421 after a double prop strike caused by a fire extinguisher.

What happens if the inspection ends up with "yer engines are toast" as in crank is bent and case is cracked? Does the ins. company stop with the inspection, and let you cover the cost of replacements? Or will they then pony up the pro-rated cost, or total it depending on the value?
 
Most of my friends who've had this happen say the insurance has just paid for the prop strike inspection, not a complete overhaul. So you could probably give the shop the money for the difference, but that doesn't end up meaning free overhauled engines.
This is pretty much correct. I just went through the teardown inspection on my 170 (mine was for the metal contamination vice prop strike). Insurance adjuster made it very clear what was covered and that any issues discovered that were unrelated to the incident requiring the teardown were not covered.

If you had higher time engines, it might be wise to go ahead and pay the extra to fully overhaul the engines -you certainly reduce the total cost since insurance pays for the removal and reinstallation as well as the teardown and reassembly. In my case with a low time engine, it made far more sense to replace a few parts here and there that might not have made TBO than to fully overhaul the engine.
 
What happens if the inspection ends up with "yer engines are toast" as in crank is bent and case is cracked? Does the ins. company stop with the inspection, and let you cover the cost of replacements? Or will they then pony up the pro-rated cost, or total it depending on the value?
Don't know anyone who has dealt with that specific scenario, but I suspect the answer varies between insurance companies.
 
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