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glpilot

glpilot

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Feb 23, 2005
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Loganville, GA.
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GLPilot
Well this is the first time I have seen my home airport closed down. Closed except for helicopter operations. Last night a Swearingen Merlin II, a twin-engine turboprop, crash landed. Both people onboard got out of the aircraft fine but the aircraft was destroyed. From the pictures I have seen of it on the news its a bit eery to see your home field have that type of activity along your comfortable taxi ways.

"The pilot told investigators that just prior to touchdown, the right engine did not respond normally and the plane made a sharp right turn, causing the wing to hit the ground."

I always wonder if pilots by nature blame the aircraft after an accident when it might have really been pilot error.

Must be something in the air with Briscoe lately. Last week a Decathlon landed on 316 right by the airport due to engine trouble. First thing I thought was "Engine Trouble? - Must have run out of fuel."

Also -- I just love how the media portrays every general aviation related piece of news to a "small cessna" LOL when the last two stories in the past week were for a decathlon and a twin engine Merlin.

Anyway I'm rambling this AM, as I sit at my desk.. drinking the java.. with not much to do as of yet... :confused:
 
I hadn't heard that it was closed. I just called ATIS and it said it was closed. (10:07am) on 4/27. That sucks. I wonder for how long; I need to fly tomorrow.

The accident sounds like something I worry about all the time. Twice I've had the right engine quit on the runway (not knowing it) because I pulled the throttles back hard while rolling out. Twice I've had it fixed where it won't do that...but if it happened *again*, it could happen *again.*

Twin pilots must be EXTREMELY careful when, after having power near idle, they push the thottles forward for either go around, or an adjustment to the final approach...and must have both feet on the rudders. If it was pilot error -- and it sounds like it to me -- I don't think the pilot error occured after he pushed the throttles forward (it would happen too fast). I think the error occured the instant before he pushed them forward and was not ready for that to happen. Sigh...
 
I knew Rob, the home field twin-engine person would have some good input to add on this one. :cheerio:

I'll probabaly swing by the field during my lunch run today. See what the locals might have to say from what they saw. You can only make it a learning experience from here.
 
That seems like a heck of a mess for just collapsing one side of the landing gear, no? But I guess if you hit anything hard enough with fuel on board it will make a mess.
 
Well LZU is back open as of this afternoon. The mess was cleaned up too. Talking to some of the folks there about it on my lunch break. Apparently they got their info from someone that was holding short when the Merlin broke out of the clouds. The ceiling was about 500 feet and he reported the Merlin breaking out about 450 feet above the threshold. So he was high, and off center of the runway too. The tower offered him clearance to go around and just come back on the opposite end of the runway but he was refused stating he thought he could make it. The plane had its right side gear come up through the right wing, and that wing hit the ground, the opposite side then smashed its landing gear through the wing and the plane spun around, then caught fire as the two jumped out.

I may be the naive young pilot here, but, why wouldn't you just GO AROUND if you are high and off-center in IMC conditions? :dunno:
 
As with anything - it depends. I'm sure the elder statesman will say, "Yes, go around!" I think it depends on the pilot, the plane, the runway length, the conditions, etc...

In a twin, I would say, yes go around if at LZU. Now, in a single (mine at least), at LZU (6000') if I break out high, and right (depending how far right) I don't see an issue of getting down. I can get my plane down and stopped in under 1200' without any effort. That gives me about 5 times the runway I need. Slip it hard left throw in the last notch of flaps, and make a midfield touchdown. I try to keep my patterns around 6000' from the far end of the runway to my base turn (3800' strip) so in my particular case, depending on how much speed I was carrying, it wouldn't be a big deal for me to put it there. Even if I came of the clouds out at the threshold of 25, I could make a midfield touchdown and make the turnoff at Bravo. But, it all depends...

*puts on asbestos suit*
 
glpilot said:
I may be the naive young pilot here, but, why wouldn't you just GO AROUND if you are high and off-center in IMC conditions? :dunno:
Click to expand...

I think at this point the answer is, "who knows?"

Some things come to mind...

- out of fuel
- an engine quit during the approach
- and engine quit before the approach
- on fire / smoke in cockpit
- pilot sick
- pax needs ambulance
- gear stuck down
- flaps stuck down
- evidence of exhaust leak
- etc., etc., etc.
 
One of the local TV news stations interviewed the on-scene NTSB investigator last night. The investigator quoted the pilot as saying "I may have cut power a bit too much on the right engine." Maybe somewhat unprofessional to provide that information to a TV crew, but the guy was a mature (60-ish), objective-sounding sort of person.

Hunter
 
Handsfield said:
One of the local TV news stations interviewed the on-scene NTSB investigator last night. The investigator quoted the pilot as saying "I may have cut power a bit too much on the right engine." Maybe somewhat unprofessional to provide that information to a TV crew, but the guy was a mature (60-ish), objective-sounding sort of person.Hunter
Click to expand...
Translation: the pilot wanted a short landing and pushed the right condition lever through the flight idle detent...that's a disaster in any turboprop unless it's already down.
 
So I'm talking to a freight-dog friend who is a NA-310 driver -- not about this subject, but just in general. Some of my best education has come from these guys.

As it turns out, where he works there is tremendous pressure to make your schedule -- and your schedule is totally unreasonable. Also, there is tremendous pressure to keep as few flight-hours on the equipment as possible.

So, he tells me that he flies his 310 down final at 140 indicated...and loves it when he gets to fly a short approach. The technique is to be abeam the numbers at 1,000 AGL...go to idle, drop the gear and flaps, yank a 60 degree bank, point the nose at the ground, and get it stopped before the end of the runway. They actually teach this stuff. (Names will be withheld to protect the not-so-innocent :) ).

Side note: Every time I'm given a visual and I fly to the OM to start an ILS (flown visually) I get a 'hurry up' message from approach or tower. There is probably something to a less-radical version of the above landing technique -- as far as making the system flow anyway...

So, anyway, hearing that story made me think about this thread. I wonder if any of this behavior contributed to the accident...
 
RobertGerace said:
Side note: Every time I'm given a visual and I fly to the OM to start an ILS (flown visually) I get a 'hurry up' message from approach or tower. There is probably something to a less-radical version of the above landing technique -- as far as making the system flow anyway...
Click to expand...

There are a couple of Class C airports where the tower has told me that they were going to give me a close base turn to work me into traffic flow. Accept it, or expect to hold 15 to 20 minutes. I take the turn.
 
This airplane is based at my airport. It's the second aircraft loss that company has had in two years. The other one was my good friend who came in too low on the ILS and not on the LOC and clipped some trees. The airplane flipped and he died in the ensuing fire.

I haven't been to the airport so I know nothing from there. I am sure glad the guys are alright.
 
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