Time to spare, go by air

I already joked with you privately last night that NE eats airplanes. But I just saw today it was North Platte. That's where my ignition lead self-destructed during a run-up a couple years ago too. LOL.

And oh yeah, it was just a fuel stop too, and I did a full run-up. What a crock of crap if someone is saying they're not needed other than start of the day.

Maybe the wire fell off the plug in flight. Maybe at landing. Maybe taxiing out. Maybe a fancy engine monitor would have seen it sooner. Whatever. Doesn't matter. The run-up (and chattering of my teeth) told me we were done flying for the day.

And we "enjoyed" our Westbound rental car as much as you guys "enjoyed" your east-bound one. The shop there in North Platte did a fine job on our repair and the front desk has freshly baked cookies most of the time... :) :) :)
 
We had to IRAN the mags on the 182. It was a 500hr required AD.
 
We had to IRAN the mags on the 182. It was a 500hr required AD.


I doubt an entire 500 hr magneto inspection/servicing was ever required by an AD. There was probably an AD on a part or a component of the mag such as the impulse coupling or a coil that required inspection.

If you believe there is an AD that requires a magneto 500hr inspection in accordance with the OEM maintenance manual (which tests coils, capacitors, greasing bearings, sets e-gap, cleaning etc) please provide the AD number.
 
Last edited:
I also realized last night that I forgot my car keys in the airplane - which means I have to ride my motorcycle around in the 100 degree heat (not that I'm really complaining, but I don't want to have a heat stroke)
 
I also realized last night that I forgot my car keys in the airplane - which means I have to ride my motorcycle around in the 100 degree heat (not that I'm really complaining, but I don't want to have a heat stroke)

Have Jesse throw a Homer bucket of water on you then drive fast. :)
 
Did you sample the fuel and check it for oily residue on a piece of paper? What's the outcome of what has been done since it was parked?
 
Did you sample the fuel and check it for oily residue on a piece of paper? What's the outcome of what has been done since it was parked?

Haven't heard anything yet. When I sumped the fuel it was blue though.
 
Haven't heard anything yet. When I sumped the fuel it was blue though.

That doesn't mean anything, if you mix 30 gallons go Jet A with 10 gallons of 100LL, it will be blue. You should have retained a sample. First thing you do when you have a problem like that is get a piece of paper and soak it with a fuel sample. If the paper maintains an oily residue, the fuel was contaminated with JetA and the engine is now unsafe to continue operating even if the fuel system is flushed and symptoms eliminated. If the FBO finds that they contaminated the fuel and don't want to buy you an engine, without your own evidence and knowledge of the fuel contamination, they can flush the system and get fresh fuel in it, tell you something else was wrong and bill for the repair, and send you off with an engine that may catastrophically fail in the near future.

Seeing to the diagnosis and repair of the plane you are charged with operating is part of your job as a professional pilot, not heading home in a rent a car.
 
Well, my idea of fun isn't spending my weekend in north Platte, NE without a car waiting for some pokey mechanics to figure out what's wrong.

I watched them fuel it with the 100LL truck.
 
I think that was his point. Jobs aren't always fun.

Well, my idea of fun isn't spending my weekend in north Platte, NE without a car waiting for some pokey mechanics to figure out what's wrong.

I watched them fuel it with the 100LL truck.
 
Well, my idea of fun isn't spending my weekend in north Platte, NE without a car waiting for some pokey mechanics to figure out what's wrong.

I watched them fuel it with the 100LL truck.

If I'm not getting paid its not a job - my boss wanted us to come home.

Wrong Answer.

Dude, you are pilot in COMMAND. You tell your boss that you are going to need to be there until it's figured out, and he will have to pay you and your expenses. YOU are the expert, the PROFESSIONAL in your company's aviation department, you tell him what is required. This isn't about flying friends around for jollies, this is about you being responsible for your passenger's lives and protecting your employer from liability incurred from the mistakes of others. You still should have sampled and tested the fuel at first sign of these problems when you shut down, not called for a replacement aircraft. That plane is your tool for making a living, taking care of that tool is your responsibility as much as flying it. On top of everything else, your LIFE depends on what the result of that fuel test is. You watched them fill a Warrior from that truck, do you know the outcome of that flight? Do you know the fuel came from the same tank sector in the truck? You reached a conclusion from insufficient evidence. Are you planning to have a visual inspection of the piston tops before you take up a passenger again?
 
Last edited:
I'm 100% it's not fuel. It's done something similar before (With Jesse and I flying it) but this was just much more noticeable - and Jesse and I couldn't reproduce it. I wrote it off as a gremlin, now I'm thinking perhaps a partially blocked fuel line or bad spark or something.
 
I'm 100% it's not fuel. It's done something similar before (With Jesse and I flying it) but this was just much more noticeable - and Jesse and I couldn't reproduce it. I wrote it off as a gremlin, now I'm thinking perhaps a partially blocked fuel line or bad spark or something.

Does not excuse not testing for it. "I think" is not a method of diagnostics, testing and eliminating possibilities one at a time, starting with the cheapest, easiest and most obvious first and continuing is how one diagnoses problems. Due to the severity of the consequences of contaminated fuel, this is always performed first since all it costs is 2¢ worth of fuel and a piece of paper.
 
I'll call the FSDO and schedule an appointment to turn in all my certificates, along with the local Sushi place to arrange Harikari (I imagine they know how do it?)
 
It's unlikely him sitting around for 5 days while the mechanics enjoy their time off with their family would have been likely to accomplish much of anything more than cost his company money.

Given the above and the fact that companies equipment and surveyor had to return to Lincoln it was logical for David to as well.
 
I'll call the FSDO and schedule an appointment to turn in all my certificates, along with the local Sushi place to arrange Harikari (I imagine they know how do it?)

Order the fugu, if you survive, all is forgiven. Just learn David, and take it more seriously.
 
Does not excuse not testing for it. "I think" is not a method of diagnostics, testing and eliminating possibilities one at a time, starting with the cheapest, easiest and most obvious first and continuing is how one diagnoses problems. Due to the severity of the consequences of contaminated fuel, this is always performed first since all it costs is 2¢ worth of fuel and a piece of paper.
He's got a very good point, David. At the least you would have proof that is isn't a half-a$$ed concoction the mechanics come up with to blame something other than bad fuel.
 
I'll call the FSDO and schedule an appointment to turn in all my certificates, along with the local Sushi place to arrange Harikari (I imagine they know how do it?)
Not in Nebraska. Sushi in Nebraska is generally prepared by Mexicans, as is most other food in restaurants (except Chinese restaurants, which generally have both Mexican and Korean cooks).
 
Wrong Answer.

Dude, you are pilot in COMMAND. You tell your boss that you are going to need to be there until it's figured out, and he will have to pay you and your expenses. YOU are the expert, the PROFESSIONAL in your company's aviation department, you tell him what is required. This isn't about flying friends around for jollies, this is about you being responsible for your passenger's lives and protecting your employer from liability incurred from the mistakes of others. You still should have sampled and tested the fuel at first sign of these problems when you shut down, not called for a replacement aircraft. That plane is your tool for making a living, taking care of that tool is your responsibility as much as flying it. On top of everything else, your LIFE depends on what the result of that fuel test is. You watched them fill a Warrior from that truck, do you know the outcome of that flight? Do you know the fuel came from the same tank sector in the truck? You reached a conclusion from insufficient evidence. Are you planning to have a visual inspection of the piston tops before you take up a passenger again?

What a load of crap. His "LIFE" depends on the result of that fuel test? :rofl:
Since he didn't see the piston tops before the breakdown an inspection now wouldn't tell him anything conclusive about the breakdown. Get real or get off the soapbox. By the way, you are not qualified to counsel David on job responsibilities.
 
What a load of crap. His "LIFE" depends on the result of that fuel test? :rofl:
Since he didn't see the piston tops before the breakdown an inspection now wouldn't tell him anything conclusive about the breakdown. Get real or get off the soapbox. By the way, you are not qualified to counsel David on job responsibilities.

You can see damage caused by "Dieseling", JetA in the fuel can weaken pistons and heads leading to failure. Having an engine fail in flight is a life threatening event. The simple test will either confirm or eliminate whether fuel contamination was the issue.
 
Not in Nebraska. Sushi in Nebraska is generally prepared by Mexicans, as is most other food in restaurants (except Chinese restaurants, which generally have both Mexican and Korean cooks).

They rounded up all 4 asians in Lincoln and have them working at a spot downtown - it's very good. Come down sometime I'll buy.
 
Wait, you found more than one mechanic in North Platte? The other one must have been hiding the days I was there. ;)
 
It's pretty much impossible to fill an 100LL truck with Jet-A. The connections from the tanks are usually different. Unless they physically took a Jet-A truck and took the overwing nozzle up to the top of the 100LL truck and started fillin'er'up it wouldn't happen. I don't quite understand why you got so bent out of shape Henning.
 
You can see damage caused by "Dieseling", JetA in the fuel can weaken pistons and heads leading to failure. Having an engine fail in flight is a life threatening event. The simple test will either confirm or eliminate whether fuel contamination was the issue.

A normally aspirated engine with low compression won't detonate simply because there is a little kerosene in the gas. Or a lot of kerosene. It will just quit running.

An engine can quit any time for just about any reason. You are being overly dramatic for no purpose but your own.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top