What I learned today. Things snowball.

TheGolfPilot

TheGolfPilot

Line Up and Wait
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Jan 16, 2015
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Modesto, CA
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Golfpilot
This morning I had a meeting in the Sacramento foothills. I was running a little bit behind but still made time to preflight and stuff. Then right as I put the tow bar on nose to pull the plane out of the sun shade a Tesla rolls up to a hangar down my row and starts to pull a cirrus out of the hangar. Hasn't done a preflight and has a passenger who obviously had no clue what is going on. "Hey I'm about to start up" he responded with "I'm leaving soon" F$#%. I sat there in my plane behind this guy as he loads up his pasenger, parks his car, does a pre-flight, and so on. I think he felt urgency since I was sitting there but he really should have done his preflight and loading stuff in the hangar. Well needless to say I was feeling anxiety at this point as now I am LATE. I do a quick run up, flow check, mags, carb, etc, set the gps and off I went.

In the climb I am taking a look at the radar and notice a thunderstorm popping up, unforecasted, over sacramento. Crap that is where I am going. Then I started to feel a slight knocking in the engine. WTF. I also notice I am not really getting the power I am supposed to get and am going through 3000' I look at the EGT and they were about 50-100 warmer than normal. Wasn't an alarming number, just seemed really high. I realize there were multiple problems here. I turned back.

Once I knew I had the runway made I started investigating my heat issue. Flow checked things. Mags first. Yep, found the problem. In my rushed runup I failed to turn the key all the way back to both, I was running on one mag.

After landing I spent a minute in the run up to make sure I wasn't fouled up or something then taxied back in. I called my meeting and told them I wasn't getting there today. Those thunderstorms would have probably sent me back anyway, eventually, but a mix between weather, getting flustered, and being in a hurry caught me in a bad place.

In the end, everything worked out, but it was a real lesson learned.
 
Damn Tesla drivers!

That was inconsiderate of the other guy. Kudos to you for chalking it up as a learning experience!
 
You couldn't have turned your airplane around and taxied the other way? I mean, I know it would have blown fod all over his shiny car and airplane, but it will all be over soon, right?
 
Good call. When you’re making simple mistakes at least stop & take a few deep breaths and get yourself together.

My 1st instructor taught me to check mags both-left-both-right- both. Prevents the 1 click instead of 2 issue.
 
Good call. As I was driving to work this morning in the north bay, I was noticing the cumulous clouds thinking it was going to be bumpy up there today.
 
I would have gone ahead and started up the plane.

One time I was in the plane with passengers and about to start. A van pulled up and parked in front of me. I continued with starting both engines then put the nose of the plane just about a foot away from the driver door. And started the run up. The driver just about burned the tires off the van trying to get away from me.

The driver is a pilot for a living.

This was at night, and I had the beacons on before start up....:frown2:
 
EppyGA said:
My CFI taught me to go over to "R" first, back to both then to "L" and back to both. Not likely to make that mistake since you are only one click away from both when you finish.

View attachment 63064
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Eh, so did my cfi but since then I go 2 clicks to the left, one to the right, then one more to both. So 4 clicks and I’m also only one click from both but I did it in 4 clicks and you did it in 6. I’m in IT and I’m all about doing the same job in less clicks. But obviously both get the job done.
 
Not all pilots are considerate people,they suffer from the ( it’s all about me syndrome) .
 
Curious as to why running on 1 mag would cause the engine to run 50-100 degrees warmer than normal?
 
EppyGA said:
My CFI taught me to go over to "R" first, back to both then to "L" and back to both. Not likely to make that mistake since you are only one click away from both when you finish.

View attachment 63064
Click to expand...

+1

eman1200 said:
Eh, so did my cfi but since then I go 2 clicks to the left, one to the right, then one more to both. So 4 clicks and I’m also only one click from both but I did it in 4 clicks and you did it in 6. I’m in IT and I’m all about doing the same job in less clicks. But obviously both get the job done.
Click to expand...

*click* *click*


Seriously, I go back to both between each mag check as I like to observe the rise back to test RPM before testing the second mag.
 
Is there only 1 way out? I’ve had to go the “back way” out a few times. Another reason I like to do dawn launches.
 
BPM said:
Curious as to why running on 1 mag would cause the engine to run 50-100 degrees warmer than normal?
Click to expand...
Incomplete combustion, which results in some of the fuel still burning as it exits the exhaust valve. The EGT then shows a higher temperature.
 
I have the same problem a LOT. I'm at the end of the row of hangars and there is only one way in and out. I've found just about everyone in the row is really considerate though. I've yet to have anyone pull out and airplane in front of me and stall me up that badly. Fairly inconsiderate pilot really.

And I do think the OP did the right thing. Better to land, get it sorted out, and get yourself sorted out. Break the chain.
 
eman1200 said:
Eh, so did my cfi but since then I go 2 clicks to the left, one to the right, then one more to both. So 4 clicks and I’m also only one click from both but I did it in 4 clicks and you did it in 6. I’m in IT and I’m all about doing the same job in less clicks. But obviously both get the job done.
Click to expand...

The logic for the 6 clicks,I think, is so students can watch the drop from both to the individual mag. Starting with "both" on each will provide a more visual cue that things aren't right when the needle takes a dive past what is acceptable. And also the not so guaranteed notion that the student will be less likely to leave it on one mag. That said, I still do it that way, mostly out of habit...but I like your method...
 
steingar said:
I have the same problem a LOT. I'm at the end of the row of hangars and there is only one way in and out.
Click to expand...

I have problems at my airport. We're down towards the end of a one way out taxiway, and other idiot pilots park their cars near the FBO in the movement area instead of the huge parking lot just outside. Unbelievable! After I pull the airplane out of the hangar I always have to walk back up and get these people to move their cars.

Capture.JPG
 
eman1200 said:
Eh, so did my cfi but since then I go 2 clicks to the left, one to the right, then one more to both. So 4 clicks and I’m also only one click from both but I did it in 4 clicks and you did it in 6. I’m in IT and I’m all about doing the same job in less clicks. But obviously both get the job done.
Click to expand...

I used to do the 4 click method. Then I watched a Cessna do it while talking to a mechanic, one mag did not work. The pilot was quick to switch but the engine spun enough to make a really loud racket as it either had pre-ignition or detonation from the missed cycle. The mechanics comment, that pilot is always in a rush, and now the plane should be grounded while they inspect all the valves. I would rather waste one second, and wear out a starter switch then risk that racket the engine made.

Tim
 
mscard88 said:
Someone looking out for you. Oh, checklist. Use it. Never rush!

Mag check I teach is two clicks L, check drop, two clicks back (to both).
Then one click left, check drop, one click back (to both). Has worked great since I started flying in '74.
Click to expand...

I do the same. Costs 2seconds (ok maybe 4) more than going R, L then both. Hardest part is remembering what the drop was on the R when you go back to the L.
But kudos to the OP for calling it. The mag issue and an unexpected Cb = two strikes. Wouldn’t want to hang around and see what Strike 3 delivers.
 
eman1200 said:
Eh, so did my cfi but since then I go 2 clicks to the left, one to the right, then one more to both. So 4 clicks and I’m also only one click from both but I did it in 4 clicks and you did it in 6. I’m in IT and I’m all about doing the same job in less clicks. But obviously both get the job done.
Click to expand...


I just make sure that rpm returns to the original "both" value of 1800-1820 rpm after the mag check...no counting of clicks needed. And even though I've checked everything in the run-up, I always scan four items again before I pull past the hold-short line: mags to both, flaps up, full rich mixture (or best power) and elevator trim neutral.
 
BPM said:
Curious as to why running on 1 mag would cause the engine to run 50-100 degrees warmer than normal?
Click to expand...
Fuel still burning as it exits the cylinder? Fuel still burning because it was ignited from only one side, and hadn't burned all the way to the other side by the time the exhaust valve opens. Also causes a side load on the piston in the cylinder.
 
mscard88 said:
Mag check I teach is two clicks L, check drop, two clicks back (to both).
Then one click left, check drop, one click back (to both). Has worked great since I started flying in '74.
Click to expand...
I do "1-1-2-2 Booger Booger Avenue" and watch the rise when selecting both. Never taken off on one mag because of the way I do a mag check.

I had a chief pilot years ago who demanded after a training event that I switch to 2-2-1-1 because you can never take off on one mag that way. Six months later, he was on my case because I was still doing it "wrong". I told him I gave it an honest try, and while I never took off on one mag, I have no idea how many times I only checked one mag twice, so I went back to getting the job done. Habits are as important as technique sometimes. ;)
 
mscard88 said:
Someone looking out for you. Oh, checklist. Use it. Never rush!

Mag check I teach is two clicks L, check drop, two clicks back (to both).
Then one click left, check drop, one click back (to both). Has worked great since I started flying in '74.
Click to expand...

I've always done it that way.
 
I’m sure I’ll find the exception at some point, but I’ve noticed that every SNAFU moment I’ve had since I got my certificate last year has always come back to me rushing. And it’s usually me rushing me. Working on that.
 
Bulldog573 said:
I’m sure I’ll find the exception at some point, but I’ve noticed that every SNAFU moment I’ve had since I got my certificate last year has always come back to me rushing. And it’s usually me rushing me. Working on that.
Click to expand...
This. And anything that disturbs your routine flow.
 
How did your result coincide with your checklist?

I find that when I miss things, I had ran by it on the checklist...
 
What if you forget where you are during the mag check? I'm getting back into flying after a long lapse and recently was doing a run-up while the CFI was trying to distract me (or just being chatty). I have always done 2-2-1-1, but I lost my concentration and with a very old and loose key switch it's hard to tell visually if the key was back to BOTH or still on the L mag. I asked the CFI what would happen if I was on BOTH but thought I was on L and then actually turned the key to START. They didn't know. And I didn't want to find out. I remember with old cars (not sure about newer ones) if you turn to START while the engine's already running you'll get a horrific grinding as the solenoid plunges the starter gear into the flywheel. In an old C172 I wonder if that would happen? What I chose to do then was check by turning the key counter-clockwise one-too-many and almost killed the engine by switching to OFF for a split second :oops:
 
Sluggo63 said:
Was there an option to not “preflight and stuff” if you were running even later?
Click to expand...
Think he was heading off any concerns that he didn't preflight the aircraft that would have resulted from him saying he was already running late without adding that disclaimer.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
Switching to off is fine and better. I do that before every shutdown to check the switch and p-leads are functional, before pulling mixture full lean to kill the engine. Turning the key to start will grind the starter as you suspect.
 
Lemme get this right: the guy had a Cirrus and a Tesla?
 
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