Pre-First Flight Testing

Well, I ducked out for awhile cuz I needed my head to clear.... Ok, so been there done that...I'm back with a safety example - in other words, DONT DO THIS!

This is from the Lancair Mail List. It's a brand new Lancair IV PT and beyond that, I know NO specifics, but certainly feel really bad for the owner/builder.

This was also discussed here a few weeks ago. Please *dont* let this happen to you (course, I know of no RV's with a 750BHP turbine on the front).

As you can see, this was not tied down, it probably had "green" brakes, it only used little blocks for chocks and it appears they expected the brakes to hold the HP back while they did an engine run, the rest is self explanitory ... Let's not even speculate as to the cost, it would be scary!

Ok, so put this one in your "safety file" and don't be a statistic.

http://bellsouthpwp2.net/n/e/ne1h/Dontdothis.wmv - I cut off the last few seconds due to the BAD words!

Can't seem to download that file...can you check the link?

Hmmm

pbesing said:

Can't seem to download that file...can you check the link?

Click to expand...

I just checked it and it's fine...I'll see if I can host it on an alternative site.... Check back in a couple mins...

UPDATE:
I just checked it and it's fine.... It's a Windows Media file and so you'll need Windows Media Player to play it. If it won't open from the link, try opening the same URL in Windows media player.

Let me know if others have problems.... I'll convert it to a different format if so...

The file isn't the issue...I can't connect to the site at all. Must be where I'm located or something, but it can't even find the domain.

Ouch

I guess the point is to expect the unexpected. I was surprised to see the right gear leg collapse like that. Something must have been wrong with it.

Hmm...

pbesing said:

The file isn't the issue...I can't connect to the site at all. Must be where I'm located or something, but it can't even find the domain.

Click to expand...

Paul, not sure what to tell you... here is the link to the original... Be warned, the last few seconds have some pretty expected, but pretty bad language... also, it's a 2M file... the version I edited above is only 400K.


http://www.lancaironline.net/archives/DontDoThis.mpeg

Sad indeed.

rv8ch said:

I guess the point is to expect the unexpected. I was surprised to see the right gear leg collapse like that. Something must have been wrong with it.

Click to expand...

Could have been... I think we all need to take that first engine start, *very* serious. The notes that I remember from before.

- Tie the aircraft down at the tail expecially (I don't think I'd trust the tail tie down, I'd construct some sort of non-evasive restraint around the entire tail.)
- Use *real* chocks
- Don't expect the brakes to hold
- Have someone on a handheld talking to the test pilot
- Have a fire extinguisher in hand and at the ready
- Do not stand in the line of the propeller (incase of separation)
- I probably wouldn't suggest this be done "between hangars" as this one was... That nose gear could have just as easily turned once the airplane was off the blocks and falling and if a hanger where opened, things could have got lots worse

I've probably missed a few 100 items.... Maybe we should start a Do's and Don'ts of both first engine start, and first flight.

(NOTE to dr, I didn't find a "safety" forum or I would have posted this there... Maybe I missed it, but it seems like a reasonable category of topics?)

Oh that hurts...looks like the right brake held up or something and caused the gear to fail. Any further reports on it? Was the airplane totalled?

pbesing said:

Oh that hurts...looks like the right brake held up or something and caused the gear to fail. Any further reports on it? Was the airplane totalled?

Click to expand...

Paul, I don't have any more info. If you look close, you can see that both the nose gear and the right wheel, had what look like 2x4 pieces (or maybe 1x2) that were acting like "chocks". You see one blow away from the propeller and then you can see the right wheel set track the gear as it is "dragged" along.

Remember, this is a 750BHP Turbine. I'm not sure what the builder/owner was thinking... That much torque/power could cause any improper built item to fail. You'll also notice that both the nose gear and the right gear leg start to oscillate prior to failure. Could also be that the "squat switch" was INOP (this was a test run), and the guy in the airplane, hit the gear switch, while attempting to shutdown the engine as it was dragging the airplane with the chocks.

Either way, I post this as an extreme example of what to be prepared for and what NOT to do...

Let me get this straight; a Lancair falls over on it's side while taxiing 5 feet, and no one gets all worked up about the "design flaw" of the gear leg?

I guess we don't have to worry about the RV nose gear "issue" anymore since at least you have to hit something or put it in a hole in order to have a problem.

Seriously, it really is a sad time for that builder. I'll bet there are already a dozen things he knows he did wrong that led up to that and is kicking himself all the way home while trying to figure out how not to tell his wife about it.
Gives us all something to think about, don't it?

rv8ch said:

I guess the point is to expect the unexpected. I was surprised to see the right gear leg collapse like that. Something must have been wrong with it.

Click to expand...

First off, I don't have a CLUE as what went wrong here and I hope all is well with those involved.

Here I some things I **think** I see (or don't see) in the video ...

- I did not see a set of chocks under the nosewheel.
- The chock on the left main was blown away it seems by prop wash in the very beginning.
- The plane then (with all that power I guess) seems to want to move forward and thus the right wheel becomes the pivot point.
- Lots of side loading ... look at the nose wheel.
- The "un-natural" (???) loading contributes to gear folding?

So the safety take-aways I get along with those already mentioned also includes:

- Get some SERIOUS chocks and have them on both sides of the tires (all three).
- Have multiple spotters with radios if possible

One final comment .. I remember somewhere in RV land there was a note to NEVER do a first run on an RV WITHOUT the wings. As I recall there is a stabilizing effect contributed by the wings. So I would make sure that was the case as well.

In the spirit of keeping it safe,

James

jclark said:

- Get some SERIOUS chocks and have them on both sides of the tires (all three).

Click to expand...

I think there's a name for those serious chocks...they're called ROPES.

I've seen and read about more "iffy" first engine runs than I care to admit. I know it's an exciting time (been there done that), but just like the first flight, we need to remove emotion from the equation. Be entirely objective. Logical. Careful!

Also remember....the gear are designed to support the aircraft weight and landing forces, not the extremely high horizontal force produced by the thrust of an engine like this one.

I don't think this is a chock failure. I don't know this for sure without doing some calculations, but I bet even if all three wheels were chained down, there is a good chance the gear would still have collapsed. From the video, it appears the brake was holding on the right main, and it bent over like a wet noodle. IMHO, ropes secured at structurally solid locations are ABSOLUTELY necessary, especially for the higher hp aircraft.

After looking at the video several times in succession and paying particuliar attention to the right main it appears that that brake/chock actually held quite well. It (the right main) was also on either a painted line or frozen water or both. There appears to be snow all over the in the background.

Looks like the brakes and chock did their job quite well right up to the point when the tire and chock got a bit more traction after sliding off off the paint or frozen water and the gear twisted and failed.

Those more familiar with this airframe could comment on the angle of the gear in relation to the fuse. It appears that IF the rest of the airframe had been there, the gear would have been flex out a bit more and would have helped with the side loads generated by the rocking that came from jumping the chock. Also, I can't help but wonder if the gear was actually completly installed and not just bolted in place for ease of movement otherwise we would hear more about this type of failure during normal braking on landing.

Must have really broken the builders heart, I feel for the guy.

Lancair

You can see the right gear dragging the chalk, engine power wins and the gear collapses. Not pretty.

A while back, in another thread, someone questioned why those of us with Eggenfellner Subaru engines made such a big deal about being able to run the engine with no prop installed. Well, I was able to do my first engine runs with the airplane in my workshop with no wings or tail surfaces installed and walk around the engine looking for fluid leaks and such without worrying about a whirling prop and with no wind blowing stuff around. I'll save the power runs for the airport with a fully assembled airplane.

good traction

amazing the tires held. I would expect the tires to skid.......