VansAirForceForums  
Home > VansAirForceForums

- POSTING RULES
- Donate yearly (please).
- Advertise in here!

- Today's Posts | Insert Pics


Go Back   VAF Forums > Main > Safety
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-27-2012, 11:42 AM
Cadstat's Avatar
Cadstat Cadstat is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Greeley, Colorado
Posts: 199
Default Accident/Incident UN prevented

What more could I have done?
I watched my buddy in the next hanger finish his Zenair 701 over the last year. I warned him about the high speed taxi that I have seen damage so many light weight, low inertia planes and Ultralights. I offered to take him up in the RV for a little refresher. He said he would rent a Cessna before flying. He took a factory demo in type 2 years ago.
I wasn't there when he accidently lifted off last Thursday during a high speed taxi, cut the power and 'wheel barrowed' into the runway several times. Plane was not yet signed off. Prop gone and nose wheel almost through the floor board. Structural warps evident. Not quite a total. I feel I should have prevented this but how? Insurance in effect 2 weeks.
__________________
John D. Artz, EAA 71811, 100+ Young Eagle flts
Adopted Dave's 6A
MXL Ultralight, only bleeding after 3 landings
Scorpion Two Helicopter, big mistake
PA-28 and 210E Centurion
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-27-2012, 11:54 AM
ty1295 ty1295 is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Jeffersonville, IN
Posts: 393
Default

Sounds like your taking the blame for his lack of planning and fore thought?

Obviously you told him not to, even offered to take him flying. Aside from teaching him common sense and doing his own research not sure nor should you feel like you failed in this situation.
__________________
Jeff Scott
RV9A First Flight 9/30/19
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-27-2012, 11:56 AM
rv6ejguy's Avatar
rv6ejguy rv6ejguy is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Calgary, Canada
Posts: 5,766
Default

You feel bad for the guy but not your fault the guy passed up your very kind offer for some RV stick time to freshen up his rusty skills.

I just don't understand people lifting off during high speed taxi tests. If your stall speed is 50 knots, you pull back the throttle at 35- dirt simple. I did 30+ of these in my RV trying to solve a shimmy issue and test the unknown engine/prop/gearbox combo. Never came close to lifting off once because I called it quits at 40 knots every time and always did the tests in calm conditions.

The guy showed poor judgement in this case- twice. Maybe he needed this sort of brutal wakeup call before he really hurt himself later on.
__________________

Ross Farnham, Calgary, Alberta
Turbo Subaru EJ22, SDS EFI, Marcotte M-300, IVO, Shorai- RV6A C-GVZX flying from CYBW since 2003- 441.0 hrs. on the Hobbs,
RV10 95% built- Sold 2016
http://www.sdsefi.com/aircraft.html
http://sdsefi.com/cpi2.htm


Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-27-2012, 11:58 AM
TX7A TX7A is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Abilene, TX
Posts: 725
Default

Sounds like to me that you did your due diligence.
__________________
Sam Evans
RV7-A O-360 C/S
VAF#812
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-27-2012, 12:01 PM
LettersFromFlyoverCountry's Avatar
LettersFromFlyoverCountry LettersFromFlyoverCountry is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: St. Paul, MN.
Posts: 4,792
Default

This reminds me of the meeting with Mark Giron at Oshkosh and Paul Rosales talking about a person who he knows is building and about to fly unsafely.

Fools walk among us.
__________________
Bob Collins
St. Paul, MN.
Blog: Letters From Flyover Country
RV-12iS Powerplant kit
N612EF Builder log (EAA Builder log)
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-27-2012, 12:12 PM
BobTurner BobTurner is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Livermore, CA
Posts: 6,797
Default

Now comes the test of the insurance company's integrity. Will they attempt to deny coverage because the plane was flown, inadvertantly, without an A/W certificate?
I'd like to hear of the outcome, good or bad, and the name of the company. Just for my info.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-27-2012, 12:28 PM
Ironflight's Avatar
Ironflight Ironflight is offline
VAF Moderator / Line Boy
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Dayton, NV
Posts: 12,256
Default

Short of taking his keys away (which you couldn't legally do), I can't think of anything else - you did more than many would have! The truth is, if he didn't take anyone else with him, then frankly (as cruel as it may sound), he "got what he paid for"....

BTW - the problem with high speed taxi's is that too many folks who try to do them don't have the experience to do them right - they accelerate faster than expected, and sudden;ly find themselves flying. Although we tell people "don't do them", the long-form answer is actually "don't' do them unless you have the correct experience, have practiced, and have a legitimate reason for doing them (finding a particular problem, or testing an honestly knew airplane design).
__________________
Paul F. Dye
Editor at Large - KITPLANES Magazine
RV-8 - N188PD - "Valkyrie"
RV-6 (By Marriage) - N164MS - "Mikey"
RV-3B - N13PL - "Tsamsiyu"
A&P, EAA Tech Counselor/Flight Advisor
Dayton Valley Airpark (A34)
http://Ironflight.com
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-27-2012, 12:30 PM
Bob Axsom Bob Axsom is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,685
Default Who tells these fools there is something good about a high speed taxi?

Oh never mind.

Bob Axsom
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-27-2012, 12:42 PM
Bubblehead's Avatar
Bubblehead Bubblehead is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Keller, TX
Posts: 1,553
Default The secret of life

A man was searching for the secret of life. He went to the mountain top to see the wise guru, and asked him "What is the secret of life?"

The guru replied "Good Judgment."

The man thought for a minute, and asked the guru "Well, how do I get good judgment?"

The guru answered, "Bad judgment!"
__________________
RV-8 180 hp IO-360 N247TD with 10" SkyView!

VAF Donations Made 8/2019 and 12/2019
"Cum omni alio deficiente, ludere mortuis."
(When all else fails, play dead.)
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 08-27-2012, 12:57 PM
pierre smith's Avatar
pierre smith pierre smith is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Louisville, Ga
Posts: 7,840
Default

I recently also had the bad experience of finding out that the gent I had just given 5 hours plus, of transition training in his new-to-him -9A, folded his nosegear under, bent the prop and crank flange, bent motor mount and damaged lower cowling. Luckily, it stayed upright.

It was on our EAA airfield, The Pea Patch, 2,700' long and reasonably smooth. We did many, many landings and quite a few go-arounds and I had shown him the latest he could land and get stopped.

The day of the accident, he was in a hurry to get back to the Pea Patch because of approaching thunderstorms and landed long and hard and bounced and stuffed the nosegear on the subsequent nose dive.

He later said that he shouldn't have landed but instead gone around.

I felt sick for days and my wife consoled me. He had been seen doing many nice nose-high landings alone, since the training and was very comfortable in the airplane. I had suggested that he practise a dozen or more landings there before he took his wife or friends up and he did.

That's the way it goes.

Best,
__________________
Pierre Smith
RV-10, 510 TT
RV6A (Sojourner) 180 HP, Catto 3 Bl (502Hrs), gone...and already missed
Air Tractor AT 502B PT 6-15 Sold
Air Tractor 402 PT-6-20 Sold
EAA Flight Advisor/CFI/Tech Counselor
Louisville, Ga

It's never skill or craftsmanship that completes airplanes, it's the will to do so,
Patrick Kenny, EAA 275132


Dues gladly paid!
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:01 AM.


The VAFForums come to you courtesy Delta Romeo, LLC. By viewing and participating in them you agree to build your plane using standardized methods and practices and to fly it safely and in accordance with the laws governing the country you are located in.