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almost a gear-up landing

R

Ronald Sutton

Member
I earned my keep to-day.
There was some confusion as to what was the actve run way. flying traffic was calling in for runway 27. One plane called in on final for runway 27, five miles out. The wind favored runway 9. All the ground traffic taxied to runway 9. I taxied to runway 9 and went through my CIGAR and runup. I heard a twin on base leg call in landing for runway 9. I watched him on final. He did not look right, strange, odd. As he crossed over the fence I saw that his gear was not down. I called, "Twin on final, Gear Down, Gear Down, Gear Down He said, "Thank You!" and made a go around. Yaw String:eek:
 
Nice job, that is the kind of thing the aviation community needs. Think of the trouble and cost you saved.

Peter
 
I would hope I had the presence of mind to say something myself... I know many people who would have watched the plane all the way to the runway waiting for the pilot to notice the error.
 
Dumb question

Probably a dumb question, but what acronym does CIGAR stand for? I have not heard that before but I'm sure can learn from it. Thanks.
 
Controls, instruments, gas, airplane, radios, I also add S for safety. All said while touching and/or actuating the item in question

Controls - free and correct
Instruments- altimeter, dg
Gas-on fullest or appropriate tank
Aircraft - run up, mag check, cycle prop
Radios - xpdr on alt or auto, vors tuned, GPS set up, comm freq set
Safety - belts buckled, pumps on, weapons safed etc
 
Wow! I had no idea there were variations on CIGAR(S). In my aircraft I do:

Controls: free and correct
Instruments: working and set
Gasoline: sufficient for flight
Attitude: proper pitch (and rudder/aileron) trim set
Runup: check mags, carb heat, prop, vacuum, alternator charging
Safety: seat belts, doors/canopy closed
 
Buggsy2 said:
Wow! I had no idea there were variations on CIGAR(S). In my aircraft I do:

Controls: free and correct
Instruments: working and set
Gasoline: sufficient for flight
Attitude: proper pitch (and rudder/aileron) trim set
Runup: check mags, carb heat, prop, vacuum, alternator charging
Safety: seat belts, doors/canopy closed
Click to expand...

This. I guess you can make a mnemonic checklist whatever you want, as long as it works for you, but I always considered CIGARS to be used in very simple airplanes as a way to cover the important stuff....ie. not radios.
 
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checklists

Buggsy2 said:
Wow! I had no idea there were variations on CIGAR(S). In my aircraft I do:

Controls: free and correct
Instruments: working and set
Gasoline: sufficient for flight
Attitude: proper pitch (and rudder/aileron) trim set
Runup: check mags, carb heat, prop, vacuum, alternator charging
Safety: seat belts, doors/canopy closed
Click to expand...

This is the variant I learned too.
I believe that short, simple check-lists are best because they check the important stuff and not the 25 other items that are less flight-safety critical. I find on a long checklist, it is easier to skip through items, and there is a chance of skipping an important one.

For landing in power planes, many use GUMP
Gas
Undercarriage
Mixture
Prop

under 'gas', I check alternate air (or carb heat), boost pump, and tank selected.

For landing in gliders, I use

Gear
Flaps
Spoilers
Airspeed (which includes checking wind, runway selection, trim)
Traffic

Too bad GFSAT isn't some catchy name, but it works for me.
 
IMHO if your plane does not have a written checklist,,,you should take the time to make one, laminate it, and follow it.
 
Good save! The owner of that twin owes you a steak dinner and a case of tasty adult beverages.
 
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Champ with electrics!

Ronald Sutton said:
CIGAR controls-intruments-gas-atitude-run up
Old 7AC champ preflight[/QUOTE

CIGARRS

Controls
Instruments
Gas
Attitude
Radios
Runup
Seatbelts

I caught a TBM on final at Midland without the gear...maybe someday another pilot will return the favor?

Carry on!
Mark
Click to expand...
 
9GT said:
IMHO if your plane does not have a written checklist,,,you should take the time to make one, laminate it, and follow it.
Click to expand...

You think people should make a laminated one-word checklist? ;) If you can't remember one word, you probably won't remember to pull the checklist out.
 
Check List

I'm for a written check list too. My Cherokee had one printed on the instrument panel.

My favorite fixed-pitch, before landing check list acronym is FEM-gem:

Fuel on proper tank
Electric fuel pump on
Mixture rich

and three green lights (gems) indicating the gear on my Cherokee was down and welded... :D

Something for you CFIs to consider. Have your students add a gear check to their landing list from day one. Then the day they transition to retractable gear it will be second nature.
 
There are a million posts if you want to argue written check lists vs mental tools like CIGARS. Do a search and spend a few hours. It is one of those never ending debates with strong opinions on both sides.

Regardless, your scan is equally important. Left to right, outside and inside. Then repeat.... Had the almost accident pilot done a quick logical scan, he should have seen his gear indicator or lever position.
 
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Once many years ago when SWRFI was at Kerrville, there was a Bonanza lining up on runway 20. (Closed for the fly-in with notam, big "Xs" and everything).
We got on the radio and told him that that runway was closed and to use runway 30. He responded and promptly lined up on runway 2. Again we told him to use runway 30. He again responded and lined up on runway 20 again. We told him once again to use runway 30. This time he turned downwind for 30. Finally!
We went back to our conversation. A couple of minutes later one of the guys in our group looked up and saw the Bonanza on short final for 30 with wheels up.
We got on the radio and cautioned him that his wheel were up. He responded with a casual "Thank you", went around, and finally landed 30 with wheels down.
When he parked, 2 elderly gentlemen got out as if nothing had happened.
 
Mel,

I have noticed the older I get the the more I have fine-tuned the term, "elderly", to mean somebody older than me! Since the two elderly guys in your story had taxied for at least five minutes before shutdown, they had probably already forgotten that anything "unusual" had happened at all.

Getting old ain't for the fainthearted!

Jim
 
Our best gestimate of the gentlemen's age was low to mid 80s.
I understand completely about the shift of "elderly" with an increase of longevity.
Suffice it to say that the 2 were experienced at seniority!
 
+1 for Karma .. nice job! It will minimize your chance of a gear up landing with your RV ;-) . You are owed a nice bottle of Scotch, single malt, > 25 years in the barrel (or your favorite equivalent).
 
Ten or twelve years ago I was working on my Cessna at the tie down which was adjacent to the taxiway.I looked up to see an RV 6A taxing for takeoff, pushing his nose wheel tow bar. I stepped in front of him, stopped him and had him shut down his engine. I unlatched his tow bar and handed it to him.
I don't know if he could have taken off with the tow bar attached or not. Had he taken off I'm sure the landing would have been at least an incident.
Be careful with your pre flight. You might tow your plane out of the hangar and then do your pre flight.
 
Forgetting to put the gear down often seems to be caused by preoccupation with another problem - call it 'tunnel vision'.
We sat waiting for takeoff one day when a Cessna 337 called a mayday and was cleared for landing. The guy knew his plane wasn't performing but he didn't know why. On base leg we saw the gear was up and alerted the tower.
The tower called him every few seconds but he was so focused on getting the aircraft down he didn't hear, and slid to a stop on his belly. Typical tunnel vision.
You probably guessed his problem. The rear engine had quit - not so easy to spot on a 337.
 
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