At The Mercy Of Mechanics!
I had a maintenance-induced engine failure. Attached is the story (with pics) of my successful off-field landing on the beach on Jetty Island in an FBO's C-172. Loss of oil pressure and subsequent engine failure due to a mechanics’s mistake in complying with an AD and Lycoming SB No. 505B.
This is the note from the SB that the mechanic missed in Section II:
"h. After inspection, clean residual penetrants and developers from the crankshaft bore. Remove the lint-free cloth from the crankshaft bore prior to installing front crankshaft plug. Failure to do so may result in oil restriction within the engine and in turn cause engine failure."
Here is the SB:
BTW, that C-172 is still flying with the FBO today and I see it quite often on ADS-B IN.
On another occasion, I was towing sailplanes with a 235 HP Pawnee. Shortly after breaking ground on one tow, the engine suffered a large power loss accompanied by significant vibration (turned out to be a stuck valve). I continued the climb to about 300' AGL, an altitude from which I knew the sailplane could make a successful 180 for the conditions that existed that day, and waved off the sailplane. The sailplane made a 180 and landed back on the runway we took off from (an emergency procedure we practice for in sailplanes). I nursed the Pawnee around to another close runway and landed safely. At the time, as I was turning toward the other runway to land, I remember thinking how I liked that big, fat wing on the Pawnee!
On two different occasions with a Super Cub, the throttle's Bowden cable slipped after takeoff such that I could not increase or decrease power. Luckily the throttle was stuck at a power setting that allowed level flight. I ended up both times landing by modulating the mixture control to reduce power. Quite easy to do.
~7,000 hours in SEL airplanes and sailplanes.
(And remember, never trade luck for skill!
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