SC3CM
Registered User
Just read Cliff's post from the WAD flyin, and didn't want to hijack the other thread, but here's my little learning experience from the weekend. People will have different thoughts, but it may save someone one day so posting/talking abuot this stuff in my opinion is a great way to help others, and to learn.
The family and I (wife, 11 yo son and 9 yo daughter) loaded up the Cherokee to head to Greenville. I would have loved to hit WAD in the Super Cruiser, but the kids love the float plane fly in so that's become a traditional family weekend.
We flew up Friday from south of Boston and were in IMC most of the way at 5 and 7000 feet. We had to shoot the GPS 14 approach to 3B1, and didn't break out until just above mins, which is about pattern altitude there. I was right in line for joining downwind for RWY 03 which is what people were using and ended up #3 behind a nice Kodiak and a 182. It was a pretty uneventful flight until the prop stopped maybe .5 miles or so short of the rwy. I'm not 100% positive how far out we were or what our altitude was exactly because I was a bit distracted and forgot to gather these bits of info others I've spoken to after have thought I should have. At any rate, I kept the airspeed up, made the runway and rolled out long turning off on the taxiway and stopped.
After a lot of thought/troubleshooting/double checking and what not, I figured it was almost certainly carb ice. I've always heard this would be a bit more noticeable with rough engine, drop in RPM etc..., but in our situation the prop just stopped. I had the power set at about 1600 RPM.
What saved our a$$es??? Well, I tend to fly a higher faster pattern than the CFI's like for the Cherokee and have actually argued with a few at BFR time about this. I also had a long runway and with gusty winds to 17kts so only had 2 notches of flaps. Had I been on the numbers the CFI's would like to see there is a good chance I would have come up short of the runway. I did NOT have the carb heat on, because there had been no indication of carb ice, and prior to this, my SOP in the 180 (and ONLY in the 180 due to the design) was to put the carb heat on only if there were signs of carb ice. I always use carb heat in the Super Cruiser, and have always on Cessna's. I understand how and when carb ice is a factor, but relied too much on the thought that in the 180 you only use it when you have signs of carb ice.
I learned my lesson there with what I feel was a pretty light slap on the wrist.
Good decisions: I was high and slightly fast.
Bad decision: Didn't use the carb heat prior to signs of carb ice.
I got away with one, but as Cliff said I'm now a better pilot for it.
Oh, and the ice cold beer I had that night couldn’t have been better!!!
The family and I (wife, 11 yo son and 9 yo daughter) loaded up the Cherokee to head to Greenville. I would have loved to hit WAD in the Super Cruiser, but the kids love the float plane fly in so that's become a traditional family weekend.
We flew up Friday from south of Boston and were in IMC most of the way at 5 and 7000 feet. We had to shoot the GPS 14 approach to 3B1, and didn't break out until just above mins, which is about pattern altitude there. I was right in line for joining downwind for RWY 03 which is what people were using and ended up #3 behind a nice Kodiak and a 182. It was a pretty uneventful flight until the prop stopped maybe .5 miles or so short of the rwy. I'm not 100% positive how far out we were or what our altitude was exactly because I was a bit distracted and forgot to gather these bits of info others I've spoken to after have thought I should have. At any rate, I kept the airspeed up, made the runway and rolled out long turning off on the taxiway and stopped.
After a lot of thought/troubleshooting/double checking and what not, I figured it was almost certainly carb ice. I've always heard this would be a bit more noticeable with rough engine, drop in RPM etc..., but in our situation the prop just stopped. I had the power set at about 1600 RPM.
What saved our a$$es??? Well, I tend to fly a higher faster pattern than the CFI's like for the Cherokee and have actually argued with a few at BFR time about this. I also had a long runway and with gusty winds to 17kts so only had 2 notches of flaps. Had I been on the numbers the CFI's would like to see there is a good chance I would have come up short of the runway. I did NOT have the carb heat on, because there had been no indication of carb ice, and prior to this, my SOP in the 180 (and ONLY in the 180 due to the design) was to put the carb heat on only if there were signs of carb ice. I always use carb heat in the Super Cruiser, and have always on Cessna's. I understand how and when carb ice is a factor, but relied too much on the thought that in the 180 you only use it when you have signs of carb ice.
I learned my lesson there with what I feel was a pretty light slap on the wrist.
Good decisions: I was high and slightly fast.
Bad decision: Didn't use the carb heat prior to signs of carb ice.
I got away with one, but as Cliff said I'm now a better pilot for it.
Oh, and the ice cold beer I had that night couldn’t have been better!!!