Oops, darn it...

[Oliver]

Years ago I wrecked a plane in a remote area. (California remote, not Alaska remote)
My insurance provider contacted a regional guy to recover the wreck.
We all met at a pre determined staging spot - helicopter, myself and salvage guy.
The salvage guy showed up alone, and pushing 350 lbs looked like a walking heart attack in the 80° heat of the morning.
I kindly offered to take his place on the heli to fly out and prep and rig the plane for transport. In hindsight, the plane was definitely totaled but I held on to some glimmer of hope that I’d fly her again.
With that mindset, I went to work delicately rigging lifting hardware, making ever-so-small slits in the fabric where needed to brace wings etc..
Was feeling pretty proud of my handy work as the heli took up the full weight of the plane, watching it fly perfectly level (though inverted) off to an unknown future.
The heli returned to bring me back to the staging area. Upon return, I was absolutely shocked and disgusted to see the salvage guy in the process of removing the wings - with a sawzall!
Sensing my rather upset state, he looked at me and said “it’s not your plane anymore”. And he was right, though I don’t think he was doing any favors to the insurance company by further destroying what little auction value the plane may have held.

[mvivion]

I see a lot of talk about what are the ailerons doing? How about some right rudder? Did he have the rudder trim set for take off? Maybe he just didn't compensate for the P factor of the R-985? Besides having the nose too high for the conditions.

The key to keeping a dH airplane flying is lowering the nose. In that video, as Stewart suggested, when the plane appears in the climb, he’s already losing it, nose high and out of ideas. Aileron position is just going to influence which way it rolls off, but with the nose honked up like that, he was all done flying. He cheated that plane-never let it fly.

I was checked out in the Beaver by Jack Corey. Corey pointed out that he was something of an expert in deHavilland aircraft stalls, having wrecked a heavy Single Otter when working for Ward Gay. He beat me up something fierce with stalls straight ahead, turning, climbing, descending, etc. A few years later, I found myself painting that plane into a corner of the flight envelope, and didn’t want to have to explain the result to Jack…..lowered the nose and flew away.

MTV

[Steve Pierce]

I had an incident in which Wentworth Aircraft removed my aircraft when I was not present. Should I be worried about their position on dismantling aircraft? Anybody had an issue with this company before? My buddy thinks they probably sawzalled my wings off. Minimal damage in our opinion.

Blue Skies,
Den

Wentworth makes a lot of money on their salvage. I would be very surprised if the took a sawsall to a perfectly good wing.

[john schwamm]

Got a kick out of the accident report today about Carbon Cub in lake at Talkeetna, said "the landing gear made contact with the water and aircraft flipped in lake".
Guess maybe that water skiing attempt was an abrupt bath on that one! Makes one wonder why try it.
John

[cubdriver2]

The key to keeping a dH airplane flying is lowering the nose. In that video, as Stewart suggested, when the plane appears in the climb, he’s already losing it, nose high and out of ideas. Aileron position is just going to influence which way it rolls off, but with the nose honked up like that, he was all done flying. He cheated that plane-never let it fly.

I was checked out in the Beaver by Jack Corey. Corey pointed out that he was something of an expert in deHavilland aircraft stalls, having wrecked a heavy Single Otter when working for Ward Gay. He beat me up something fierce with stalls straight ahead, turning, climbing, descending, etc. A few years later, I found myself painting that plane into a corner of the flight envelope, and didn’t want to have to explain the result to Jack…..lowered the nose and flew away.

MTV

If it's just a wing thing Bernoulli always wins over Newton

Glenn

[BC12D-4-85]

Not necessarily - that Wing Thing: https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...ay-in-the-air/

Even they aren't sure, but nobody asks a bird why they flap their wings.

Gary

[skywagon8a]

Not necessarily - that Wing Thing: https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...ay-in-the-air/

Even they aren't sure, but nobody asks a bird why they flap their wings.

Gary

Some people spend too much of their lives cooped up in a classroom wearing tinfoil hats while being supported by government grants.

[SJ]

The key to keeping a dH airplane flying is lowering the nose.

Isn’t this the key to keeping ANY airplane flying?

sj

[mvivion]

Isn’t this the key to keeping ANY airplane flying?

sj

Yes, Steve, but significantly more so in dH airplanes. I suspect part of it has to do with the relative angle between the wing and fuselage, thus a pilot perception issue.

Complicating this is not having a big flat or slightly rounded cowling out in front of you. Your perspective over a round cowl is different, and you need to develop other visual cues than the view over the nose.

With flaps deployed, they’ll tolerate more, but coming off the water, loaded, ground effect is your friend, and quite a few pilots have done precisely what this fellow did, and didn’t allow the wing to fly.

MTV

[aktango58]

Some people spend too much of their lives cooped up in a classroom wearing tinfoil hats while being supported by government grants.

Well said Pete.

To add on MTV's comment about wings and angle of incidence, remember the otter you point it DOWN to climb.

[Vortex Generator]

If you hadn't cashed the settlement check and relenqueshed the aircraft that was a false statement by the insurance representative. This is one of the reasons insurance has become unaffordable.

[stewartb]

Got a kick out of the accident report today about Carbon Cub in lake at Talkeetna, said "the landing gear made contact with the water and aircraft flipped in lake".
Guess maybe that water skiing attempt was an abrupt bath on that one! Makes one wonder why try it.
John

I heard it was on amphibs and the pilot forgot that one little thing before landing.

[john schwamm]

I heard it was on amphibs and the pilot forgot that one little thing before landing.

Makes more sense, but still a quick bath, immediate inversion! At least he had something to float on to not have to swim.

[BC12D-4-85]

We lost another good pilot and person. Doug will be missed> https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/281506

It's August and hunting season so be careful.

Gary

[robertc]

Another one in Idaho, Johnson Creek, let’s be careful out there.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/be...niI8&fs=e&s=cl

[cubdriver2]

Be careful out there. Bumps and bruises only.
Thats why I always slipped all the way to the ground

https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/co...tm_name=iossmf

Glenn

[Richgj3]

Exact thing happened a few years ago in Bayport, LI. RV 12 in the pattern landing to the north. Chipmunk tucked under the trees at south end. As the RV came over the trees the Chipmunk started to roll. As the RV broke the glide the Chipmunk was right under him. RV prop hit Chipmunk rudder. Chipmunk Pilot thought he hit a bump and kept going. RV guy didn’t know what happened as he got spun 90 degrees and was not looking north and never saw the other plane. A contributing factor, as they say was Bayport is 3 mikes south of KISP. The Chipmunk pilot was conversing with KISP tower to hop over there. The RV was announcing his position on Unicom. No one hurt but pride and bank accounts. Could have been a lot worse.

[cubdriver2]

Same thing almost happened at Klinekill breakfast 15 years ago. We were standing looking at planes at north end of runway. Sandy Brown taxied his fleet out onto the runway and sat there for a minute. We stood there listening to that sweet 5cyl Kinner banging away as he slowly started to roll. Behind him over the trees a C150 appeared full flaps and nose high. Fleet was slowly going south and the faster 150 was coming down. When the 150 was about 10' up and starting to flair the prop was right over Sandy's head. The Fleet accelerated just enough and the 150 slowed just enough that the prop missed the rudder by a couple inches and jumped on the brakes. Sandy flew away and didn't have a clue what had happened. 150 pilot had just go his ticket and was taking his wife for her first ride, he was pretty shaken up.

I called Sandy later that day and explained what had happened right in front of us. An hour later he called me back and said when it sank in he started uncontrollably throwing up.
Never sit blind on the end of any runway

Glenn

[RaisedByWolves]

A quick left 360 and take a look on downwind base and final before you go isn’t a bad idea


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[Farmboy]

Very lucky for everyone involved.



Transmitted from my FlightPhone on fingers…

[Richgj3]

A quick left 360 and take a look on downwind base and final before you go isn’t a bad idea


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

From where the Chipmunk was, there was no view of final or base because of the trees. Now it is recommended there that if you need full length, look with a 360 from where you CAN see base and final then do an expedited back taxi. And because of the proximity to the big airport there is no downwind when landing to the north.

[Eddie Foy]

A young wise man!

A quick left 360 and take a look on downwind base and final before you go isn’t a bad idea


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[cubdriver2]

Very lucky for everyone involved.



Transmitted from my FlightPhone on fingers…

Stearman is a tank and protects it occupants better then anything else. Don't ask how I know that

Glenn

[skywagon8a]

This type of accident isn't limited to just light airplanes at small airports. Once while landing at DFW with a B-727 I was on short final when the tower cleared another B-727 into position and hold, then after a short delay cleared it for takeoff. The tail of the taking off 727 disappeared from my line of sight under the nose in a cloud of exhaust smoke and the noise of the engines. We went around over the other 727. The tower was BS at us for not landing. They were comfortable in their tower. This all happened ..... at night.

Careful folks, flying near airports is very dangerous. Another reason to like seaplanes.

[Waldo M]

Stearman is a tank and protects it occupants better then anything else. Don't ask how I know that

Glenn

Ditto from one who used to cropdust in them.

[Skywalker]

A local aerial applicator crashed one and finished the day in another.

[hotrod180]

From where the Chipmunk was, there was no view of final or base because of the trees. Now it is recommended there that if you need full length, look with a 360 from where you CAN see base and final then do an expedited back taxi. And because of the proximity to the big airport there is no downwind when landing to the north.

This is a good argument that people should have (and use!!) radios--
even the purists without electrical systems.
You can buy & rig up a handheld for about $300--
such a small investment to get such a big benefit from.

[skywagon8a]

This is a good argument that people should have (and use!!) radios--
even the purists without electrical systems.
You can buy & rig up a handheld for about $300--
such a small investment to get such a big benefit from.

This is true. However, people become accustomed to depending on the radios and neglect to look for other traffic. They should do both. Radio usage is often faulty with false information being transmitted.

[Gordon Misch]

This is true. However, people become accustomed to depending on the radios and neglect to look for other traffic. They should do both. Radio usage is often faulty with false information being transmitted.

Yes, this. Yesterday right after I landed at TDO I heard the airport manager tell another plane to go ahead with some fast taxi because "there is nobody in the pattern". Presumably said from his office. There is no way he could have known that there were no aircraft in the pattern!! All he could know is that nobody was talking in the pattern at that moment. Not a unique performance from that guy. But he has a very high opinion of himself, so I guess that justifies such foolishness.

[G44]

Yes, this. Yesterday right after I landed at TDO I heard the airport manager tell another plane to go ahead with some fast taxi because "there is nobody in the pattern". Presumably said from his office. There is no way he could have known that there were no aircraft in the pattern!! All he could know is that nobody was talking in the pattern at that moment. Not a unique performance from that guy. But he has a very high opinion of himself, so I guess that justifies such foolishness.

Even though its probably not the same guy but it sounds like the jerk that owns or manages KAFN, Jeffery New Hampshire airport. Haven’t been there in a long time, dont even know if he is still around or not but the guy is nice one minute then a complete jerk the next. The guy totally ruins what should be a nice flight to go get awesome ice cream a short walk away.

In all fairness, I haven't been there in a long time and he may no longer be around, other than him, awesome place.

[Skywalker]

Jaffrey! I heard Harvey would tell you the active, even if it was downwind. Maybe I read that here.

[Gordon Misch]

would tell you the active, even if it was downwind

Ha, yep. I've heard this character at Toledo do that. Desk driver who loves to play ATC and purveyor of current weather "facts".

[GreggB]

This is a good argument that people should have (and use!!) radios--
even the purists without electrical systems.
You can buy & rig up a handheld for about $300--
such a small investment to get such a big benefit from.

No

[supilot]

Ha, yep. I've heard this character at Toledo do that. Desk driver who loves to play ATC and purveyor of current weather "facts".

I heard he likes to keep a file on his favorite subordinates.

[RaisedByWolves]

Even though its probably not the same guy but it sounds like the jerk that owns or manages KAFN, Jeffery New Hampshire airport. Haven’t been there in a long time, dont even know if he is still around or not but the guy is nice one minute then a complete jerk the next. The guy totally ruins what should be a nice flight to go get awesome ice cream a short walk away.

In all fairness, I haven't been there in a long time and he may no longer be around, other than him, awesome place.

Have you ever been there and not gotten yelled at on the radio? Me neither. I did hear they repaved the runway

[Gordon Misch]

Have you ever been there and not gotten yelled at on the radio?

Bozo at Toledo does that. Supilot might have heard about that also.

[GreggB]

Have you ever been there and not gotten yelled at on the radio? Me neither. I did hear they repaved the runway

I have been to KAFN several times this summer without getting counsel from Harvey. Being in a helicopter might have something to do with that. Or I am just lucky. Runway is repaved looks smooth.

[stewartb]

Plane crash today at Wolf Lake. Sounds like a Kitfox. I was told it was the impossible turn scenario and he came up short. Went through the roof of a hangar. The pilot is in critical condition. Say a prayer, please.

[StalledOut]

Not so much through the roof.............

[Dan Gervae]

Oh Lord, Praying for healing. I bet he was terrified.