Petrel

[Yenn]

I heard of a wheels up landing with a petrel sea plane.

 

I was told that there was minimal damage as it landed on grass. What is of concern is two things.

 

1 This does not appear to have been reported to RAAus and it is RAAus rego.

 

2 Water was found in one of the floats which was cracked during the wheels up landing. This must have been in the float before the wheels up. Looking at the float it could hold several litres of water and it is out near the end of the wing., so there could easily be an imbalance, which would not be apparent during a daily inspection.

 

I will have to find out if this has been reported as I think there is a lesson to be learned here, even if the pilot wants to keep it quiet.

 

 

[SSCBD]

I heard of a wheels up landing with a petrel sea plane.I was told that there was minimal damage as it landed on grass. What is of concern is two things.

1 This does not appear to have been reported to RAAus and it is RAAus rego.

 

2 Water was found in one of the floats which was cracked during the wheels up landing. This must have been in the float before the wheels up. Looking at the float it could hold several litres of water and it is out near the end of the wing., so there could easily be an imbalance, which would not be apparent during a daily inspection.

 

I will have to find out if this has been reported as I think there is a lesson to be learned here, even if the pilot wants to keep it quiet.

Should have a drain or be able to open and check , not uncommon for operations on floats to have SOME water in them and pump out. Some are cracked or pierced by hitting things like a bloody large turtle that appears from below on landing or logs on takeoff. Split an amphibian Beaver metal float. I also know another guy that hit 3 TIMES a well marked boat mooring, (same one each time), he left after that.

Regarding the wheels up reporting. I personally am not my brothers keeper. I object to being the police on things that are not "life threating" or just plan stupid, and has wheels up happened to many pilots. I expect he will never ever do it again.

 

Yenn, Your comment on WHAT LESSON to be learned interests me please explain?

 

 

[Litespeed]

I think the lesson is that all incidents should be reported for our own safety.

 

The owner of the aircraft may wish it not known- for the perception of value loss on his asset. and ego.

 

But................. We really do need to know a true history of any aircraft we fly or could buy/hire.

 

We should never be ashamed to have had a incident - whoopsie, but wear it as a badge of learning and just don't do it again.

 

Without a report and hence the need to ensure the aircraft is inspected and repaired, we do not know if it is safe. I would much rather trust someone who has reported and shows how it was repaired, than some shady character with a she'll be right attitude.

 

How many are not reported?

 

Is there a machine out there that looks good but has had a unreported bingle and hides a problem? Any incident depending on the forces involved can weaken a airframe and it may not be easily seen.

 

I don't like the Man ever telling me what I can and can't do - but to fly we must follow some rules for our safety. Reporting incidents are one of the rules not to break for everyone's sake.

 

How would a pilot feel if they had a incident, did not report and the new owner died from airframe failure. Or a handling problem specific to your model was found by an owner which causes a incident in his/her aircraft, they repair it and keep quiet.

 

Now you discover such a handling trait at the worst possible time and the incident becomes serious injury or death to you and partner in the right seat.

 

Had the owners above reported then you would have been informed, noted it, trained to deal with it or sought a fix and may never have had a big incident.

 

We all owe to ourselves and anyone we fly with to be responsible when it comes to the rules of flight and physics. Physics does not give a damn about reputation, ego or asset loss. Unlike a bureaucrat- physics will punish every time even if no one sees it, hears about it etc.

 

Not trying to be wowser- but when its my life, I care.

 

 

[farri]

I heard of a wheels up landing with a petrel sea plane.1 This does not appear to have been reported to RAAus and it is RAAus rego..

Does not "Appear" to have been reported!!!

 

 

[Yenn]

The lesson I was thinking of was the fact that water got into a float that was not damaged, until the wheels up.

 

I am not my brothers keeper, but I posted this so that others with a Petrel or similar plane would be able to check mtheir own planes. That is after all what the reporting of incidents is all about.

 

I said does not appear to have been reported, maybe what I should have said is it has not appeared on the RAAus incident list.

 

In my opinion it is good to report any incident, even if it reflects badly on you and I have only contempt for those who fail to report, especially when others could benefit.

 

 

[Oscar]

The Petrel landing gear retract restraint system is crap; it won't hold fully up under normal manoeuvering loads. However, Petrel's own POH says if there are gear problems, land with gear up on the grass in preference to trying a landing with suspect gear safety on bitumen. You have a better chance of dumping it on the grass, than landing on water if the gear retract system is not working properly - and if the gas strut that is the primary uphold is failing, a less than perfect water landing will break the aircraft and sink it.

 

http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/Queens%20Lake%20IMG_7520.jpg