Engine Failure

[Barefootpilot]

http://www.alexisparkinn.com/photogallery/Videos/2006-7-8_UltralightOutOfGas.wmv

 

Just a link to a video I found of an ultralight having an engine failure after take off. Just a reminder of how little time you really have to recover.

 

Also this site has heaps of great videos if you have broad band i'd recommend getting the beech goes low video ... only in africa

 

http://www.alexisparkinn.com/aviation_videos.htm

 

Adam.

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

I believe that this gent did survive. I read his journo re the crash. He did have quite a few broken bones though and was, (obviously), in a great deal of pain.

 

 

[River]

G'day 'team',

 

Had a look at the video with the pilot losing his engine... I reckon that it would make a great training video as it shows with quite high quality vision just how quick events of this natural can occur and when you are flying at such low levels it shows you have very little time to control the situation.

 

Not knowing the whole story but appears the pilot was extremely lucky as he was moments earlier flying over industrial type areas which would not have been a nice choice if the engine failed then. I noted this was a reasonable road running just next to the bush area but appears he was too low to consider the road as a landing area, etc...

 

As I said, it should be used as a training video though, I'd be inclined to show the video at a later part of a new students training as it 'may' put them off wishing to fly without detailed advice on the pros and cons of these type of incidents...

 

What's a general opinion?

 

Cheers,

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

I think if he had noticed the engine coughing before hand he should have aborted the whole thing. I believe he does notice it before the whole thing cuts-out and sort of shrugs it off. You can tell as his compusure changes. If you notice your engine is behaving unusually and continue to fly you are a moron. Remember, this is all a "maybe". He may not have heard a change in the engine. I think he did quite well considering there were not too many options where he was at the time of the incident. Would anyone else have done differently? We can all sit here and say 'he should have done this, he should have done that' but when we are in the situation ourselves things change.

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

Too right Chris.

 

 

[Guest danda]

been there done that and it hurts.

 

Don

 

 

[Guest tcbrandy]

He also didn't make a very good selection in the clothing department!

 

Tom B

 

 

[facthunter]

Saw this some time back. Have only run it one more time but what is a little surprising is the lack of pitch forward, nose downto compensate for power loss in a high drag aircraft (Hard to do when you dont have much height over trees) The eventual position of the stick (nearly right back with very little aileron response)shows that at that point the aircraft is just mushing down near stalled into the shrubbery.The pilotage seems to be more reactive than deliberate pretty much pull back on the stick and hope for the best. It does illustrate how quickly a pleasant day can go pearshaped.

 

 

[facthunter]

Chris, thanks for that. It is a very graphic piece of video & your comments display an excellent awareness of the need to be prepared & disciplined' I, of course, am glad I wasn't there as the situation probably wasn't redeemable, at low height over the trees.I remember being told a simple rule that might be worth considering. IF YOU CAN'T LAND ON IT,(or glide clear of it),DON'T FLY OVER IT. N....

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

Mate I think this is especially true in the 2 strokes. Some people swear by them but I am afraid I just don't trust 2 strokes enough to fly over 'tiger country'. I have probably opened a can of worms with this one LOL:laugh: Even when I am in the Jabiru I think to myself "What if" and always keep a look out when flying for somewhere to land if need be. I often fly over my house in the Jabiru from The Oaks and often on the drive out I will even look for places to land from the ground. Call me pathetic but it may well save my life one day.

 

 

[Guest danda]

Darren your pathetic ;)

 

Now that I've got that out of the road Darren I believe that, that is good training. I am the same always looking for places to land and after recent events I'm glad I did.

 

Good on ya mate.

 

Don

 

 

[Guest Fred Bear]

Thanks for the comments. Great when it happens (an incident) and you can control it VS what happened to the other guy.

 

 

[Barefootpilot]

From looking at the video not knowing what type of aircraft it is I don't think it has ailerons??? You can see when he turns he uses alot of rudder.

 

As for the pitch forward yes it is a good thing to keep the speed up until impact but I wouldn't want to be hitting the tops of those tree's any faster than i had to. Then again there are people who say fly it into the tree tops and those who say stall it in. My theory is Force = MV^2 so less V alot less force!

 

Adam.