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There I was, fat, dumb and happy, flying VFR at 6,500 feet when the 'shit hit the fan' and all hell broke loose! N360ZR, a Lancair 360 & 'my pride and joy', started to shutter and shake like it was about to shed parts and eat itself alive. Ten seconds later I hear myself on the radio saying, "Mayday, mayday, mayday" and a few seconds later, Raleigh approach was asking me number of souls on board and fuel remaining...
But I'm getting ahead of myself...flashback to 4 hours ago...I file IFR to Hawkinsville (51A), Georgia for a business trip. The weather at Princeton Airport was 600 feet overcast when I woke up this morning and decided to file IFR. When I finally got to the airport, the sky opened up and since I was in a rush to leave, I decided to depart VFR instead. I also just recently purchased the NAVAIR/Sony U71 handtop PC system with WX-Worx, together with the approach plates software and was eager to try the various functions in the air. After 1.5 hours of flying VFR and 'playing' with my new toy, I was getting bored and lonely and decided to request 'VFR flight following' 20 miles out from Raleigh-Durham. I'm now very glad that I did!
Just 10 minutes later, the plane started to shake violently. I quickly remember that Peter Z. complained last week when he & Michael flew my plane that the plugs were probably clog and maybe I was running the engine too rich. I switch to left mag, nothing...right mag, nothing ... shaking continues. Mixture in, mixture out, mixture slowly in and out, shaking stops momentarily...aaaaaaah, then starts up again. In the next few seconds, I simply refused to accept what was happening. I remember thinking that the plugs are simply clogged up or something and this shaking will stop very soon. Shaking gets worst and nothing I do helps except when I pull the throttle to idle.
Finally, reality sets in and I leave the throttle alone in idle and pull the prop. I set the glide speed to 100 knots and then declared an emergency with Raleigh approach. Luckily, I had just past Sanford-Lee airport (KTTA) which was only five miles or so behind me. Raleigh vectors me to KTTA, asked number of souls and fuel remaining (never thought I would ever have to answer these questions), gave me the CTAF frequency and politely ask me to call them when I was on the ground. I was very relieved to see the airport with its long runway (6,000 feet+) and made an uneventful landing with the engine idling. As I landed I remember saying to myself, hey, where's all the 'equipment', no fire trucks? I was disappointed. <G> I coasted to the FBO and shut the engine down. I vaguely remember kissing the ground.<G>
So what happened? I will post again tomorrow since it's already 2AM and am ready to hit the sack.
Rick Argente
Here's some pics of the engine damage:
n360zr piston damage 004.jpg
n360zr piston damage 002.jpg
n360zr piston damage 005.jpg
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