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Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:09:42 -0400
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Subject: I locked myself inside my IV-P... it could happen to you -- here's
 the story!
From: Dico Reijers <dico@internetworks.ca>
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Hi All,

Here's an interesting situation that happened to me today.

The background -- I haven owned my Lancair IV-P since the start of July --
so I am still learning about it.  I am still waiting for some paperwork to
legally fly it under the Canadian registration and in the past month or so
I've been sitting in it, taxiing it around, looking in the baggage
compartment, putting keys here and there.   In my looking/testing phase I
must have put the key in to lock the cabin door.  However, I couldn't figure
out which was locked and which wasn't locked -- either way I turned the key
it didn't really lock it.  Fast forward to today... typical sunday at our
small airport with many guys walking around telling tales and going flying.
My brother and his wife hadn't seen the plane yet so we marched over to the
hangar and we got in.  I was showing off the buttons and the gee-whiz
stuff.  I then closed the door to show them how much room there was and I
proceded to latch the doors like I have done countless times.  After 5 more
minutes of show-and-tell I went to open the door and only the first handle
opened. The second handle wouldn't budge.   At tihs time I thought that it
was probably stuck or something.  I had my cell phone so called one of the
mechanics who was outside talking with the guys and asked him to come in and
free us.  He walked in and went to open the door and said, "Dico, its
locked. And there's the key" (as he pointed to the key hanging on my
panel).  Of course, with any other plane I've ever owned there have been
numerous holes (windows that opened, air vents, baggage doors, etc) that
could be opened to pass the keys out.

So here we are... (luckily inside a hangar as it was 25C outside)... 3 of
us... with a key that they need on the outside of the plane.  About a half
dozen guys all ran to their planes to get their fuel key (which is the same
round style that opens our IV doors)... none worked.  I have to tell you
that you have to keep your wits together as it is a very strange feeling
knowing that you can't get out of a small space as things are starting to
get hot.  I would run the cabin fan for a few minutes here and there to move
the air.  I then thought of our fuel strainer in the plane... it has a
phillips end on it so I started taking the panels off the door.  As I got
the panels off I noticed the lock and it was indeed engaged and there is
nothing on the inside that would un-lock it.  I had to lift the latch about
1/4" to get it over/past the notch in the door handle.  This proved
impossible with the screwdriver as it only has about 2" on the end of the
fuel strainer and doesn't fit in behind the chains that open/close the
latches.  I checked the first aid kit I had just purchased and found a small
pair (perhaps 5" long) pair of metal sciccors.  I was able to wedge them
behind the locking latch and slowly wedge it out and with some muscling the
latch popped open.

There were three very relieved people that got out of the plane and enjoyed
a cool breeze.  Its amazing how fast the cabin will heat up even indoors.  I
can't image what would have happened had this been on the apron at some
small airport in Arizona and 40C outside.

Anyhow, after a breath of fresh air we took a good look at the door lock and
it appears that you need to really close the latch quickly (or firmly) to
latch the pin.  I obviously didn't do this when i was playing with the lock
a couple weeks ago... however from the inside handle, with more lever arm,
this was very easy to latch the lock.   I ended up taking the door lock (the
inside latch) off the lock so that this can never happen again (I am not one
to ever lock my plane as i would prefer someone just open the door and steal
stuff rather than break in and do damage -- and then steal my stuff).

So I thought I would share this story as it could happen to anyhow... even
though you may know how the lock works, it only takes your child or someone
playing around to move the lock to the latched position and you'd not figure
it out until you actually got in the plane to secure it for flight!

Happy to be free again,

-Dico

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Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hi All,<br><br>Here&#39;s an interesting situation that happened to me toda=
y.=A0 <br><br>The background -- I haven owned my Lancair IV-P since the sta=
rt of July -- so I am still learning about it.=A0 I am still waiting for so=
me paperwork to legally fly it under the Canadian registration and in the p=
ast month or so I&#39;ve been sitting in it, taxiing it around, looking in =
the baggage compartment, putting keys here and there.=A0=A0 In my looking/t=
esting phase I must have put the key in to lock the cabin door.=A0 However,=
 I couldn&#39;t figure out which was locked and which wasn&#39;t locked -- =
either way I turned the key it didn&#39;t really lock it.=A0 Fast forward t=
o today... typical sunday at our small airport with many guys walking aroun=
d telling tales and going flying.=A0 My brother and his wife hadn&#39;t see=
n the plane yet so we marched over to the hangar and we got in.=A0 I was sh=
owing off the buttons and the gee-whiz stuff.=A0 I then closed the door to =
show them how much room there was and I proceded to latch the doors like I =
have done countless times.=A0 After 5 more minutes of show-and-tell I went =
to open the door and only the first handle opened. The second handle wouldn=
&#39;t budge.=A0=A0 At tihs time I thought that it was probably stuck or so=
mething.=A0 I had my cell phone so called one of the mechanics who was outs=
ide talking with the guys and asked him to come in and free us.=A0 He walke=
d in and went to open the door and said, &quot;Dico, its locked. And there&=
#39;s the key&quot; (as he pointed to the key hanging on my panel).=A0 Of c=
ourse, with any other plane I&#39;ve ever owned there have been numerous ho=
les (windows that opened, air vents, baggage doors, etc) that could be open=
ed to pass the keys out. <br>
<br>So here we are... (luckily inside a hangar as it was 25C outside)... 3 =
of us... with a key that they need on the outside of the plane.=A0 About a =
half dozen guys all ran to their planes to get their fuel key (which is the=
 same round style that opens our IV doors)... none worked.=A0 I have to tel=
l you that you have to keep your wits together as it is a very strange feel=
ing knowing that you can&#39;t get out of a small space as things are start=
ing to get hot.=A0 I would run the cabin fan for a few minutes here and the=
re to move the air.=A0 I then thought of our fuel strainer in the plane... =
it has a phillips end on it so I started taking the panels off the door.=A0=
 As I got the panels off I noticed the lock and it was indeed engaged and t=
here is nothing on the inside that would un-lock it.=A0 I had to lift the l=
atch about 1/4&quot; to get it over/past the notch in the door handle.=A0 T=
his proved impossible with the screwdriver as it only has about 2&quot; on =
the end of the fuel strainer and doesn&#39;t fit in behind the chains that =
open/close the latches.=A0 I checked the first aid kit I had just purchased=
 and found a small pair (perhaps 5&quot; long) pair of metal sciccors.=A0 I=
 was able to wedge them behind the locking latch and slowly wedge it out an=
d with some muscling the latch popped open.<br>
<br>There were three very relieved people that got out of the plane and enj=
oyed a cool breeze.=A0 Its amazing how fast the cabin will heat up even ind=
oors.=A0 I can&#39;t image what would have happened had this been on the ap=
ron at some small airport in Arizona and 40C outside.=A0 <br>
<br>Anyhow, after a breath of fresh air we took a good look at the door loc=
k and it appears that you need to really close the latch quickly (or firmly=
) to latch the pin.=A0 I obviously didn&#39;t do this when i was playing wi=
th the lock a couple weeks ago... however from the inside handle, with more=
 lever arm, this was very easy to latch the lock.=A0=A0 I ended up taking t=
he door lock (the inside latch) off the lock so that this can never happen =
again (I am not one to ever lock my plane as i would prefer someone just op=
en the door and steal stuff rather than break in and do damage -- and then =
steal my stuff).<br>
<br>So I thought I would share this story as it could happen to anyhow... e=
ven though you may know how the lock works, it only takes your child or som=
eone playing around to move the lock to the latched position and you&#39;d =
not figure it out until you actually got in the plane to secure it for flig=
ht!<br>
<br>Happy to be free again,<br><br>-Dico<br><br><br>

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