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Message-ID: <20051203142846.54394.qmail@web30107.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2005 06:28:46 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Brooks <prvt_pilot@yahoo.com>
Subject: Intersting flight
To: flyrotary@lancaironline.net
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I made it down to South Carolina, to among other
things, fly the Cozy.  It had been 2 months to the day
since I had been down, so the remaining 8 hours of the
40 test hours have been slow to come off.

On Thursday I washed about 30 lbs of dust off of the
plane (open T hanger) and checked everything out.  I
did a high speed run down the runway, but didn't have
time to get in a flight.

Yesterday I went to the airport after it warmed up a
few degrees, and took off.  The engine was running
very strong in the cooler air (54 degrees).  I had
planned to do about a 30 minute flight ad land, just
to check everything out, and was was doing turns and
just cruising around about 6-7 miles from the airport
at about 2900 MSL (2300 AGL).  While flying straight
and level, I felt a sudden miss in engine.  When I
check the I/P, I also noticed that the digital gauges,
fuel and oil, had rebooted.  I immediately started a
turn toward the airport.

About 15 seconds later, I lost total electric.  The
I/P went dead, and so did the engine.  This isn't
good, I thought.  Actually, it was more like, OH SH**.
 I took a look at the airport, and I was too far to
make it there, so I looked around, and a 4 lane
highway, which has light traffic appeared to be my
best option.  I had just started turning toward that
highway, when the electric power came back, and the
engine picked back up.

I immediately started a climb, and headed toward the
airport again.  I already knew that there was a plane
in the pattern doing touch and goes (unicom field), so
I called the airport and advised the other aircraft
that I had a serious issue, and needed to make a
straight in landing.

It didn't lose power again, on the trip back to the
airport, but that 6-7 miles seemed to take forever.  I
stayed on the high side on altitude, for obvious
reasons, and then had to bleed altitude (and speed)
while on short final.  I came in a little fast, and
touched down earlier than normal, but still was on the
ground, and very happy.

Since I have two separate electrical systems (engine
and everything else), I was really stunned that I lost
both like that.  After thinking about it for I while,
I figured out that the master switch was the only
common link.  I pulled the I/P cover off, and found
that the ground connector was pulled off of the
terminal and just sitting there barely touching the
contact.
The cause of this was the fact that when I did an
annual on the plane in May, I had added some addition
ty-raps to dress up the wiring a little more.  In
doing so, I had stretched the ground wire which runs
to the master switch, which energizes the two master
relays.  

It was an easy fix, but now I have to replenish the
adrenalin supply, and figure out how to get the ridge
out of the seat cushion.  

After some ground testing, I made another flight
(circling the airport) and everything checked out OK. 


I have an emergency bypass switch that will supply
power to the engine systems from either the forward or
aft battery.  I didn't think to switch it over, but I
really didn't get to the point of doing any trouble
shooting, so I'm not sure if I would have thought of
that option or not.  It was without power for only
about 20 seconds, but it seemed much longer.  I will
definitely remember the emergency power switch, should
I every have an issue like that again, but I hope that
never happens.  

This isn't nearly as harrowing as some of the
experiences that Ed or John have had, but it was
plenty for me.  I don't want any more glider time.

Steve Brooks
Cozy MKIV
Turbo rotary