X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from fed1rmmtao03.cox.net ([68.230.241.36] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.0.3) with ESMTP id 861793 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sat, 03 Dec 2005 10:16:11 -0500 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=68.230.241.36; envelope-from=ALVentures@cox.net Received: from BigAl ([68.7.14.39]) by fed1rmmtao03.cox.net (InterMail vM.6.01.05.02 201-2131-123-102-20050715) with ESMTP id <20051203151443.MYDD20875.fed1rmmtao03.cox.net@BigAl> for ; Sat, 3 Dec 2005 10:14:43 -0500 From: "Al Gietzen" To: "'Rotary motors in aircraft'" Subject: RE: [FlyRotary] Intersting flight Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2005 07:15:23 -0800 Message-ID: <001301c5f81c$63cc3ff0$6400a8c0@BigAl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0014_01C5F7D9.55A8FFF0" X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6626 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 In-Reply-To: Importance: Normal This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0014_01C5F7D9.55A8FFF0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit What a relief the find that the power came back on; and that you landed without mishap. My adrenalin level was going up when I got to the part of your story where you were heading for the highway. I see two important lessons in your experience; Redundancy in the system isn't much good if there is still a single point failure. Have an emergency checklist that is well memorized, but kept handy. Glad everything is OK, Al -----Original Message----- From: Rotary motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Steve Brooks Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2005 6:29 AM To: Rotary motors in aircraft Subject: [FlyRotary] Intersting flight 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 -- Homepage: http://www.flyrotary.com/ Archive and UnSub: http://mail.lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/ ------=_NextPart_000_0014_01C5F7D9.55A8FFF0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

What a relief the find that the power came back on; = and that you landed without mishap. My adrenalin level was going up when I = got to the part of your story where you were heading for the = highway.

 

I see two important lessons in your = experience;

Redundancy in the system isn’t much good if = there is still a single point failure.

Have an emergency checklist that is well memorized, = but kept handy.

 

Glad everything is OK,

 

Al

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rotary motors in aircraft [mailto:flyrotary@lancaironline.net] On = Behalf Of Steve Brooks
Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2005 6:29 AM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Intersting flight

 

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

 

 

--

Homepage:  http://www.flyrotary.com/

Archive and UnSub:   = http://mail.lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/

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