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Message-ID: <20051203153526.44664.qmail@web30113.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2005 07:35:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Brooks <prvt_pilot@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: Intersting flight
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
In-Reply-To: <list-861808@logan.com>
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Hi Al,
You make an excellent point on the single failure
point.  I've been trying to come up with a way to
eliminate the problem, but outside of going to 2
switches, I'm not sure how to do it. Even with 2
switches the one for the engine is still a single
failure point for the engine.  

The emergency checklist is also a good idea.  I'm
going to check today, I think that I already have one
with my preflight checklist.  A placard for engine out
is probably better though, rather than trying to find
a paper copy during an emergency.

Steve

--- Al Gietzen <ALVentures@cox.net> wrote:

> 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
> 
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