Hi Steve

Very glad to hear you and aircraft got back on the
ground safely.  Yes, events like those really do use up seat cushions -
don't they.  Glad you found the problem - amazing how little things like
adding tie wraps can cause such an exciting "adventure".

I too have a "Live Man" switch, actually a circuit
breaker (normally open) that when I push it in by-passes power around all
switches to the critical systems (fuel and spark).  I aborted a take-off from a 2200 ft runway (after getting airborne) when the engine began to
surge.  Only thing I did have time to do (which in hind sight was a waste of
effort) was too push in the circuit breaker.  Of course, the odds of a
surging engine being caused by a electrical problem is low - turned out it was
the fuel map set too low for the higher engine rpms (this was when I was
using an HALTECH EFI which you had to tune with laptop).

But, a good idea in my opinion since often use
switches could possibly fail.

In any case, sounds like all the thought processes
regarding what to do were well done  Land long and land hot if you have too -
far better to go off the far end doing 20 mph than end up short on distance
or airspeed - my opinion, of course.

Ed A


----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Brooks" <prvt_pilot@yahoo.com>
To: "Rotary motors in aircraft"
<flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2005 9:28 AM
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
>
>
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