This was an email I sent out to a few friends and then got to thinking it might save someone else so here is what I wrote, if I need to do more explaining I will as questions come in.

Hello Friends, I just wanted to relay the close call I had today, maybe it will serve as a reminder that we can all have the unexpected happen. I went over to the John Day River to fly around with Daryl Dasher. The weather was amazing, clear and cold with hardly any wind. We unloaded the extra gear in our airplanes and left Chucker Flats proceeding upriver. I landed a few long high banks just off the water, kind of looking for places that Daryl could land his Tri Pacer on 31" Bushwheels. The gravel bars can have pretty big rocks on this part of the river so I was looking for some places with small or no rocks to start with. After landing a few of these places I found a spot high up on hillside/ridge, probably 500 ft above the river, it was a one way, up hill (probably 15 ramping to 20 degree upslope). It looked like a good place to land after I did a few fly overs. I set up on it, I set up a high approach (rather then dragging it in), I had it perfectly set up and felt 100% good about everything, as I was coming up on the lip of it, probably 100 feet out maybe less my flap ratchet broke and went to my first notch. This takes me from 37 mph at full flaps to 53 mph first notch, as you would guess my tail dropped and it felt like I may stall. I used close to full power to arrest my sink rate, it was too late to go around as I was committed to the side of this mountain, I hit the touch down point just seconds after adding the power. It was not a pretty landing from my seat since I could not see where I was going. I used up most of the 250 feet that was there but I felt like I had just cheated death. Here is the part that save my butt, I was on a high approach, not dragging it in level with the intended touch down point. Daryl was watching me from the air above and had no idea what had just happened, he comes on the radio and says, you make that look so easy. I told him what had just happened but from overhead none of that was visible.

I have done probably hundreds of landings with these new flaps but this was probably the highest difficulty rating of anything I have done with the new flaps besides my own home strip. Here is the crazy part, in the final seconds of the approach the ratchet fails. Pretty weird how things work sometimes, I know the high approach save my ass. I am pretty sure the NTSB would never have figured out what actually happened had I hit the hillside and fallen back into the canyon below. My flaps would only grab now on my first notch so Daryl and I headed back to the big airstrip (chucker flats) to inspect the ratchet. We pulled it out and cleaned off all the dirt and grease, it appeared that the dog that catches the notches had rounded them off some but then I found a crack in it, which caused the arc to straighten out. This changes the geometry in such a way that it will not stay engaged. No fix in the field so I was done having fun flying for the day.

I had to rig a rope to make my flaps work to get back into my own home strip which was a feat in itself to pull the flaps on, drive the airplane at the same time and get the rope around the handle. It all worked out but I am building a stronger flap ratchet tomorrow along with heavier cables. P.S. Doug, I think I am ready to go with the smaller chord flap.

This may all sound a little dramatic but I think this could have ended really bad and no one would have ever known.

Greg

Glad you're unscathed and here to tell us about it.

I saw you on the way out of the big strip and had no idea that you had been through such drama when I saw you later in the day. Glad that you had a little extra energy and your wits about you when the flap ratchet broke. I can imagine several spots on hillsides in that canyon where a guy like you might be able to land, and rolling backwards down one in an airplane is as terrifying a thought as any I can imagine.

Thanks for sharing Greg. Glad yoy mader through.

It's events like that which make me glad that I don't try to land in extreme landing spots. Not suggesting others shouldn't do it, just not me, even if I had an airplane more capable of doing so.

BTW, I've also had my flaps pop off the 40 notch a time or two, but the pieces and parts don't show any excessive wear. I've always assumed it was my own error, for not fully pulling the handle all the way.

Cary

Mauleguy wrote:My flaps would only grab now on my first notch so Daryl and I headed back to the big airstrip (chucker flats) to inspect the ratchet. We pulled it out and cleaned off all the dirt and grease, it appeared that the dog that catches the notches had rounded them off some but then I found a crack in it, which caused the arc to straighten out. This changes the geometry in such a way that it will not stay engaged.

Have there ever been any documented occurrences of similar failures in the Maule flap ratchet? Or do you believe that the oversized flap overstressed the mechanism? Is that arc'd ratchet aluminum or steel?

Thanks for sharing Greg. Good save.

Wow, I can only imagine how intense that must have been. Nice job getting on the gas so quick and saving the landing. Glad you're OK.

Thanks for sharing Greg.

I have had this nagging feeling the last few flights that I should go through the entire flap system on X-ray, and now I will before I fly it again.

This type of flying is puts a lot more wear and tear on the flap system then I think the designers ever imagined and designed for. Think about how many times the flaps get moved in the process of a take off and landing when working/playing off airport. There is a placard in my maule saying not to use more than 1 notch for takeoff..........I always though this was because of the drag, but it may also have to do with the design loads at full power. When I pull full flaps for takeoff, it is just for a second, but over the course of 100's of takeoffs, that could add up. I call it "flying the flap handle" because I am literally feeling for lift with the flaps until it is ready to fly with one notch, etc.

My biggest fear is to have a cable break and ONE flap retract on short final.......if low and slow, that would be the end.

Glad you're okay, sounds scary enough to fill the shorts.

And more importantly… did you get it on film?

In watching your videos Greg, you are obviously a phenomenal pilot.

Not a yahoo or cowboy, but a skilled and gifted aviator.

Thank you for sharing as it lets the rest of us know that even the best get into trouble sometimes.

Could you possibly post a picture of the faulty ratchet as well as the Tri-Pacer on the 31's?

Reminds me of a time hauling moose meat off a ridge top. taking off down a 45 deg slope that leveled to flat a ways down. Got to flying speed pulled back on the stick...nothing !!! Tearing down a 45 deg slope picking up speed to a level spot just ahead Pulled full flaps and it flew off Had a serious talk with my self after that

highroad wrote:My biggest fear is to have a cable break and ONE flap retract on short final.......if low and slow, that would be the end.

Been there. It is very noisy, and violent.

Just lucky I figured it out as it happened, and the working flap retracted when I slapped the switch up. The follow-through cable broke right as flaps hit full down. Instant one down, one up. Low, slow, turning base to final on a Special VFR into Kotz with 100 ft ceiling and a "magic" mile vis.

Gump

Looks like I have a new 100 hour item to check.

How many hours on the ratchet before the dog wore off?

Hey Greg--thanks for sharing.

I don't have anything nearly as exciting to share, but I did have a worn out dog on a 300 hour Maule I used to own. It was not a highly worked plane and the flaps would not hold position in any detent past the first notch. I don't know how it wore out so fast.

Joe

Thanks Greg for the instigation and Zzz for the prod.
Both types of Maule flap ratchet M4 M5 pull cable and MX7 M7 torquetube, can be considered wear items dependent on the use factor, just like a tailspring.
Along with potential wear, high loads, ie exceeding flap speeds can gradually open up the curve of the ratchet over many applications.
Though the FM stipulates flap deployment speed as 90mph, that is best considered only for first notch, thus reducing speed by 10mph for each subsequent notch is a good idea even though
However a common culprit causing overstressed and straightened ratchets is muscle on the flap lever before getting the button fully depressed (often the plastic handle has slid up the lever a tad).
I have a collection of bent and broken ratchets, many of them done on the ground without even running the motor because the button was not fully depressed.
Over stress of any mechanical object will cause failure eventually meanwhile weight is the enemy thus the compromise in all facets of an airplane of strength versus weight.
When the curve of the ratchet is opened or closed, this prevents the dog (pawl) from fully engaging the detent and the corners become worn and will eventually slip.
On M4 M5 setup a split flap occasion is reduced by use of a bridle pull cable so if a cable lets go, then the other flap comes up also.
On MX/T7 and M7/T7 setup, it is almost impossible for split flap with the wing to wing torquetube except at the final activation point of the flap pushrods and they are an easy inspection at the preflight.

On Bushwacker I think the part that caused it was the new double slotted flaps, there is a lot more force to pull them on even when I slow the airplane to the point that I am at 3 point attitude flying along. I actually use that attitude as my reference for pulling them on but then I add power back in to fly the airplane in a level attitude which increases the force to the point that you can not get the flaps off the notch unless you reduce power back to that sinking feeling. It is really not an ideal situation and if it was not for the fact that I can land 5 mph slower I like the old flaps better. Remember I had the biggest flap Maule ever used and I used the biggest double slot flap (as a replacement) as far as cord goes that Doug Keller makes. I took the second or last segment of the set up back to Doug last night, he is going to modify them back to his narrow cord which will produce less drag. I am also building the ratchet and dog out 4130 in .1875 instead of .125, then I am changing the pulleys and cables to 5/32" instead of the 1/8" with galvanized instead of stainless. I think I have a good plan.

I will post a picture of the ratchet when I get a chance and you can see the break. It actually was not a rounding issue of the ratchet and the dog but a crack in the ratchet that was causing the problem. I did notice that because it is only 1/8 wide and there is play in the parts,it really was only locking on about half of the width which is another reason I think 3/16" wide will be better. More surface area will help but the crack was my main problem. As you may know my airplane has the torque tube so loosing just one flap is less likely then on the older M4-M5, both of my flaps are joined by a closed loop system..

Greg, glad to hear you came out of that adventure OK. I was parked at the South end of Chukar (Red Super Cub) with Jake when you and Darold came in. We left after you guys. Just thought I'd let you know that your Big Rock Long Prop videos were a real inspiration for me to buy a Super Cub. Thanks for that!

Pictures or watching never look or feel as bad as sitting in the left seat when things are going bad. If anyone could deal with that situation it is you Greg. Good job!

Cheers...Rob