Not to mention the cool factor!




When does the "cool factor" start to kick in?

Sorry to hear about your mishap FL, but glad you were able to walk away unscathed. Bummer about the Luscombe though, another classic bites the dust. The ratio of repair costs versus airplane prices being what it is, it'll probably just get parted out.
I'm also curious as to why the engine quit. Without a "bang" right beforehand, sounds like a fuel thing?

hotrod150 wrote:When does the "cool factor" start to kick in?

Hahaha. You gotta have it already, cuz the helmet isn't going to provide it.

Glad your ok Nick. Your next plane should be a great deal. There all over now.

G'Day

flightlogic wrote:On climbout from Twenty Nine Palms, the engine dies at 800 ft. agl. Nothing I try helps. Not mags, mixture, carb heat... or changing tanks.
Get a short, rough dirt road picked out... make a quick, low 180 into the wind. Touchdown on the mains.

Good job Old Man.......

Gump

Well done given the circumstances. Glad you are okay.

Glidergeek... I was right over highway 62 and I did a car count. Not that many, but it was the power lines adjacent on the right that spooked me. Now, after it was all over and I drove down 62 with my wife the next morning, I could see they were probably offset enough to clear the wings.
Interesting side story... on Thursday I had to return to Twenty Nine Palms area. Flying over the crash site in our 182A, I could see the guys loading the Luscombe onto a flat bed. About that time my iphone rings. I answer on the Lightspeed headset bluetooth and it is the insurance claims guy. He says they are picking up the wreck. I said yeah, I can see that down below. The next thing he says with a bit of an attitude... Says the salvage guys called him and the tanks are bone dry. I said "good thing I have a receipt in my wallet for the 11.3 gallons I just bought at KTNP three miles before the crash.
He then says, "well.... there is no oil slick or any evidence of fuel on the ground."
What an idiot. I calmly tell him about the vent pipes on Luscombe caps... and 48 hours in the desert upside down... figure it is pretty easy to figure where the gas went.
About that time I wanted a photo and not more useless conversation... so I got off.
It was sad to see it pull away, with the wings off... on a trailer. Oh well.
I suspect they will find a swallowed valve in a cylinder or something of that nature. The prop kept windmilling... but on final it sure had grinding noises from up front. The FSDO guy almost had me cutting open the oil filter while on the phone with him from the site... until I came to my senses.
Leave that for the official investigators.
Other side note-- the insurance guy and the sheriff had no problems with me boxing up the radio, transponder and main instruments either to keep the thieves from stripping it.

flightlogic wrote:I was right over highway 62 and I did a car count. Not that many, but it was the power lines adjacent on the right that spooked me. Now, after it was all over and I drove down 62 with my wife the next morning, I could see they were probably offset enough to clear the wings.

Much better to roll off into the sagebrush at 20 MPH, than to hit power lines 40 feet up at 60 MPH.

Gump

Good job keeping it together and walking away. Everything else is ancillary.

All's well that ends well, but I'm sorry you had the experience. Not fun at all--been there, done that, and likewise thankful for lots of practice doing engine out exercises, spot landings, etc.

Cary

Sorry about your loss,

Thankful that you were not hurt. It happens. After over 30,000 hours of mostly routine flight an engine quit at 1,500 ft. agl. while over rugged, hilly country with 50 ft. tall oak trees beneith the wings. Made it to the only open field clearing trees by 2 ft. in a near stall, stretching the glide. No choice...otherwise it would have been a crash into the trees.

Cleared the trees and dropped the nose to recover from a near stall... suddenly had to flare to miss a 6 ft. high levy at the last moment. Busted the nose gear, left main and bent the spar....but walked away unhurt, not even a bruise. My last thought before "hitting the ground" is ..."I am going to break my back"....as the airplane was now in a full stall about 10 feet above the earth. By the grace of God and a sturdy airplane the gear absorbed all the shock.

As I said...it happens. Be prepared and proficient.

Bob

Glad you weren't hurt.

'Greg