Today started as a great flight, touch and goes in Ashland, then out to beagle to give the bird a bath. Heading home (from beagle to Ashland) climbing over Roxy Anne I lost power, it was still running just enough to keep the prop spinning but it sure wasn't doing me much good (that was obvious to me at least). I remember everything that happened except turning towards MFR. I always wondered how i'd handle an in-flight emergency, and this brought up so many questions! Like what should I have done differently, what could I have done differently, how far can I actually glide, was it reckless to head for an airport in the middle of a bigish city, and so many more. Lots of theory to ponder, and checklists to brush up on, but I learned more in 15 min about flying then my previous 50 hours...

Good story for the check ride pilot I guess!

wow, nice job. sounds like you handled it with the best of them. any word on what happened to the engine?

I haven't had a chance to look into it yet, it acted like maybe water, I strained when I got fuel, and it sat a while after the wash and got strained again. So as far as I could tell my fuel was dry. once on the ground I strained again and there was no separation, just fuel. I have flown after rain and have never seen water in the fuel, I was up for probably 30 minuets before it quit so I'm not sure what to think about water...

Great job!

Thanks Scott! It was a good feeling making having it turn out okay knowing what could have happened.

The story Son.... Tell us the story. What happened? What did you do?

Gump

GumpAir wrote:The story Son.... Tell us the story. What happened? What did you do?

Gump

I'm sorry I left out all the good stuff out! I was climbing to get over a hill to get back into the Ashland side of the valley from what I can remember I was around 4,700 climbing when It dropped from 2400RPM to 1200 in a heart beat, no running rough or signs it was going south. I don't remember turning towards MFR but as I was pitching for glide I looked up and was heading to the numbers. Once glide was set I looked around for something I must have overlooked, tried carb heat no difference, tried mags and no change, but when I added power it died.
Now coming into MFR's class D I was trying to get a hold of them but they couldn't make out anything I was saying, I heard them but they couldn't understand my transmissions. Fearing I would have to bomb in unannounced I squawked emergence and that got his attention a bit! So he guided me in only able to answer in staticy sound blasts until I was about 5 miles out, then I could make an audible transmission, was able to declare an emergency, and make a request (which was denied lol). But I ended up high on a right base, slipped hard to get down on final once I knew I was made and had a pretty nice touch down for a low time TW driver! Met with the emergency services and kissed the ground. I feel it went as well as a crappy situation could have gone...

Good job on handling the engine out!

It'll be interesting to hear what turns out to have been the problem. Did you check the gascolator contents for water after the emergency landing?

Curious also what request you made that was denied by the tower.

Anyway, good job on handling the emergency!

I asked for the cross wind runway, I have never seen it used, and I think they had equipment on it looking after landing, but I was lined up perfectly for it and could tell that way out. It cant hurt to ask I guess! So I got 32 and ended up getting it stopped way faster than I thought.

Sounds like you handled it like a pro. Good on ya!

Reusable airplane=great job.

Good job!

That's the first time I've ever heard of a tower denying an emergency landing request. Normally as soon as a pilot declares an emergency approaching an airport, everything else is cleared out of the way, and the landing clearance is "cleared to land on any runway". Of course, if the runway was blocked, a denial was appropriate.

Post the cause of the engine problem.

Cary

i remember my first time when the engine ran rough, i was flying my friends plane, and my first thought was man, I'm going to wad this thing up, and I'm going to have to call my friend. then i said oh s*it, I'm the one flying. My friend who was riding with me said I've never seen you move so fast, full power, mixture and prop, switch tanks and started climbing. engine cleared up and ran fine. It started surging and running rough. Sumped it and it ran fine ever sense. It also gets your attention when i run the super cub out of fuel. You can sure switch tanks quick.

Good job, funny how quick you move when you need to. You can practice all you want and its no big deal, and then when it happens. you move so fast you don't remember

Tom

Short_Straw wrote:

GumpAir wrote:The story Son.... Tell us the story. What happened? What did you do?

Gump

I'm sorry I left out all the good stuff out! I was climbing to get over a hill to get back into the Ashland side of the valley from what I can remember I was around 4,700 climbing when It dropped from 2400RPM to 1200 in a heart beat, no running rough or signs it was going south. I don't remember turning towards MFR but as I was pitching for glide I looked up and was heading to the numbers. Once glide was set I looked around for something I must have overlooked, tried carb heat no difference, tried mags and no change, but when I added power it died.
Now coming into MFR's class D I was trying to get a hold of them but they couldn't make out anything I was saying, I heard them but they couldn't understand my transmissions. Fearing I would have to bomb in unannounced I squawked emergence and that got his attention a bit! So he guided me in only able to answer in staticy sound blasts until I was about 5 miles out, then I could make an audible transmission, was able to declare an emergency, and make a request (which was denied lol). But I ended up high on a right base, slipped hard to get down on final once I knew I was made and had a pretty nice touch down for a low time TW driver! Met with the emergency services and kissed the ground. I feel it went as well as a crappy situation could have gone...

Good job! Obviously you had MFR in your subconscious for an emergency. That was one of the lessons I tried to pass along to all of my students when I was instructing. Every time I thought they weren't paying enough attention, it was, "Whups! You just lost your engine (power to idle) - where are you going to go?"

On the "denied" request - There ain't no such thing for an airplane that has declared an emergency. He can advise you that that runway is completely torn up with 87 tons of immovable equipment on it, though...

If you decide you can use an open runway SAFELY - determined by YOU AS THE PIC AND NOBODY ELSE, well that's being a good neighbor. Besides, your plane didn't look big enough to disregard cement trucks pouring concrete on a closed runway...

I probably don't have to tell you to do this, you'll be replaying this event in your mind for a while and reconsidering your actions anyway, but when you think of other things you might have done better, or that you forgot from your training that you think you should have done (emergency flow for engine power loss - fuel valve to fullest tank, mixture, carb heat, etc. etc. or whatever else you might have missed), write them down! Next time you have some spare time to burn, practice chair-flying it the way you would have liked to do it (5-6 times minimum), and then again next time you are up flying, go through it several times again in the airplane to cement your muscle memory.

Very valuable practice. Honest self-critique is one of the most powerful forms of learning! Again, it sounds like you did a great job! Congratulations.

Tom that was exactly it, I don't remember what I was doing I was just checking things I think I should and doing what I was taught. I dont remember consciously picking MFR, i just looked up and was pointed at it. To be honest I heard John kings voice a few times about checks and emergency stuff, goofy tapes but I guess they stuck with me haha

Yeah I was bummed I didn't get the crosswind runway but it was obvious they were moving things for me, they had fire right there and made everyone else freeze. Pretty cool orchestration that I hope to never see again!

Captain Mike,
Excellent advice and encouragement! Thank you for that, I made a very detailed entry to a separate "how was that flight" logbook of just that info. There are things I wish I checked, and done differently but the plane will fly again so I can't complain

Outstanding job. Always gets your attention when you're putting along fat dumb and happy and the big fan out front quits. Always a plus when you get to keep the airplane and don't have to give it to insurance. I am be curious as to the cause

Outstanding job Short_Straw! Happy endings are GREAT endings! Be sure and let us know what happened once you find out.

I should probably know the answer to this, but hypothetically if one were to experience a loss of power in flight, if the pilot were to ball up and total the airplane they would essentially be payed out by insurance per the policy and agreed upon hull value. If one lands with no damage, does insurance do anything?

thank you for the words of encouragement. They are much needed! I was fine as it was happening, but as of now I'm a bit shaken up and anxious about getting back behind the stick. Which I appreciate because I know cocky- ness kills..

Well done. I've only had one high one so can't comment much on that. Had nine at 200' or below. Different thing all together.