Emergency Landings
Discussion
Last time I looked Heathrow was an airport, ar at the very least an airfield, not a "'drome". Honestly, that sounds like something from an Armstrong and Miller sketch....."Like we was at the 'drome, and it was wicked and sh*t"
Hate to burst anyone's bubble, but it's not 1930 any more.
Hate to burst anyone's bubble, but it's not 1930 any more.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 3rd September 11:53
In September 1959 on a BOAC Britannia landing at Calcutta (or was it Bombay?) on way back from Singapore (a 32 hour journey then). On landing brakes failed. A long period of reverse pitch, much shaking of aircraft, to come to a stop. Very slow taxi to terminal (on 2 engines, I seem to remember.) 4 hours in terminal when fault found and fixed. During the 4 hours hydraulic pressure maintained by 4 Indian workers with a stepladder and heavy gloves. Run up stepladder, grab prop blade, descend to ground and around again - for 4 hours in the mid-day sun! As we boarded aircraft 4 Indians laying flat out on their backs and passengers throwing money onto their chests. Rest of flight back to UK uneventful.
Closest to an emergency landing I've ever had was my own appalling handiwork in a Cessna 152 when doing my PPL. Was one of my first solos and after doing all the checks and getting clearance to go the engine misfired heavily just as I began to rotate. Cut power, dropped it back onto the runway and braked hard - got a wobble on and for a horrid moment thought I was going to flip it. Anyway, stopped it just over the end of the runway on the grass then taxied back just fine - the problem was something to do with lead on the plugs and if I remember rightly that engine did get rebuilt soon after. Have always wondered whether an experienced pilot would have just gone for it or would also have aborted that late. While I never did enough flying to become an experienced pilot I DO know engines - and that 'plane wasn't going to stay up for long.
Since then funnily enough, nothing an airline pilot does ever fazes me anymore
Since then funnily enough, nothing an airline pilot does ever fazes me anymore
Doniger said:
Closest to an emergency landing I've ever had was my own appalling handiwork in a Cessna 152 when doing my PPL. Was one of my first solos and after doing all the checks and getting clearance to go the engine misfired heavily just as I began to rotate. Cut power, dropped it back onto the runway and braked hard - got a wobble on and for a horrid moment thought I was going to flip it. Anyway, stopped it just over the end of the runway on the grass then taxied back just fine - the problem was something to do with lead on the plugs and if I remember rightly that engine did get rebuilt soon after. Have always wondered whether an experienced pilot would have just gone for it or would also have aborted that late. While I never did enough flying to become an experienced pilot I DO know engines - and that 'plane wasn't going to stay up for long.
Since then funnily enough, nothing an airline pilot does ever fazes me anymore
Reminds me of my first ever glider solo - had a genuine cable break a few seconds after I had rotated into the full climb (winch launch). My first, rather strange, thought was "how did the feckin' instructor pull the release from outside the aircraft?". All the training paid off and I bunged the nose down and managed to land straight ahead, well inside the field. Quickened the pulse somewhat.Since then funnily enough, nothing an airline pilot does ever fazes me anymore
robsco said:
Had one when we flew out to Majorca some time ago now. I was only a young boy, so can only seem to remember the blind panic and everyone fearing for their lives. Quite what spurred it on I don't recall.
You were flying on a Spanish carrier, and news came through that Franco was dead, all of the crew cheered the fact that the old fascist b
d had gone straight to hell, and then news came through that he wasn't dead?
Flying back into Cardiff a few years back, the weather was awful, meaning the pilot couldn't land.
We circled around for a good 45 minutes waiting for the fog to clear, at which point he announced that he was running out of fuel and was going to radio around to find out if there was an airport where he could land.
I thought that was a bit of a strange thing to say, as it put the fear of god into some of the other passengers.
We circled around for a good 45 minutes waiting for the fog to clear, at which point he announced that he was running out of fuel and was going to radio around to find out if there was an airport where he could land.
I thought that was a bit of a strange thing to say, as it put the fear of god into some of the other passengers.
Flintstone said:
Doniger said:
...the problem was something to do with lead on the plugs
Keep going! Max revs! Burn it off!
If there wasn't lead on the plugs during the power check, how did it get there shortly afterwards?
That being said, fully rich idle power whilst arsing about after the power check, or even before, can deposit all manner of cack on the plugs....which is why I'd always lean it off for taxying, and general arsing about at idle power.
In 2005 on our way back from our Honeymoon, flying from Dubai to Manchester with Emirates we had smoke detected in the cabin/cockpit. We had to do an emergency landing at kuwait Airport. REALLY scary 10 minutes. Plane decended so quick. Landed and fire engines were following us down the runway. Turns out the plane was okay in the end, but most of the passengers wouldn't get back on it so they had to fly another out from Dubai. We were in kuwait for 9 hours in total (stuck in the airport!)
During the panic, the stewards/esses were flapping quite alot which suprised me tbh. Pilot was great. He was on the intercom to us regularly, but you could tell he was obviously on using his oxygen mask which was a bit worrying, but standard procedure I suppose! Passengers were crying/praying etc etc. I tried to stay calm so not to worry my wife too much but did think this could be it!!!
I was also concerned that due to our location we may have to land at Bagdad International!!!
During the panic, the stewards/esses were flapping quite alot which suprised me tbh. Pilot was great. He was on the intercom to us regularly, but you could tell he was obviously on using his oxygen mask which was a bit worrying, but standard procedure I suppose! Passengers were crying/praying etc etc. I tried to stay calm so not to worry my wife too much but did think this could be it!!!
I was also concerned that due to our location we may have to land at Bagdad International!!!
Edited by Ben Jk on Saturday 4th September 20:19
Edited by Ben Jk on Saturday 4th September 20:19
eharding said:
Flintstone said:
Doniger said:
...the problem was something to do with lead on the plugs
Keep going! Max revs! Burn it off!If there wasn't lead on the plugs during the power check, how did it get there shortly afterwards?
That being said, fully rich idle power whilst arsing about after the power check, or even before, can deposit all manner of cack on the plugs....which is why I'd always lean it off for taxying, and general arsing about at idle power.
Leaning? Idle power ? On the ground? What the hell are you two tits talking about? Don't you know that you're supposed to leave the RPM at 1200 RPM while your braincells are rubbing together for warmth?
Captain Smirk said:
Leaning? Idle power ? On the ground? What the hell are you two tits talking about? Don't you know that you're supposed to leave the RPM at 1200 RPM while your braincells are rubbing together for warmth?
You'll have to expand on that particular piece of wisdom - to what type are you referring?1200 rpm is the SOP for Lycoming powered Cessna and Piper light aircraft. Some of the variants may have had different settings ( I can't remember what the Seneca was) but for the ones I stooge about in 1200 is the exact reason to avoid plug fowling.
Wouldn't dare lean out an engine on the ground. If Messrs Cessna and Piper don't say to do it, don't.
Happy landings!
Wouldn't dare lean out an engine on the ground. If Messrs Cessna and Piper don't say to do it, don't.
Happy landings!
Chuck328 said:
1200 rpm is the SOP for Lycoming powered Cessna and Piper light aircraft. Some of the variants may have had different settings ( I can't remember what the Seneca was) but for the ones I stooge about in 1200 is the exact reason to avoid plug fowling.
Wouldn't dare lean out an engine on the ground. If Messrs Cessna and Piper don't say to do it, don't.
Happy landings!
Well, it was certainly SOP in the Pitts (or face leaning it off to try and clear the plugs later). Leaving 1200 RPM in the Pitts would, in any case, have you pressing quite hard on the brakes to stop it heading off into the foliage.Wouldn't dare lean out an engine on the ground. If Messrs Cessna and Piper don't say to do it, don't.
Happy landings!
The Yak, bless it, has a barometric mixture control, invariably runs over rich, but rarely fouls the plugs (probably because the Russian plugs are set up to run with all manner of vile muck that passed for Avgas in the Soviet days)
eharding said:
Chuck328 said:
1200 rpm is the SOP for Lycoming powered Cessna and Piper light aircraft. Some of the variants may have had different settings ( I can't remember what the Seneca was) but for the ones I stooge about in 1200 is the exact reason to avoid plug fowling.
Wouldn't dare lean out an engine on the ground. If Messrs Cessna and Piper don't say to do it, don't.
Happy landings!
Well, it was certainly SOP in the Pitts (or face leaning it off to try and clear the plugs later). Leaving 1200 RPM in the Pitts would, in any case, have you pressing quite hard on the brakes to stop it heading off into the foliage.Wouldn't dare lean out an engine on the ground. If Messrs Cessna and Piper don't say to do it, don't.
Happy landings!
The Yak, bless it, has a barometric mixture control, invariably runs over rich, but rarely fouls the plugs (probably because the Russian plugs are set up to run with all manner of vile muck that passed for Avgas in the Soviet days)
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