Navajo Down in Ankeny, IA

wrote:

Of course you're ruling out turboprop singles, right George? : )

Yep.

George Patterson
Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you quarrel with your neighbor.
It makes you shoot at your landlord. And it makes you miss him.

Update: Today's (Tu 11/15) Des Moines paper notes the dipstick was
missing from the plane at the crash site and was found at the airport.


Not in the reports yet: whether the dipstick was found on the ramp or
taxiway where it might've rolled if someone forgot and left it on a
cowling during a preflight, or if it was in the mechanic shop. Report
says the engine oil was "dangerously low," with only 1-2 quarts found
by the NTSB investigators. Pilot had reported an oil leak shortly
after takeoff.

Also not in the news reports: any indication, guess or wild
assumptions whether one engine had stopped. For that, I salute the
local reporters. Just the facts.

Update: Today's (Tu 11/15) Des Moines paper notes the dipstick was
missing from the plane at the crash site and was found at the airport.


Not in the reports yet: whether the dipstick was found on the ramp or
taxiway where it might've rolled if someone forgot and left it on a
cowling during a preflight, or if it was in the mechanic shop. Report
says the engine oil was "dangerously low," with only 1-2 quarts found
by the NTSB investigators. Pilot had reported an oil leak shortly
after takeoff.

Odd. An aircraft engine should run just fine with 1 - 2 quarts of oil,
certainly for at least a few minutes.

How does one get to the dipstick on a Navajo? I presume there's an
access door of some sort?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On 15 Nov 2005 12:41:19 -0800, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:


Odd. An aircraft engine should run just fine with 1 - 2 quarts of oil,
certainly for at least a few minutes.

How does one get to the dipstick on a Navajo? I presume there's an
access door of some sort?

little door on the top cowl, pretty much like your 'plane. depending
on the age of the engine, it could be either a screw-in, or a snap-in
(retained only by the o-ring friction) dipstick.

a Navajo will suck oil out the dipstick opening at a pretty
scary-looking rate. doesn't necessarily mean that the engine is going
to quit, but it sure "looks" like it's going to.

have had a couple make a short trip around the pattern (oh crap, look
at all the blankin' oil) and land with about 5-6 quarts left.

TC

a Navajo will suck oil out the dipstick opening at a pretty
scary-looking rate. doesn't necessarily mean that the engine is going
to quit, but it sure "looks" like it's going to.

have had a couple make a short trip around the pattern (oh crap, look
at all the blankin' oil) and land with about 5-6 quarts left.

And a little oil sure looks like a lot of oil. A couple of QUARTS would
scare the crap out of anyone.

I sure hope this accident doesn't turn out to be one of those
"the-pilot-was-distracted-by-the-missing-dipstick-open-access-door" kinda
things. It seems to happen every now and then that someone prangs it
because they were distracted by the door popping open, or what have you.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"