SEL precautionary landings: what's your experience?

"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:yyecg.23585$ZW3.3917@dukeread04...
"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
oups.com...
| You landed short of your destination because a vac pump
| failed in VMC??

That is what the regs call for!

No, it's not. Not for non-turbine Part 91 flight.

There is no requirement to land the airplane flying Part 91 for any
equipment failure. If you have an engine failure, but somehow figure out a
way to make it all the way to your destination (twin, really good glider
pilot, whatever), you're legal.

For certain kinds of equipment and instruments, one could infer a
requirement to land from 91.205(a), but such a requirement would mean that
any equipment failure would automatically put the pilot in violation of the
regulations since the instant the equipment failed, they would be in
violation (there's no exception for "except for the purpose of landing as
soon as practical" or anything like that). In any case, such a requirement
would not apply to the failure of the vacuum pump while flying VFR in the
daytime.

91.213(d) even allows for further flights to be made with inoperative
equipment, provided the equipment isn't on the type certificate's
requirements list for VFR-day operations (and a vacuum pump is unlikely to
be) and the equipment has been placarded as inoperative.

Pete

On 2006-05-22, Tony wrote:
What about those of you with 500 plus hours: what has your experience
been like? Am I just unlucky, or typical?

In around 1200 hours, the following spring to mind:
gryo failure on an IFR flight (but in VMC) - had to stop for the night
because the destination was solid IMC
the odd mag failing run up (usual causes: bad spark plug)
One forced landing due to a stuck valve (occurred at 50 feet AGL during
takeoff, but there was 4000 of remaining runway so it wasn't
particularly dramatic)
A total electrical failure at night during my student night instruction

But that's it.

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"Tony" wrote in message
oups.com...

What about those of you with 500 plus hours: what has your experience
been like? Am I just unlucky, or typical?

I've got a couple. I'll try to remember to post them when I get to 500
hours.

Tony wrote:
I have landed because of mechanical failures maybe once every 300
hours. I had a vacuum pump fail (VMC, I'm happy to say), an alternator
(In the clouds but soft IMC), a magnito failure that took out a bank of
spark plugs (probably IFR, I don't remember for sure) -- things like
that. Nothing really awful, but every one caused me to land a couple of
hours short of my destination. Most of these happend in my own M20J
which was (at least I think it was) well maintained.

I've got about 500 hours. I've had a couple of pilot/static
blockages, several electrical failures, a vacuum pump go (VFR),
several dual magneto failure, and a cylinder blow. I've also
punched a hole in the wing with a turkey buzzard. Stuff happens.

On 21 May 2006 18:46:21 -0700, "Tony" wrote:
I have landed because of mechanical failures maybe once every 300
hours...
What about those of you with 500 plus hours: what has your experience
been like? Am I just unlucky, or typical?

In the maybe 250 hours in "modern" airplanes, none. In about 350
hours in a 1941 T-Craft, however:
-Engine failure (valve seat came out) on takeoff at about 100', got it
down on the runway with about six inches to spare.
-Precautionary landing on a pier when the full wing tank failed to
feed into the almost empty main tank, with insufficient fuel to cross
the water to the nearest airport. Of course, it started feeding as
soon as I landed so I flew it out the next after MUCH hassle with the
authorities (long story).
-Failure of one magneto, continued to destination.
-Engine failure due to fuel contamination (new fuel truck at the
airport). Landed in a farm field field and only discovered after I
landed that it was an abandoned airport. Flew back out after draining
the sump.
-Throttle cable clevis came loose leaving the engine stuck at cruise
rpm. Landed by blipping the ignition, just like a WWI rotary engine.
-Not a mechanical failure, but I landed in a farm field once when
nature called, then spent about a half hour trying to start the engine
(vapor lock on a very hot summer evening). After near heat exhaustion
from endless hand propping, it finally started and I got home just at
sunset (no electrical system = no lights)

We won't even talk about all the engine failures in ultralights, where
an engine out is usually a non issue.

-Dana.

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In article ,
Dana M. Hague d(dash)m(dash)hague(at)comcast(dot)net wrote:

-Not a mechanical failure, but I landed in a farm field once when
nature called, then spent about a half hour trying to start the engine
(vapor lock on a very hot summer evening). After near heat exhaustion
from endless hand propping, it finally started and I got home just at
sunset (no electrical system = no lights)

We had one mag on our 1945 Champ that would heat up. Not enough time to
cool down during short stops. Installed a draft tube to blow directly
onto the mag cover solved the problem.

A Datsun I had in the 70's has a thermostatically controlled fan
directed at the carburetor. After stopping in a parking lot for about
15 minutes it would vapor lock and not start. Changed fan wiring to
bypass ignition switch so it would run until cool and no more problem.
--
Gene Seibel
Tales of Flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

I landed my Husky on a dirt road in Wyoming becuase I had to urinate.
Then I took off.

Ron Natalie wrote:



I've got about 500 hours. I've had a couple of pilot/static
blockages,

I had one of those too. Rolling down the runway on takeoff the airspeed
indicator is moving backwards, indicating about 230 mph. The faster I
went the slower I indicated. It took a few flights but eventually the
bug got flushed out of there by the air.

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...

I've got about 500 hours. I've had a couple of pilot/static
blockages,.....

Those pilot blockages can be a bitch. Try Ex-Lax.