Hypothetical Scenario #1 - Urgent Action required

On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 8:19:04 PM UTC-8, OneTango wrote:
This is a voluntary pop quiz.



You're circling in a 30 degree left bank at 3000 AGL.



You hear a thunk and the glider enters a spin. Your practiced spin recovery technique does not work in the usual amount of time. You look in the direction of the thunk and see that the left spoiler is full open, you confirm that the spoiler control handle is in the fully closed position. A quick look confirms that the right spoiler is full closed.



What do you do next? Why did the left spoiler pop open. What just happened?



To derive the full benefit of this exercise, you might respond to this thread with your answer before looking at any of the other replies.



My hypothetical solution and explanation follows as the next comment.

I'm still wondering, per earlier post - Condor can run simulation with brakes on or off, right? What about one on, one off? We can fly a plane with two of these three conditions as part of "emergency" practice. Don't know anyone willing to disconnect an airbrake deliberately - for practice.
Eric Bick -

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:29:51 PM UTC-6, Eric Bick (1DB) wrote:
On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 8:19:04 PM UTC-8, OneTango wrote:

This is a voluntary pop quiz.







You're circling in a 30 degree left bank at 3000 AGL.







You hear a thunk and the glider enters a spin. Your practiced spin recovery technique does not work in the usual amount of time. You look in the direction of the thunk and see that the left spoiler is full open, you confirm that the spoiler control handle is in the fully closed position. A quick look confirms that the right spoiler is full closed.







What do you do next? Why did the left spoiler pop open. What just happened?







To derive the full benefit of this exercise, you might respond to this thread with your answer before looking at any of the other replies.







My hypothetical solution and explanation follows as the next comment.



I'm still wondering, per earlier post - Condor can run simulation with brakes on or off, right? What about one on, one off? We can fly a plane with two of these three conditions as part of "emergency" practice. Don't know anyone willing to disconnect an airbrake deliberately - for practice.

Eric Bick -

No Eric, and I would question the mental faculties of anyone proposing that..

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 1:45:46 PM UTC-8, wrote:
On Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:29:51 PM UTC-6, Eric Bick (1DB) wrote:

On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 8:19:04 PM UTC-8, OneTango wrote:



This is a voluntary pop quiz.















You're circling in a 30 degree left bank at 3000 AGL.















You hear a thunk and the glider enters a spin. Your practiced spin recovery technique does not work in the usual amount of time. You look in the direction of the thunk and see that the left spoiler is full open, you confirm that the spoiler control handle is in the fully closed position. A quick look confirms that the right spoiler is full closed.















What do you do next? Why did the left spoiler pop open. What just happened?















To derive the full benefit of this exercise, you might respond to this thread with your answer before looking at any of the other replies.















My hypothetical solution and explanation follows as the next comment.







I'm still wondering, per earlier post - Condor can run simulation with brakes on or off, right? What about one on, one off? We can fly a plane with two of these three conditions as part of "emergency" practice. Don't know anyone willing to disconnect an airbrake deliberately - for practice.



Eric Bick -



No Eric, and I would question the mental faculties of anyone proposing that.

exactly
Eric Bick

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 11:09:23 AM UTC-6, wrote:
All very good answers. I thought someone might mention direction of turns by now. With the one airbrake open it may be very hard to raise that wing again in a turn if it is the low side wing. Wouldn't it be wise to fly the pattern with the spoiled wing on the high side of the turns? ie - if your right airbrake is open you would want to do a left hand pattern? I would hate to get to pattern altitude and discover I can't raise my wing with the broken airbrake out after making the first turn...

No problem - just open the other airbrake long enough to get around the turn, then close if needed.

Kirk
66

A L'Hotellier failed on an airbrake of an LS6a in flight.
The spring failed. The LS Sleeve held everything together, so a non-event.
Jim

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:10:10 PM UTC-6, wrote:

Stuck out and stuck in are both scenarios commonly used during the practical test by our local examiner.

Are your examininees required to so no-spoiler approaches all the way to landing in glass (K-31/G-103)?

We have a debate going on in our club about the wisdom of this - our field is 2300 long, easy to use up most of that if you are a bit too fast recovering from your slip...

Now, if you are using a 2-33, no problem (more fun, actually, but not really a good emergency, either!)

As far as full-spoiler approaches, those are a fun emergency to practice.

Kirk
66

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 6:44:52 PM UTC-5, kirk.stant wrote:
On Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:10:10 PM UTC-6, wrote: Stuck out and stuck in are both scenarios commonly used during the practical test by our local examiner. Are your examininees required to so no-spoiler approaches all the way to landing in glass (K-31/G-103)? We have a debate going on in our club about the wisdom of this - our field is 2300 long, easy to use up most of that if you are a bit too fast recovering from your slip... Now, if you are using a 2-33, no problem (more fun, actually, but not really a good emergency, either!) As far as full-spoiler approaches, those are a fun emergency to practice. Kirk 66

We're training in 2-33's and flight tests are in same. We do slips to land in '21 and it isn't a big deal. Our field is 2700 ft. Energy management is obviously vary important.
I did slip to land in the '27. It went fine but I concluded that off airport you might as well hit the crash button on the Spot.
Interesting exchange on a scenario that I have never heard about happening.
It is obviously a long winter
UH

On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 8:19:04 PM UTC-8, OneTango wrote:
This is a voluntary pop quiz.



You're circling in a 30 degree left bank at 3000 AGL.



You hear a thunk and the glider enters a spin. Your practiced spin recovery technique does not work in the usual amount of time. You look in the direction of the thunk and see that the left spoiler is full open, you confirm that the spoiler control handle is in the fully closed position. A quick look confirms that the right spoiler is full closed.



What do you do next? Why did the left spoiler pop open. What just happened?



To derive the full benefit of this exercise, you might respond to this thread with your answer before looking at any of the other replies.



My hypothetical solution and explanation follows as the next comment. First thing I do, is press opposite rudder to slow down the turn and simultaneously pull the spoiler handle and lower the nose with foward stick.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2014 11:19:04 PM UTC-5, OneTango wrote:

You hear a thunk and the glider enters a spin. Your practiced spin recovery technique does not work in the usual amount of time. You look in the direction of the thunk and see that the left spoiler is full open, you confirm that the spoiler control handle is in the fully closed position. A quick look confirms that the right spoiler is full closed.

Something is broken, I don't know what. So minimize compounding stress on the aircraft by using gradual and conservative control inputs.

Release back stick pressure. Open speed-limiting air brakes gradually. Gradually increase right rudder to correct yaw. Gradually pull back on stick just the minimum needed to return to level attitude, slight nose up to recover altitude and reduce speed to 55 knots (a little high to compensate for the prone to stall left wing). Slowly close right air brake and maintain level and coordinated flight. Evaluate flight characteristics. To avoid reentering the spin, do not turn left with the right airbrake closed.

Okay. Now I'm extremely stressed out. My heart rate is 180 bpm. Get a grip, calm down Flub and make better decisions.

(As I try to write up my response to this exercise, I realize that I will naturally tend to over analyze the situation. I consider too many alternate plans. I'm naturally prone to decision-paralysis. No time for that in the air.)

So. Look around for landing options. Recall knowledge of good fields. The airport might not be the best solution, even if it is relatively close.

Make a calm decision to bail out or land. If I'm in lift, consider circling to the right to gain time and altitude.

Review my options to control glide slope. 1)I can close one spoiler to reduce glide slope (compensating with rudder and aileron for left yaw and reduced left lift 2)I can open both spoilers and slip to increase glide slope 3)I can fly with both spoilers open to obtain my average glide slope. So I want to open both spoilers when I'm close to my landing spot, and adjust the shape of my pattern based on the middle glide slope.

Okay. I'm going to land. Perform pre-landing check list. What is the windsock doing? I've decided to do an extremely long final, so that I have the best chance of getting the glide angle right. This also avoids turning close to the ground in a wounded glider. I will probably enter final a little high due to the stress. Announce entering final to pattern traffic. I'm high. Open both spoilers and do a slip. Perhaps increase speed temporarily to increase sink rate. There is a crosswind coming from the left and I turned onto final too late. The drift is exaggerated by the long final. If the glide angle is good, crab to compensate for crosswind. If I'm still high, slip to compensate for the crosswind. If I'm low... S--t. I'm low, but on extremely long final and still 800 AGL. Open both spoilers and turn 90d left. There is a hayfield 200 feet lower than the airport. That is my best bet. The glide angle looks good. Announce on radio. "Landing out at hayfield to east of airport."

Land. Walk away.

So maybe it would have been better to fly an extra long base leg. That would give me plenty of time and a good picture to evaluate the glide slope. If I were high, I could fly diagonally away from the runway to make the base and final legs longer. If I were low, I could fly diagonally towards the runway to make the final shorter.

Maybe I should get some practice with full air brakes when entering downwind and adjust the pattern to compensate for the steep glide slope.

On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 16:07:26 -0800, unclhank wrote:

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 6:44:52 PM UTC-5, kirk.stant wrote:
On Thursday, February 6, 2014 3:10:10 PM UTC-6,
wrote: Stuck out and stuck in are both scenarios commonly used during
the practical test by our local examiner. Are your examininees required
to so no-spoiler approaches all the way to landing in glass
(K-31/G-103)? We have a debate going on in our club about the wisdom of
this - our field is 2300 long, easy to use up most of that if you are a
bit too fast recovering from your slip... Now, if you are using a 2-33,
no problem (more fun, actually, but not really a good emergency,
either!) As far as full-spoiler approaches, those are a fun emergency
to practice. Kirk 66

We're training in 2-33's and flight tests are in same. We do slips to
land in '21 and it isn't a big deal. Our field is 2700 ft. Energy
management is obviously vary important.
I did slip to land in the '27. It went fine but I concluded that off
airport you might as well hit the crash button on the Spot.
Interesting exchange on a scenario that I have never heard about
happening.
It is obviously a long winter UH

Happened at our field once. The brakes behaved themselves until the pilot
part opened them on a relatively high base leg during a normal approach
just before turning onto finals. At that point one disconnected from the
control circuit and sucked fully out. The other one remained connected to
the brake handle. The glider would fly straight with both brakes open but
not with only one out. So, once pointed at the runway, the pilot left
both open to fly straight and, as a result, landed short (wings level) in
long grass with no damage to glider or pilot.

In the circumstances I think the right decision was made.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |