On pre-flight inspections

"D Ramapriya" wrote in message
...
On Jul 27, 3:21 pm, Stealth Pilot
wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong but engine runups are part of the mechanics'
pre-handover (of the aircraft) routine, right? It's after that that
the aircraft is towed on to the ramp and delivered to the pilots. I've
only ever seen runups being performed near uninhabited areas outside
hangars.

Ramapriya

this is recreational.aviation.piloting.
just about all of us do our own runnups because we dont employ
mechanics. they are done just before takeoff.

do you do things differently where you live????

Stealth Pilot


I guess I got my wires crossed in a way, as a pilot friend kindly
pointed out to me in private :\

I was thinking of the everyday scene that I see en route home, in the
Emirates hangars at a spot circa here
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=25.2653253...3&z=17&l=0&m=b
where some aircraft's engines get runup every other day by mechanics
standing around.

Ramapriya

-----------------new post begins---------

You appear to have been looking at maintenance runups of large turbojet
powered aircraft, which whould typically be run up following some types of
work having been performed--rather than prior to each flight.

OTOH, propeller driven aircraft, especially those with reciprocating engines
and magneto ignition, are usually run up prior to each flight--or at a
minimum prior to the first flight of each day. That may change within the
foreseeable future, as FADEC systems replace the manual mixture controls and
the traditional dual magnetos--so that computer diagnostics can be
continuously available without the need for the pilot to conduct a series of
tests and measurements. Then, only the propeller governor would remain on
those aircraft with neither fixed pitch propellers nor single lever engine
controls.

Peter

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:04:45 -0700, Ron Garret wrote:

Depends on what counts as "significant deferrment" and what counts as
"pre-flight".

Which begs this question.

How bad does a wood prop have to be to cancel a flight? I was going to
take a flight in a DA20 which has a twin blade Sensenich W69EK7-63 wood
propeller. On pre-flight, the prop was chipped in several places, no
runs but then its painted or enameled white.

http://www.controller.com/images/Con...e/80614723.jpg

The edges were so rough I was concerned about catching a splinter. I
passed.

And you?

"D Ramapriya" wrote in message
...
Has any of you has ever discovered something during the pre-flight
inspection that necessitated a significant deferrment of your flight
plan or a cancelation altogether? Just curious, that's all.


To me personally --

Low oil many times.

Birds nests in the engine compartment at least twice.

Nav lights out at least twice.

Panel lights out at least once.

Loose fuel cap on a high wing once.

Unacceptable propeller damage on a metal prop once.

Most outstanding, years ago during flight training, was all bolts on an
outboard flap hinge were backed off about half way. I though the instructor
was just setting me up until I saw his response.

Worst I have actually witnessed --

Badly frayed cable on the horizontal stabilizer. AI caught it while fueling
the aircraft. Showed it to the pilot who decided it would make back home,
about 30 miles. AI actually begged his pax to stay behind. At about 200' on
take off the cable failed. Aircraft did a complete loop impacting the ground
at about a 60 degree angle. Nothing left of the aircraft more than knee
high. Engine buried about 2'. Pilot died instantly, but the pax with all
broken bones, struggled for help for almost 5 minutes before expiring.


There was another story in flying magazine many years ago about someone
hired to return a repossessed aircraft from a near by airport. Very cold
morning, he just check the oil and sumps. Clearing the end of the runway at
about 200 ', he reached for the carb heat. Cabin filled once dormant wasps
warmed by the carb heat! Fortunately he had enough presence of mind to
quickly open both windows and flooding the cabin with extremely cold air.
Made it back to the runway without further incident, but it obviously could
have ended much differently.

In article ,
"Peter Dohm" wrote:

"vaughn" wrote in message
...

"a" wrote in message
...

I did watch a PA28 do turns around a tiedown once because the PIC
didn't untie the left wing before trying to taxi out.

I once watched a rental 172 return from an apparently uneventful flight
with the rudder lock still attached to the rudder. Take-home lesson: Some
folks fly flat-footed.

Also, at least twice I have ran down and stopped planes on the taxiway
with flags flying from left-on pitot covers. Take-home lesson: One good
reason to put flags on them is so someone else can save your bacon after
you do a crappy preflight.

Vaughn


I nearly started an engine with a propeller lock still in place--and was
fortunate enough to have someone wave my down in time. Due to lucky timing
and the good samaritan, there was no damage.

Heh, funny you should mention that. I once forgot to remove an orange
cone that the FBO had "helpfully" placed in front of the prop. It's
amazing what a propeller -- even one not moving at full speed -- can do
to an orange cone. That one set me back quite a bit as well.

rg

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:25:04 -0700, Ron Garret wrote:

In article ,
"Peter Dohm" wrote:

"vaughn" wrote in message
...

"a" wrote in message
...

I did watch a PA28 do turns around a tiedown once because the PIC
didn't untie the left wing before trying to taxi out.

I once watched a rental 172 return from an apparently uneventful flight
with the rudder lock still attached to the rudder. Take-home lesson: Some
folks fly flat-footed.

Also, at least twice I have ran down and stopped planes on the taxiway
with flags flying from left-on pitot covers. Take-home lesson: One good
reason to put flags on them is so someone else can save your bacon after
you do a crappy preflight.

Vaughn


I nearly started an engine with a propeller lock still in place--and was
fortunate enough to have someone wave my down in time. Due to lucky timing
and the good samaritan, there was no damage.

Heh, funny you should mention that. I once forgot to remove an orange
cone that the FBO had "helpfully" placed in front of the prop. It's
amazing what a propeller -- even one not moving at full speed -- can do
to an orange cone. That one set me back quite a bit as well.

rg

Are cones expensive or are your poor?

Franklin

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:30:57 -0500, Maxwell wrote:

Badly frayed cable on the horizontal stabilizer. AI caught it while fueling
the aircraft. Showed it to the pilot who decided it would make back home,
about 30 miles. AI actually begged his pax to stay behind. At about 200' on
take off the cable failed. Aircraft did a complete loop impacting the ground
at about a 60 degree angle. Nothing left of the aircraft more than knee
high. Engine buried about 2'. Pilot died instantly, but the pax with all
broken bones, struggled for help for almost 5 minutes before expiring.

The guilt you should feel for not stopping both of them. What a cad you
are.

Franklin

In article ,
Gezellig wrote:

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:04:45 -0700, Ron Garret wrote:

Depends on what counts as "significant deferrment" and what counts as
"pre-flight".

Which begs this question.

How bad does a wood prop have to be to cancel a flight? I was going to
take a flight in a DA20 which has a twin blade Sensenich W69EK7-63 wood
propeller. On pre-flight, the prop was chipped in several places, no
runs but then its painted or enameled white.

http://www.controller.com/images/Con...e/80614723.jpg

The edges were so rough I was concerned about catching a splinter. I
passed.

And you?

I'm not a propellor sort of guy, but rough enough to catch a splinter
would be a definite no-go for me! Being that messed up sounds like a
potential structural problem to me. I'd bet that it's *probably* just
cosmetic, but I hate to bet on probablies. Having a blade suddenly fail
would ruin your whole day....

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

"parking" brake on a Cessna 172 came out in my hand
"bad mag check", as in the engine would not even run on one mag.. it was
totally dead, that has happened more than once on various aircraft.
"a funny noise" in the full deflection of the elevator, found a screw that
was too long had been used to anchor an inspection panel and the lengthy end
was rubbing on the trim spring

just to name a few

"D Ramapriya" wrote in message
...
Has any of you has ever discovered something during the pre-flight
inspection that necessitated a significant deferrment of your flight
plan or a cancelation altogether? Just curious, that's all.

Thanks,

Ramapriya

That would be a pass for me!

I would stop right there......

For a friend here.... he passed on 3 spinner cracks on a rental 172.

One crack was 1 1/2 in long.

They (others) continued to fly the aircraft for another week before
the spinner was removed

Dave





..

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:01:33 -0400, Gezellig
wrote:

On Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:04:45 -0700, Ron Garret wrote:

Depends on what counts as "significant deferrment" and what counts as
"pre-flight".

Which begs this question.

How bad does a wood prop have to be to cancel a flight? I was going to
take a flight in a DA20 which has a twin blade Sensenich W69EK7-63 wood
propeller. On pre-flight, the prop was chipped in several places, no
runs but then its painted or enameled white.

http://www.controller.com/images/Con...e/80614723.jpg

The edges were so rough I was concerned about catching a splinter. I
passed.

And you?

On Jul 27, 12:41*am, D Ramapriya wrote:
Has any of you has ever discovered something during the pre-flight
inspection that necessitated a significant deferrment of your flight
plan or a cancelation altogether? Just curious, that's all.

Thanks,

Ramapriya

Did the usual walk-around and found nothing amiss. Then fired up the
engine only to see the tach come up, then drop back to zero (engine
running).
It was more than just a bad tach - the engine was toast (making lots
of metal). Not really unexpected, as it was suspect when we bought the
plane
about a year earlier (and figured into the purchase price). Replaced
it with a reman - which has proven to be a good decision.

Dave