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#1
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Comanche accident averted last evening
Just another day of flying in the bay area yesterday - or so I thought.
It was past 7:45 pm. Beautiful evening sunset. Winds 330@12. No gusts. No turbulence. I was on my third touch and go. A Comanche was inbound and cleared to land on RWY31. I was cleared for the option (number two) and requested a short approach. On right downwind, Tower instructed me to do a Left 360 for separation with the Comanche so as to enable my "short approach" request. After the 360, I re-entered midfield right downwind and saw the Comanche go past the numbers... just beginning her flare. At that very moment, Tower in a very calm (yet urgent) tone said "No gear. Go around. No landing gear Comanche x-x-Yankee. Go around now!". My eyes were popping out of my sockets as I saw the Comanche pull away into the air with less than ten feet distance from the runway. As I pulled my throttle and descended a few seconds later, I heard the Comanche pilot thank the controller as he flew the pattern... his voice shaking in disbelief. He said he did everything he usually does... not sure how or why he missed extending the landing gear. I don't think he slept well in the night. Thankfully, plane & pilot got away without harm. I have a new level of respect for ATC after what happened today. And an even higher level of respect for Checklists! - Aman |
#2
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Towers at military fields issue a "check gear down" instruction along
with the landing clearance... I always thought that would be a good idea for GA also. It usually takes a while to get a Comanche slowed down enough so extending the gear is more of a necessity. I usually keep my speed up pretty well until closing in on the field which practically forces me to reach for the gear lever to get slowed down enough. But things such as long straight in approaches, or getting slowed down further out can lull you into a sense of comfort. There's just no substitute for doing the GUMPS check religiously. |
#3
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"kontiki" wrote in message ... Towers at military fields issue a "check gear down" instruction along with the landing clearance... I always thought that would be a good idea for GA also. So that's why they do it at KFOK (Gabreski/Suffolk County, NY). Doing touch & goes there in a fixed-gear Cessna 172, ATC told me "check gear down" each time. I must have sounded a little snotty when I replied, "I couldn't raise the gear if I wanted to." On the other hand, I've never heard that at KSTW and KBAF, which are also mixed-use GA/military fields. |
#4
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kontiki writes:
Towers at military fields issue a "check gear down" instruction along with the landing clearance... Do you have to positively ack the gear down instruction? D. -- PGP key at http://www.longhands.org/drg-pgp.txt Key Id:0x507D93DF |
#5
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Nothing worse than that sinking feeling just before you hear the
tortured sound of metal on the runway. Then discovering you have to use full power to taxi...... I've made it a habit to do a "short final Checklist"...levers forward, gear down and locked. It has saved me from that embarassing sinking feeling a couple times while distracted on short final. Ol S&B |
#6
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#7
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They do it at KSTJ. The Air National Guard operates the tower there.
-- Gene Seibel Gene & Sue's Aeroplanes - http://pad39a.com/gene/planes.html Because I fly, I envy no one. |
#8
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Towers at military fields issue a "check gear down" instruction along
with the landing clearance... I always thought that would be a good idea for GA also. There's a field in Southern California (Burbank? Van Nuys?) that has the word "Wheels" painted near the numbers at the approach end. Jose r.a.student retained, though I don't follow the group -- Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane. for Email, make the obvious change in the address. |
#9
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Dan Girellini wrote: Do you have to positively ack the gear down instruction? The first time I flew into a military base(in a 172), I got spooked by the "check gear down" reminder. I thought that maybe the tower knew something I didn't, so I actually looked out the window to verify that my gear was still there. Now when they say "check gear down" I just reply, "gear down and welded in place". John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180) |
#10
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kontiki wrote:
Towers at military fields issue a "check gear down" instruction along with the landing clearance... I always thought that would be a good idea for GA also. Yes, even if you have fixed gear. I landed at Springfield, OH many years ago and got that admonition with my clearance. I resisted the urge to reply with the old "down and welded" cliche. Now that I fly a retract, I agree it wouldn't be a bad idea at all for GA. Matt |
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