On Fri, 01 Oct 2004 02:20:25 GMT, Philip Sondericker
wrote:


I was thinking about this recently, and I was trying to determine exactly
what the effects would be on a small plane flying into an ash cloud. How
long would it take for the air filter to become completely clogged? And at
that point, assuming the plane had a carburetor, what would be the effect on
the engine? Would the plugs become fouled? Would they fire at all?

I'm a new pilot and relatively ignorant of engine operations, so I'm curious
to hear the answers.

I recall reading a first hand experience of exactly what you are
describing. Not positive but I think the pilot was flying an early
Cessna or perhaps a Luscombe or something similar. He was with his
wife and was flying downwind of Mt St Helens and unaware of the
explosion. He was either overtaken by the plume, or flew into it
thinking it was something else and was in immediate and serious
trouble.

He could not see hardly anything and ended up luckily overflying an
airfield on which he had to circle to land, in the otherworldly
darkness and lack of vision. His engine was barely running by this
time and he managed to bump it down and it quit instantly as he
touched down.

My recollection is that the airplane looked like it had been
sandblasted. The paint was gone from the leading edges of the wing
and anything facing into the wind. The windshield was opaque. The
prop was abraided, the air filter was clogged to the point where it
would not pass any air and I seem to remember engine damage.

I also recall him saying that he burst into tears upon getting out of
the airplane as he realised just how close things had been for him and
his wife.

Corky Scott