Originally Posted by
PR0PWASH
Look at the start of the video, the key was in the of position before they even got off the ground
Unless the barrel of the switch was rotated in the panel then my money is on malfunctioning P Leads and a poor pre-flight.
It appears so. As much as on shutdown (cool-down period, then clutch OFF) we check at this moment that the mechanical (engine-driven) fuel pump on its own works well (as clutch OFF disengages the electric fuel pump), one could also check the magneto key switch OFF function.
30 sec after clutch OFF you would then normally kill the engine by pulling the mixture. You might just decide to once in a while kill the engine by turning the magneto key switch to OFF. It's not in the POM, and others here can advise if there are any reasons for not doing this way...
With correct wiring you would get:
- Immediate engine stop when turning the key to OFF
- Noticeable, positive engine roughness and RPM drop between 3 and 5 % (but less than 7% within 2 sec) by running in either one magneto
- Positive rpm and smoothness recovery when switch from one magneto back to two magnetos
If you religiously follow a pre-takeoff *checklist* even if the engine was just off for a few minutes, I agree very little chances that you take-off with the key in the wrong position AND the wiring to be totally wrong AND the wiring miraculously coming right (ie engine stop) after 20 sec.
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No passenger can change a switch position in the cockpit, with the engine running and the pilot at the controls, without the pilot noticing. Full stop. Let alone accidentally.
OK, last time that happened was in NYC with the Squirrel where the passenger's camera strap or similar caught the fuel shutoff lever and then pulled up that lever thereby shutting off fuel flow. But let's just say that here the idea that the front pax with his rifle knocked a rotary switch from the 5 o'clock to the 1 o'clock position only suits one person, the pilot.
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Great auto?
While we are all happy that all pax walked away from this accident unhurt, and while I wouldn't boast that I would have done much better, adding to the above this was a fairly botched autorotation (loss of speed, loss RRPM). The pilot treated the engine out like if it was at cruise speed (with the stick in forward position before the engine stops), not adjusting his technique for the fact that he was still in the climb (with the stick in an AFT position).
The good thing that can be said is that he didn't stop flying the aircraft until the impact and until the aircraft come to a complete stop, avoiding obstacles left right and centre. And doing a great run-on landing on rough terrain without toppling over. That was *not* luck.