PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Beech 1900 Belly landing at Woodbourne (NZWB), New Zealand
Old 23rd Jun 2007, 01:51
  #45 (permalink)  
werbil
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Darwin, Australia
Age: 53
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Wheels up landings

Well done to the crew - this post is for those who would have done it differently .

With alloy propellors, I was told by an engineering type that if the prop was feathered and stopped it would dig into the ground, causing a large amount of damage to the engine (let alone to the aircraft and pax) due to the inability of the prop to fold, whereas if the prop was in fine pitch and rotating slowly the blades would fold nicely - sometimes not even damaging the crankshaft in a piston engine. I have no experience with composite props - but I understand that carbon fibre shatters into a fine dust absorbing a huge amount of energy in the process.

I remember a lot of hangar talk about aircraft with 2 bladed props - some pilots said they would shut down the engines and feather the props on final and then use the starter motor to rotate them so the blades were horizontal . I heard of one very serious accident when this was attempted and the pilot undershot and the aircaft ended up in a drainage ditch.

As to the grass vs hard surfaces - an engineering type told me that grass can get into to the joins between aircraft skins and the pull the skin off resulting in far more damage to the structure underneath.

I fly amphib caravans which have a PT6. Sometimes on the water we will shut down in beta - and it takes a looooong time for the blades to stop. Whilst the gas generator is running there is oil pressure for the bearings in the reduction gear box, when the gas generator stops so does the oil.

I'm sure the manufacturer takes all factors into account when writing the manuals.

I am not into being a hero to try and save the insurance company a few $$$ on the repair. When someting goes wrong the primary consideration is the pax on board - as far as I am concerned the insurance company owns the aircraft when things first go wrong - well before I hit the ground. Mind you the best way to save the pax is to land the aircraft in 1 piece. Besides with a 1.9m$ aircraft it is cheaper for the insurance company if four pax lives a saved if you write off the aircraft to achieve it.

W

Last edited by werbil; 23rd Jun 2007 at 01:52. Reason: spelling
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