T/R Failure
Just a 'quickie' to answer Savoia ... the 1986 T/R failure occurred during my WHC display routine and having previously experienced the condition circa 1975 when I suffered a T/R drive shaft failure on a sales demo, I'd taken the trouble to think the situation through and keeping the Enstrom power to less than 18 MAP and the speed above 60 knots, with the nose initially yawing to 10 'o clock in a descending, right cyclic approach , I managed the required, 'run-on' landing by progressively increasing power aiming to land ACROSS the runway tracking starboard 30 degrees out of wind and touching down on the right skid first. At a few feet AGL, a further opening of throttle to cushion the landing and swing the nose to 2 'o clock followed by a gentle power reduction returns the nose to around 1 'o clock when a prompt closing of throttle brings the skids to the 12 'o clock position when the cyclic is squeezed forward to touch down skids hopefully in the dead ahead position. Fortunately the runway edges allowed the skids to slide over the ramp as the Enstrom came to a stop upright. Three T/R failures caused by me, but in 14,000 hours ... no engine failure ... yet!
And even knowing the causal condition, I somehow repeated the event on the FX at Biggin Hill 1999, again getting the ship down in one piece on the 21 threshold end. It can't happen now as the Menominee factory have moved the left T/R cable outlet point closer inboard which the Enstrom engineers dubbed 'the Kenyon hole!' How rude!
Safe flying to all. Dennis Kenyon.