A couple of things.
Trying to work backwards.....
BAckpacker...nice theory on the ute ride to re-attatch a new wheel. Whilst it worked on a P28R, what you propose is a whole lot more complex. It's hard enough to do with the aircraft on jacks...i have done it yes.
Also on backpackers comments, forgetting airflow, if you take note of aircraft shut down, of the propellor position, you can actually pick a Pa-28 151 from a 161 simply from the propellor stopped position...theres about 20 degree of difference on a correctly rigged aircraft.
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Concrete Vs bitumen.
Most airports in australia with sealed surfaces RARELY utilise concrete. The only concrete and Mangalore where this happened, is in the beer garden.
Mangalore is big enough that it actually qualifies as an EMERGENCY alternate for aircraft as big as a 747. You can't taxi anywhere on it in something that big, but at least you can stop
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Burning fuel off prior to a 'controlled crash'
Some food for thought there....had a discussion up at the aero club tonite about this incident, with a lot of feedback from our highly experienced CFI.
Do you A.. burn the fuel off or B land tanks full.
After the discussion i think i might opt for B.
Its not the fuel that causes the bang, its the vapour. If you burn the fuel off, then your tanks are full of vapour.
Think about what you should know about a stoichimetric mixture.
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172 driver said..........
Nope. The preference is landing on hard surface. Ideally with engine off and prop positioned horizontally.
First part i agree with 100%
Second part I also agree with....if only to save the insurer money.
Where i lose consensus, that how hard it is it to get that prop stopped horizontally.
Next time you go play with an aeroplane, try doing exactly that on the ground. when you realise how hard it is, then take into account what backpacker said about windmill effect and what is needed to actually get the prop stopped.
I will go with my CFI, forget cutting the engine, it is an OWT. You cut the engine you remove an option of going around for another go at the last second. Going with the stop the prop...you kill the engine at the last second, you won't get it stopped anyway, prop makes contact, and its still a bulk strip. The only thing you have done is, increase your workload and reduce your options. Remember, once it all goes pear shaped, the insurer owns it, give yourself the best options....and a live engine has more options than a dead one.
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Restricted Area around Mangalore During the incident.
Mangalore is a very busy training drome, it is also heavily utilised by pilots heading north from melbourne as a waypoint to avoid nearby military airspace. On that particular day, a total fire ban was in place. The whole region is tinder dry and ripe for another firestorm like we had in 2009. The airspace was closed for 2 reasons. 1. to give the pilot unhindered space to manouver, and 2. to allow space for airborne firefighting assets to position should they be needed for an early strike should the unthinkable happen.
Cheers
Jas