Technical problems, where did you leave your plane and how did you get back??

[Ultra long hauler]

Hi fellow-flyers,

just a quick summary of my last X-country flight:

After an hour of flying on a beautiful day in the South of Ecuador, a weird noise appeared in my Rotax engine……….an obvious exhaust problem.
I landed on a crop dusting base……….but while on finals, I noticed a plane that had landed up in a ditch next to the runway:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3820316/Screenshot%202011-04-23%20om%2020.13.51.jpg

Long story short……….the exhaust problem could not be fixed, but we were lucky enough to meet the investigators that came there in a Cessna to investigate the unfortunate crop duster. They were kind enough to let us "jumpseat" in the back of their C172, back to my home town. Saved us a 3 hour bus drive……..but if only we would have taken the headsets with us--> noisy!!

My question is: have you ever been stuck somewhere, when your (private) plane decided to go Tech on you………at a rather inconvenient place & time?
How did you make it back home and how did you recover your plane?

We made it home rather quick (100 kts cruise in the C172, instead of 50 Kts in my own LSA), but the main worry remained………..my plane!!!
It was in a base with security and everything--> but it´s still pretty much "Home Sweet Home" as far as I´m concerned.
We went back the next day by car and my mechanic managed to fix the exhaust and fly her back, but still……….not very nice!

Similar experiences anyone?

###Ultra Long Hauler###

[Pilot DAR]

Long Hauler,

Good photo - good reminder!

I've been very lucky, any failure I have ever had, I've been able to fix in place, and fly away, with nothing more than a slight delay. Worst was after landing on a frozen lake, the starter clutch in my engine actually broke internally. This made it unwise to run the engine at all, lest the pieces drift into the workings of the engine. I was able to walk to shore, and borrow the tools needed to remove the offending pieces.

Having done this, I had only to start it by hand. I always carried an ice screw, to secure the plane to the ice, but hand propping while standing on glare ice seemed like a really bad idea. I took a bag of road salt and sand, scooped up along the road, and spread it all out in front of the plane, for firm footing. Everything worked out fine.

I have many times, flown a starter, or a battery or other needed parts into a northern lake, so as to enable a stranded floatplane to be flown out. Other aircraft we went for, had crashed, and were damaged beyond repair. Those we would generally cut up, and fly out in many pieces (leaving the wreck would be "littering" and is not permitted). An expensive exercise, but less so than a large helicopter to sling it out!

Pilots are wise to remind themselves, that some places where a plane can be landed, require extra consideration as to what you will do, if you suffer damage, or just cannot restart, are wise. Aircraft can get to places where help is far away, and expensive!

[IO540]

I once had to leave my plane at Split (Croatia) and get an Easyjet flight back to the UK. Retrieved the plane 3 days later.

[Ultra long hauler]

I once had to leave my plane at Split (Croatia) and get an Easyjet flight back to the UK. Retrieved the plane 3 days later.

Wow………..those are slightly different distances!!
What was the problem?

Long Hauler,

Good reminder!

It is, isn´t it?
Strange to see an incident from that close by!


I've been very lucky, any failure I have ever had, I've been able to fix in place, and fly away, with nothing more than a slight delay. Worst was after landing on a frozen lake, the starter clutch in my engine actually broke internally. This made it unwise to run the engine at all, lest the pieces drift into the workings of the engine. I was able to walk to shore, and borrow the tools needed to remove the offending pieces.

Having done this, I had only to start it by hand. I always carried an ice screw, to secure the plane to the ice, but hand propping while standing on glare ice seemed like a really bad idea. I took a bag of road salt and sand, scooped up along the road, and spread it all out in front of the plane, for firm footing. Everything worked out fine.

I have many times, flown a starter, or a battery or other needed parts into a northern lake, so as to enable a stranded floatplane to be flown out. Other aircraft we went for, had crashed, and were damaged beyond repair. Those we would generally cut up, and fly out in many pieces (leaving the wreck would be "littering" and is not permitted). An expensive exercise, but less so than a large helicopter to sling it out!

Haha, interesting!!
I must admit that I don´t carry an ice-drill here in Ecuador.
It seems that you´re pretty "hands on"………..which comes in handy at times.
I´m unfortunately a bit of a "double left handed" pilot………although I would like to learn more about my new plane: changing a tire, filter changes etc etc. The basics, at least…….

Any more stories anyone…………surely not everybody´s trip goes according to plan, always?

###Ultra Long Hauler###

[IO540]

Problem was the weather :)

Yeah, that flight was ~ 900nm.

[stickandrudderman]

Did they offer you hangarage at Split? That Bora can be pretty strong.

[stickandrudderman]

And I shall be standing on my terrace with a cold beer in my hand!:ok:

[IO540]

Did they offer you hangarage at Split? That Bora can be pretty strong.

No. The GA apron is right next to the runway, which is nice. A 1400 kg low wing plane would take a hurricane to move it.

It is cheaper to park at Split and get Easyjet once a week to fly it, than to park at Bournemouth.

[Ultra long hauler]

I would have thought there would be more pilots on here that were forced to abandon their planes...........

###Ultra Long Hauler###

[BackPacker]

I would have thought there would be more pilots on here that were forced to abandon their planes...........

I think abandoning is rare. Having an aircraft gone tech on you happens a lot but you just spend another night in a local hotel, wearing out your cellphone trying to get hold of the proper maintenance person (with the right paperwork), and have things fixed. And you continue on your journey a day or two later.

I got to see the "Flying Legends" at Duxford again because the Diamond FADEC computer said 'no'. It took us a day to locate the right engineer with the right laptop to diagnose the problem and reset the FADEC. There are worse places to be stuck for 24 hours...:E

It's only when there is some external pressure (having to be at a certain place at a certain date, for pesky things like work, funerals, marriages and such) that pilots will actually abandon (if that's the proper word) their plane at a far-away airport and take Easyjet/Ryanair/whatever home. And then you just fly back on the same carrier a few days later, once the issues at home, and the plane have been fixed and continue your journey.

But most private pilots on significant x-country journeys will figure in some delay due to weather and other circumstances anyway so they usually have some leeway in a multi-day plan. See Katamarino's plan for Sudan for instance. I think he's got seven days off built into his plan. Which can be used for eventualities like this.

[Piper.Classique]

Had to leave the Cub at Nancy Essey once (Wx, and no improvement forecast for at least a week, oh and the radio U/S). She got to share a hangar with a Beech Staggerwing, we went home by train and flew up the next decent weekend (three weeks, as I recall). Continued home non radio, after all we had come from Poland without one.
No charge for the hangarage, about five euros landing fee for the retrieve aircraft. I suspect she sulked a bit but at least had good company :)