The unspeakable... engine failures!
I've had 2, myself. First one was at 500 feet in a borrowed Bonanza. Lucky I was going flat out over the water and could pull up to land at Sandown I.O.W. Bloody silly thing to do, in hindsight, but everyone else was flying the otherway round the island at 1000+ feet on that fine, sunny weekend day.
Number 2 was at 500 feet (Hmmmmm, pattern starting to develop?) in a Boeing 757-204 during a full power take-off from Fuerteventura in the canaries. Heavy turbulence, crosswinds, early turn at 500 feet through 50 degrees. Bang..B..b..b.b..BOOM! I could see the FORWARDS-shooting flame as it farted a couple of gallons of Avtur out of the front of the engine. (Note. That's about 50 feet!!) Followed the standard drill, waited for 10 mins for everyone else to bugger off out of the way and executed a text-book single engined arrival. A bit shaken, but the look on the pax faces was worth it!!!! Two weeks in the sun and they all were as white as sheets.
I've bought a homebuilt that has 161 hours on the airframe and 3 engine failures. It has taken 2 years to rebuild the engine (Cylinder sheared off) and airframe (Gear went through cockpit floor) after it landed in a field full of hay bales. He had the failure at 50 feet on take-off from on top of a hill. He lowered the nose to land in a nice field but the engine started to pick up again so he opened the tap to climb away. That was when the barrel finally departed (just beyond the nice field). Guess what lesson we all learned from that one?
Without a working engine, you've got a glider. Landing now becomes a matter of you displaying your ability to plan an approach. Practise makes perfect. That's why we do 2 days in the sim every 6 months.
Number 2 was at 500 feet (Hmmmmm, pattern starting to develop?) in a Boeing 757-204 during a full power take-off from Fuerteventura in the canaries. Heavy turbulence, crosswinds, early turn at 500 feet through 50 degrees. Bang..B..b..b.b..BOOM! I could see the FORWARDS-shooting flame as it farted a couple of gallons of Avtur out of the front of the engine. (Note. That's about 50 feet!!) Followed the standard drill, waited for 10 mins for everyone else to bugger off out of the way and executed a text-book single engined arrival. A bit shaken, but the look on the pax faces was worth it!!!! Two weeks in the sun and they all were as white as sheets.
I've bought a homebuilt that has 161 hours on the airframe and 3 engine failures. It has taken 2 years to rebuild the engine (Cylinder sheared off) and airframe (Gear went through cockpit floor) after it landed in a field full of hay bales. He had the failure at 50 feet on take-off from on top of a hill. He lowered the nose to land in a nice field but the engine started to pick up again so he opened the tap to climb away. That was when the barrel finally departed (just beyond the nice field). Guess what lesson we all learned from that one?
Without a working engine, you've got a glider. Landing now becomes a matter of you displaying your ability to plan an approach. Practise makes perfect. That's why we do 2 days in the sim every 6 months.
Join Date: May 2002
Location: cheltenham
Age: 54
Posts: 218
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But have been excessively nervous about flying ever since. I am tough though and it wont stop me doing the hobby I enjoy so much (afterward!).
Well done and continue to enjoy the hobby
Hehe.
