Warrior Down in Danbury, CT

[Tom Fleischman]

I flew in to Danbury yesterday morning and had to hold for 15 minutes
because the field was closed due to "an incident". After landing I
found out from my A&P that a Warrior had lost power on takeoff and spun
in when the pilot attempted to return to the field. A witness I spoke
with described the engine missing after rotation at about 100 - 200'
AGL, with backfires and black puffs of smoke coming from the exhaust.
The engine faltered, then quit at low altitude. The airplane entered a
turn in an attempt to return to the runway then got slow, stalled, and
went in. The solo pilot was seriously injured in a post-crash fire.

This accident has not yet appeared in the NTSB database at
http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/query.asp.

[Aardvark]

Tom Fleischman wrote:
> I flew in to Danbury yesterday morning and had to hold for 15 minutes
> because the field was closed due to "an incident". After landing I
> found out from my A&P that a Warrior had lost power on takeoff and spun
> in when the pilot attempted to return to the field. A witness I spoke
> with described the engine missing after rotation at about 100 - 200'
> AGL, with backfires and black puffs of smoke coming from the exhaust.
> The engine faltered, then quit at low altitude. The airplane entered a
> turn in an attempt to return to the runway then got slow, stalled, and
> went in. The solo pilot was seriously injured in a post-crash fire.
>
> This accident has not yet appeared in the NTSB database at
> http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/query.asp.



http://www2.faa.gov/avr/aai/A_0108_N.txt

[HankPilot2002]

The return to the field after an engine loss is one of the toughest decisions a
pilot will ever have to make. My personal minimum will be 800' AGL; or it's
straight ahead into the sod farm.

Hank

[Ron Natalie]

"HankPilot2002" > wrote in message ...
> The return to the field after an engine loss is one of the toughest decisions a
> pilot will ever have to make. My personal minimum will be 800' AGL; or it's
> straight ahead into the sod farm.
>
I turned around from about 500 feet. First, there was NOWHERE to go straight
ahead (short of landing on the roof of the Costco). Second, I still had partial power
but I'd throttled way back because of the intense vibration. Third, I didn't have
to make a return to the runway. When I started the turn, my intent was to land
on the airport access road, which parallels the runway. Anyhow I made it
back to the runway, mostly because I had gotten the aircraft cleaned up before
the engine conked, so my glide was a lot better. It wasn't until I was
back over the runway at 100' or so that I remembered to drop the gear.
Fortunately, they come down quick in the Navion.

[Greg]

(HankPilot2002) wrote in message >...
> The return to the field after an engine loss is one of the toughest decisions a
> pilot will ever have to make. My personal minimum will be 800' AGL; or it's
> straight ahead into the sod farm.
>
> Hank

Wish I had a sod farm at the end. I am doomed. Depending on the
runway I have an 8 lane freeway, a neighborhood (with million dollar
homes I might add...I opt for a little extra propert damage coverage
on my insurance :-)), a park with way to many people to land witout
killing someone, and a country club with lots of trees and more
million dollar homes along the course. As far as I know everyone who
has lost an engine on takeoff at my airport has attempted a turn
around. One didn't make the runway, but made the airport property
(ended in a big crash/fire at the national guard base...pilot
survived). I guess it beats killing other people. I was always
taught to just go straight ahead when the engine quits...I've picked
out a few "bald spots" but they're not very flat and not staraight
ahead. I am sure I would be tempted to turn around as the alternative
seems like certain death to myself and others.

[Michael 182]

Look for the par 5's - seriously, a golf course isn't a bad option.

Michael

"Greg" > wrote in message
om...
> (HankPilot2002) wrote in message
>...
> > The return to the field after an engine loss is one of the toughest
decisions a
> > pilot will ever have to make. My personal minimum will be 800' AGL; or
it's
> > straight ahead into the sod farm.
> >
> > Hank
>
> Wish I had a sod farm at the end. I am doomed. ... and a country club
with lots of trees and more
> million dollar homes along the course.

[Peter R.]

Michael 182 ) wrote:

> Look for the par 5's - seriously, a golf course isn't a bad option.

Depending, or course, on whether the course is a pro or an amateur course.
A pro course is bound to have very narrow fairways, doglegs, bodies of
water and sand, and undulations. :)

But given a choice of a dogleg left or a Wal-mart roof during engine
failure on TO, I'll pull out my 3 iron and aim for the Par 5!

--
Peter












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[Maule Driver]

"Michael 182" >
> Look for the par 5's - seriously, a golf course isn't a bad option.
>
Agreed. Go for golf course. If you fly it on and stay in play, you'll walk
away.

Done it twice in those engineless things. Yes, it's a bit easier.

[R. Hubbell]

On Thu, 08 Jan 2004 20:24:50 GMT "Michael 182" > wrote:

> Look for the par 5's - seriously, a golf course isn't a bad option.


It's a great option! Just make sure to let othesr play through once
you've landed. And then you might need to head for the 19th.
:)


R. Hubbell

>
> Michael
>
> "Greg" > wrote in message
> om...
> > (HankPilot2002) wrote in message
> >...
> > > The return to the field after an engine loss is one of the toughest
> decisions a
> > > pilot will ever have to make. My personal minimum will be 800' AGL; or
> it's
> > > straight ahead into the sod farm.
> > >
> > > Hank
> >
> > Wish I had a sod farm at the end. I am doomed. ... and a country club
> with lots of trees and more
> > million dollar homes along the course.
>
>

[Hilton]

HankPilot2002 wrote:
> The return to the field after an engine loss is one of the toughest
decisions a
> pilot will ever have to make.

Actually Hank, it's one of the easiest - just make sure you do it on the
ground before you take off while you have all the time in the world.

Hilton

[Greg]

Peter R. > wrote in message >...
> Michael 182 ) wrote:
>
> > Look for the par 5's - seriously, a golf course isn't a bad option.
>
>
>
> But given a choice of a dogleg left or a Wal-mart roof during engine
> failure on TO, I'll pull out my 3 iron and aim for the Par 5!
>
> --
> Peter
>
>
>
For some reason the golf course just doesn't look like such a good
option from the air...so many trees and doglegs.. I can't see any
fairways, but I know they're there...I've played the course (very
narrow).

However, there is a Home Depot and a strip mall just beyond. I've
often wondered if the roof could withstand a landing...it looks like
an easier target than a runway! It would be VERY tempting if I were
coming down. The parking lot seems uninviting with all the light
poles and people. What do you guys think? Would the roof make it?

[Neil Gould]

Recently, Greg > posted:

> For some reason the golf course just doesn't look like such a good
> option from the air...so many trees and doglegs.. I can't see any
> fairways, but I know they're there...I've played the course (very
> narrow).
>
> However, there is a Home Depot and a strip mall just beyond. I've
> often wondered if the roof could withstand a landing...it looks like
> an easier target than a runway! It would be VERY tempting if I were
> coming down. The parking lot seems uninviting with all the light
> poles and people. What do you guys think? Would the roof make it?
>
I certainly wouldn't try it. Most Home Depot type roofs have a load
bearing capacity to accommodate the local weather (heliports and such
excluded). Around here, that means about 24" of snow as a worst-case
scenario. Considering that your typical light plane applies all of its
weight in the roughly 1 sq. ft. per tire (at rest), the loading is quite a
bit higher than weather is likely to create. Then, consider that the
actual loading is considerably higher than that due to the inertia, and
you're pretty much guaranteed a tragic result. Flat is not necessarily
solid!

Regards,

Neil

[Dennis O'Connor]

The fire is gonna be spectacular as metal vents, etc., rip the wingtanks
open....
I Think I'll opt for the bushes on the par 3...
denny

"Greg" > wrote in message . What do you guys think? Would
the roof make it?

[Corky Scott]

On 9 Jan 2004 12:44:03 -0800, (Greg) wrote:

>Peter R. > wrote in message >...
>> Michael 182 ) wrote:
>>
>> > Look for the par 5's - seriously, a golf course isn't a bad option.
>>
>>
>>
>> But given a choice of a dogleg left or a Wal-mart roof during engine
>> failure on TO, I'll pull out my 3 iron and aim for the Par 5!
>>
>> --
>> Peter
>>
>>
>>
>For some reason the golf course just doesn't look like such a good
>option from the air...so many trees and doglegs.. I can't see any
>fairways, but I know they're there...I've played the course (very
>narrow).
>
>However, there is a Home Depot and a strip mall just beyond. I've
>often wondered if the roof could withstand a landing...it looks like
>an easier target than a runway! It would be VERY tempting if I were
>coming down. The parking lot seems uninviting with all the light
>poles and people. What do you guys think? Would the roof make it?


It would be like a carrier landing, only without the engine for a
"wave off". Land short and you could be accordioned.

Corky Scott