Prop Strikes

Anyone else here ever experience one? How did yours happen?
Mine have been ag related and hit ground, rocks, birds, and ?
Ever throw off a piece of the prop blade? I lost a piece during
climbout of a jungle strip in the Amazon in a C-185. Managed to dead
stick it back without any further damage but it took nearly two months
to get a replacement. IN the meantime, I used a field expedient and cut
off an equal amount from the other blade. We were about 200 miles from
civilization on the Rio Curaray.
Ah the fun old days....
Ol S&B

On 25 Jan 2005 16:11:39 -0800, wrote in
.com::

Anyone else here ever experience one?

Sort of.

How did yours happen?

After a buffalo burger on Santa Catalina Island, I telephoned SoCal
TRACON and filed IFR back to the mainland. After performing a walk
around inspection I got into the aircraft, and my flight instructor
pulled the aircraft out of the rough onto the asphalt, and climbed in
behind me (PA28).

We went through the prestart checklist, and I engaged the starter only
to hear a loud clunk as the first blade went by. He had left the tow
bar on the front gear leg. He was a little chagrined, but there
was no damage, so we released within our time window for an uneventful
flight home.

wrote:

Anyone else here ever experience one?

Not yet.

George Patterson
He who marries for money earns every penny of it.

wrote in message
Anyone else here ever experience one? How did yours happen?

Fly long enough and something will hit the fan.
I was taxiing out to the runway after a torrential downpour flooded the
ramp. I taxiied on the high spots at minimum power just in case. At minimum
power (flat pitch) the blade tips are actually causing reverse thrust
because of the twist in the blades. I thought I had missed the standing
water and the plane flew normally for the rest of the day (10 legs).

During a maintenance inspection that evening, I put a protractor on the
blades and they were indeed twisted more than the factory meant for them to
be. I had caught the blade tips in the water and the reverse angle of the
blade tips caused the blades to twist ever so slightly. The prop overhaul
with 4 new blades and an engine gearbox teardown came to around $24k not
including loss of use and the mechanics' salaries. The prop shop mentioned
that if I had not exercised caution by using minimum power, the blade tips
would have been nearly flat and wouldn't have twisted the blades. I've been
careful to be uncareful ever since.

D.

George Patterson ) wrote:

wrote:

Anyone else here ever experience one?

Not yet.

Two types of pilots, those that have and those that will??

--
Peter






----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

"Peter R." wrote:

Two types of pilots, those that have and those that will??

I certainly hope not.

George Patterson
He who marries for money earns every penny of it.

I had two prop strikes on a twin when the nose gear wouldn't come down and I
had to land on the mains. Will never forget the tick-tick-tick of the prop
tips on the concrete. Or the short rollout. Or the jaunty angle when
deplaning.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone else here ever experience one? How did yours happen?
Mine have been ag related and hit ground, rocks, birds, and ?
Ever throw off a piece of the prop blade? I lost a piece during
climbout of a jungle strip in the Amazon in a C-185. Managed to dead
stick it back without any further damage but it took nearly two months
to get a replacement. IN the meantime, I used a field expedient and cut
off an equal amount from the other blade. We were about 200 miles from
civilization on the Rio Curaray.
Ah the fun old days....
Ol S&B

wrote in
oups.com:

Anyone else here ever experience one?
Yeh.

How did yours happen?
The airport decided to construct a concrete drainage depression across
the taxiway.

On 25 Jan 2005 16:11:39 -0800, wrote:

Anyone else here ever experience one? How did yours happen?

My instructor was explaining how to make a wheel landing. I just
planted the thang too dang hard. I heard this whup! but we both
thought it was just the bungee cords complaining: it was a very firm
landing.

"I'll take it around, and you follow me on the controls," says he.

So we did. Then I taxied up to the pump and shut down, and I tell you,
it is a sinking feeling to gaze at your prop and notice that the ends
have somewhat melted and are curving in toward the cockpit.

There wasn't the slightest vibration, or loss in performance that
either of us noticed on that last circuit.

No damage to the engine, and as commander of the aircraft, the
instructor's insurance company had the privilege of paying for the
prop.

My technique has improved a lot since then.




-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone else here ever experience one? How did yours happen?
Mine have been ag related and hit ground, rocks, birds, and ?
Ever throw off a piece of the prop blade? I lost a piece during
climbout of a jungle strip in the Amazon in a C-185. Managed to dead
stick it back without any further damage but it took nearly two months
to get a replacement. IN the meantime, I used a field expedient and
cut
off an equal amount from the other blade. We were about 200 miles from
civilization on the Rio Curaray.
Ah the fun old days....
Ol S&B


My prop strike was in an ultralight, an Sorrell SNS-8, in Billings. I
was practicing short field landings (for going into rancher friends'
strips) and braked too hard. Slowly...over it went. Cost about $500 in
(2-cycle) engine repairs, plus a new prop.

John Lowry
Flight Physics