 |
Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
tshank(at)core.com
Guest
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:08 pm Post subject: New information |
 |
|
Some time back there were several threads on a couple of topics, one was
whether the prop would windmill with he engine off and another on how
well the 601 glided with a stopped prop. I now find myself in a more
knowledgeable position on these topics. Last Saturday I was returning
from an uneventful test flight on my 601HD. I have 25 hours on it and I
had flown a three airport round robin of about 1 1/2 hours. I had just
announced that I was entering downwind on my home airport and there was
that smell you never want to smell, smoke in the airplane. I had the
heater near full on, it was in the 30's (F) at altitude and had a good
air flow I quickly also open the pilot side vent. My Stratus Suburu is
set up with two batteries and all switches are two position center off
rockers so I can load either BUS A or BUS B. The ignition switch with
the primary ignition and fuel pump was on BUS A the secondary ignition
was on BUS B. The secondary fuel pump was still off since I hadn't
gotten into the pattern yet. When the smoke started I tried turning off
BUS B, the engine faltered, I turned it back on the it picked up again
only to stop a few seconds later. The good thing was that the smoke had
started to dissipate and it was real quiet in the airplane I tried the
ignition key to restart but the started wouldn't work. Since by this
time I was about 900 feet above the ground and with the runway off to
the left of the airplane I quit working with the engine and decided to
land the airplane. I Called to all traffic that I was executing a dead
stick approach , fortunately there was no one in the pattern. I must say
that I did one of my better landing and coasted off at the intersection
on on to the taxi way. Since apparently no one at the airport was
listening to the radio no one came out so I just grabbed my wounded bird
by the prop and walked to back to the terminal.
Now for my observations,
first NOTHING will get your attention like smoke
second there is something surreal when the prop stops turning and your
still in the air
Additional observations I was doing between 80 and 90 mph when the
engine quit, the prop stopped and did not windmill, maybe it will at
higher speed but I wasn't going to give away any altitude to find out.
The 601 HD glided better this the engine stopped then it does with a low
RPM, it really landed very nicely and I may experiment with more very
low RPM landings.
As for what happened, I opened up the top of the panel tonight and it
was one of those how could that ever happen things. A plug that I use
connect to two switches in my canopy for an alarm panel got its open
back side positioned to touch on unused terminal on the ignition switch
that was obviously hot. That caused a ground through that wire. I hadn't
put a circuit breaker in the primary ignition circuit because of a
concern I had for false tripping, I am going to add one because having
the engine stop with no smoke is preferable to stopping with smoke. I am
also going to add a emergency starter circuit, I already have a separate
ignition and fuel pump circuit but since engine wind milling is not
assured I want to be able to do all engine functions independent of the
primary ignition circuit. The short only burned for a few seconds then
a small wire in that circuit burned open. this cut all power to the
primary ignition and fuel circuit, since the secondary ignition was on
the engine continued but without the secondary fuel pump it soon quit.
Without a starter available it was not possible to restart the engine.
Anyway when I got home my wife asked how everything went, and I told her
I had some excitement, she never likes it when I say that.
Tim Shankland
| | - The Matronics Zenith-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith-List |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
p.mulwitz(at)worldnet.att
Guest
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:47 pm Post subject: New information |
|
|
Hi Tim,
Congratulations on saving both your self and your plane. You done good!
Paul
XL fuselage
do not archive
At 08:09 PM 12/4/2006, you wrote:
| Quote: |
Some time back there were several threads on a couple of topics, one
was whether the prop would windmill with he engine off and another
on how well the 601 glided with a stopped prop. I now find myself
in a more knowledgeable position on these topics. Last Saturday I
was returning from an uneventful test flight on my 601HD. I have 25
hours on it and I had flown a three airport round robin of about 1
1/2 hours. I had just announced that I was entering downwind on my
home airport and there was that smell you never want to smell, smoke
in the airplane. I had the heater near full on, it was in the 30's
(F) at altitude and had a good air flow I quickly also open the
pilot side vent. My Stratus Suburu is set up with two batteries and
all switches are two position center off rockers so I can load
either BUS A or BUS B. The ignition switch with the primary ignition
and fuel pump was on BUS A the secondary ignition was on BUS B. The
secondary fuel pump was still off since I hadn't gotten into the
pattern yet. When the smoke started I tried turning off BUS B, the
engine faltered, I turned it back on the it picked up again only to
stop a few seconds later. The good thing was that the smoke had
started to dissipate and it was real quiet in the airplane I tried
the ignition key to restart but the started wouldn't work. Since by
this time I was about 900 feet above the ground and with the runway
off to the left of the airplane I quit working with the engine and
decided to land the airplane. I Called to all traffic that I was
executing a dead stick approach , fortunately there was no one in
the pattern. I must say that I did one of my better landing and
coasted off at the intersection on on to the taxi way. Since
apparently no one at the airport was listening to the radio no one
came out so I just grabbed my wounded bird by the prop and walked to
back to the terminal.
Now for my observations,
first NOTHING will get your attention like smoke
second there is something surreal when the prop stops turning and
your still in the air
Additional observations I was doing between 80 and 90 mph when the
engine quit, the prop stopped and did not windmill, maybe it will at
higher speed but I wasn't going to give away any altitude to find out.
The 601 HD glided better this the engine stopped then it does with a
low RPM, it really landed very nicely and I may experiment with more
very low RPM landings.
As for what happened, I opened up the top of the panel tonight and
it was one of those how could that ever happen things. A plug that I
use connect to two switches in my canopy for an alarm panel got its
open back side positioned to touch on unused terminal on the
ignition switch that was obviously hot. That caused a ground through
that wire. I hadn't put a circuit breaker in the primary ignition
circuit because of a concern I had for false tripping, I am going to
add one because having the engine stop with no smoke is preferable
to stopping with smoke. I am also going to add a emergency starter
circuit, I already have a separate ignition and fuel pump circuit
but since engine wind milling is not assured I want to be able to do
all engine functions independent of the primary ignition
circuit. The short only burned for a few seconds then a small wire
in that circuit burned open. this cut all power to the primary
ignition and fuel circuit, since the secondary ignition was on the
engine continued but without the secondary fuel pump it soon quit.
Without a starter available it was not possible to restart the engine.
Anyway when I got home my wife asked how everything went, and I told
her I had some excitement, she never likes it when I say that.
Tim Shankland
|
| | - The Matronics Zenith-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith-List |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Gig Giacona
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1416
Location: El Dorado Arkansas USA
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:45 am Post subject: Re: New information |
|
|
Good piloting Tim.
| | - The Matronics Zenith-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith-List |
|
_________________
W.R. "Gig" Giacona
601XL Under Construction
See my progress at www.peoamerica.net/N601WR |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JAPhillipsGA(at)AOL.COM
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject: New information |
|
|
Tim, for all us that have not experienced your event yet let me say we are all glad and happy you made it okay ! Best regards and get her back up, Bill of Georgia
601XL-3300
100 hours [quote][b]
| | - The Matronics Zenith-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith-List |
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
Get Email Distribution Too!
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
