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freddythek10(at)gmail.com
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 Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2022 2:51 pm Post subject: Cause of Engine stoppage |
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Gents,
As previously reported, on 13 April I stuffed N194XS in some trees, landing short as it were, following an engine stoppage while in the landing pattern at my local airport.
I believe I have now determined the cause of the stoppage of the engine, a MPEFI'ed Subaru derivative, and have just now sent an addendum to my Pilot / Operator Aircraft Accident Report to the NTSB as follows:
"After installing a new propeller, I attempted a restart of my engine a few moments ago.
"Without hesitation, as I’ve anticipated, the engine fired up immediately.
"Recall that I’ve postulated that I’d inadvertently closed one (or two) of the rocker switches controlling the ECU, the ignition coils, or fuel igniters when either (1) securing the LG in the down and locked position, or (2) with my left hand on the control stick, moving to full-forward stick position to counter the nose-high attitude resulting from the lowering of the flaps…(flaps and LG being interconnected)...
"With the aircraft fuselage on its trailer (sans wings) with the LG down, I have not been able to simulate lowering the flaps & LG. However, when gripping the control stick and moving it to a full-forward stick position, it is possible to close the rocker switch controlling the ECU…an action which results in an immediate engine stoppage.
'It’s my opinion that this is what occurred back on April 13th.”
While I suffered no injuries during my “landing”…(nor did I hit a building or any hikers in the woods)…without thinking and without realizing how high I was above the ground…while exiting the aircraft I fell about 12 feet on my back resulting in a compression fracture which has me hobbling about…prognosis is for a full recovery…something I’m quite ready for.
The damage to Miz Europa appears to be superficial and localized.
Fred
A-194
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davidjoyce(at)doctors.org
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| Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2022 12:27 am Post subject: Cause of Engine stoppage |
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Fred, I am sure you won’t need telling but it is worth emphasising that any safety critical switch ought to be positioned or surrounded by some sort of guard so that it cannot be inadvertently switched off in flight.
I came close to ending up in a similar fix about 15 years ago. After a long flight I was over horizon to horizon forest in East Germany approaching the Czech border when my bladder got to the uncomfortable stage. I kept a pee bottle under the L. thigh support and having used this and replaced it, I was horrified to find that all my electrical instruments showed no signs of life. Since I was being propelled by a 914 with twin electrical pumps, this was worrying! Mind duly concentrated, I did my usual start up checks of going anticlockwise round the panel starting with master & alternator switches at bottom left. Immediately apparent that both switches were off and I managed to put them back on before the fuel in the carb bowls ran out (or so I thought). I had clearly lassoed their rather long toggles with my trouser bottom when lifting my left leg up to get at the pee bottle!
Having confessed to this on Matronics at the time, I was put straight by Andy Draper who pointed out that fuel pump no 1 gets its power upstream of the alternator switch if correctly wired so does not stop when master & alternator switches both turned off. But it was a good illustration of one aspect of Sod’s Law that if you are going to have a foul up it is almost bound to happen at entirely the wrong moment!.
All best for repair of back and plane, David, GXSDJ
On 2022-06-01 23:50, Fred Klein wrote: | Quote: | Gents,
As previously reported, on 13 April I stuffed N194XS in some trees, landing short as it were, following an engine stoppage while in the landing pattern at my local airport.
I believe I have now determined the cause of the stoppage of the engine, a MPEFI'ed Subaru derivative, and have just now sent an addendum to my Pilot / Operator Aircraft Accident Report to the NTSB as follows:
"After installing a new propeller, I attempted a restart of my engine a few moments ago.
"Without hesitation, as I've anticipated, the engine fired up immediately.
"Recall that I've postulated that I'd inadvertently closed one (or two) of the rocker switches controlling the ECU, the ignition coils, or fuel igniters when either (1) securing the LG in the down and locked position, or (2) with my left hand on the control stick, moving to full-forward stick position to counter the nose-high attitude resulting from the lowering of the flaps...(flaps and LG being interconnected)...
"With the aircraft fuselage on its trailer (sans wings) with the LG down, I have not been able to simulate lowering the flaps & LG. However, when gripping the control stick and moving it to a full-forward stick position, it is possible to close the rocker switch controlling the ECU...an action which results in an immediate engine stoppage.
'It's my opinion that this is what occurred back on April 13th."
While I suffered no injuries during my "landing"...(nor did I hit a building or any hikers in the woods)...without thinking and without realizing how high I was above the ground...while exiting the aircraft I fell about 12 feet on my back resulting in a compression fracture which has me hobbling about...prognosis is for a full recovery...something I'm quite ready for.
The damage to Miz Europa appears to be superficial and localized.
Fred
A-194
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Fred Klein
Joined: 26 Mar 2012
Posts: 503
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| Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:53 am Post subject: Cause of Engine stoppage |
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David…you wrote: | Quote: | Fred, I am sure you won’t need telling but it is worth emphasising that any safety critical switch ought to be positioned or surrounded by some sort of guard so that it cannot be inadvertently switched off in flight.
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Thanks for the tip and sharing your own experience. Prior to 13 April, I confess that I’d given zero thought to guarding my 3 critical rockers against closing them inadvertently while in flight…needless to say, since then, I’ve given considerable thought to doing so.
Because the switches are so close together in the EXP-Buss, there’s insufficient room to mount the conventional guards and rearranging my panel is not a task that I’m willing to take on at this time…but trust me, the issue shall be addressed as soon as I can wipe the egg off my face.
Fred
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peterz(at)zutrasoft.com
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| Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 9:34 am Post subject: Cause of Engine stoppage |
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fwiw, I used these in my tiny snug-fitting hummelbird (in addition to positioning my mag switches on the far right - with no restart possible being hand-propped lol):
https://periheliondesign.com/shop-2/
maybe they could fit even on the EXP, if using counter-sunk screws?
Cheers and best wishes for a timely rebuild!
Pete
On Fri, Jun 3, 2022 at 10:59 AM fklein(at)orcasonline.com (fklein(at)orcasonline.com) <fklein(at)orcasonline.com (fklein(at)orcasonline.com)> wrote:
| Quote: | David…you wrote:
| Quote: | Fred, I am sure you won’t need telling but it is worth emphasising that any safety critical switch ought to be positioned or surrounded by some sort of guard so that it cannot be inadvertently switched off in flight.
|
Thanks for the tip and sharing your own experience. Prior to 13 April, I confess that I’d given zero thought to guarding my 3 critical rockers against closing them inadvertently while in flight…needless to say, since then, I’ve given considerable thought to doing so.
Because the switches are so close together in the EXP-Buss, there’s insufficient room to mount the conventional guards and rearranging my panel is not a task that I’m willing to take on at this time…but trust me, the issue shall be addressed as soon as I can wipe the egg off my face.
Fred
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Fred Klein
Joined: 26 Mar 2012
Posts: 503
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2022 10:56 pm Post subject: Cause of Engine stoppage |
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Yes Pete…I’ve ordered the 1.5” o.c. Perihelion U guards…F> | Quote: | On Jun 3, 2022, at 10:33 AM, Pete Zut <peterz(at)zutrasoft.com (peterz(at)zutrasoft.com)> wrote:
fwiw, I used these in my tiny snug-fitting hummelbird (in addition to positioning my mag switches on the far right - with no restart possible being hand-propped lol):
https://periheliondesign.com/shop-2/
maybe they could fit even on the EXP, if using counter-sunk screws?
Cheers and best wishes for a timely rebuild!
Pete
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