Author Topic: Know when to say no-go (video link)  (Read 10727 times)

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Know when to say no-go (video link)
« on: April 07, 2009, 01:42:07 AM »
I was out on the ramp filming landings in a nasty crosswind, and... well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOeAGSjpytg

Offline Fabo

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2009, 04:07:00 AM »
Just like you said, aw crap! :o
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2009, 04:30:10 AM »
Oh no!!

That makes me want to  :'( !

 :'(

 :(
Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline G-man

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2009, 04:42:43 AM »
I am assuming he survived, therefore, tough though it may sound--he/she learned their lesson the hard way. I have no sympathy for those that choose to fly in those type of conditions without a good reason. I am guessing that the flight had no commercial purpose, I.E. life flight, fire police etc. What happens is, those who work in emergency services get to clean up the mess, luckily it was at the airport and so their risk was minimised.

Guess I am in a pissy mood tonight huh?? I'll prolly end up editing this post tomorrow..
Life may not be the party we hoped for---but while we're here--we might as well dance..........

Offline TheSoccerMom

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2009, 04:59:58 AM »
Ah, don't know about the pissy mood, G-Man....  I just want to cry for that pretty (ugly) little airplane....

You're right...  36 knots, is that what it was?  Hmmm....  one helluva crosswind even for a machine that doesn't sit up like a milkstool....   ::sulk::

I hear ya...

A local pilot just showed me her pretty (ugly) little Tri-pacer last weekend here -- spotless and shiny and tucked in a dry hangar....  it just makes me sad to see a nice airplane tossed away, like you said, for no reason.

 :(
Don't make me come back there!!!!

Offline Oddball

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2009, 09:02:02 AM »
what the.....?  :o
"You can teach monkeys to fly better than that!"and "spring chicken to sh**e hawk in one easy lesson"

Offline Rooster Cruiser

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2009, 02:21:06 PM »
Quote
Guess I am in a pissy mood tonight huh?? I'll prolly end up editing this post tomorrow..

As you are fond of saying G-man, "It'd be rude not to."  Hehe.   ;) :P

On second thought... please leave your post up.  You pretty much hit the nail on the head IMHO.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2009, 02:25:30 PM by Rooster Cruiser »
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Offline G-man

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2009, 03:13:09 PM »
As you are fond of saying G-man, "It'd be rude not to."  Hehe.   ;) :P
On second thought... please leave your post up.  You pretty much hit the nail on the head IMHO.

Yep, guess I did huh---the post will stay..  ::whistle:: ::whistle::
Life may not be the party we hoped for---but while we're here--we might as well dance..........

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2009, 03:38:31 PM »
When the FAA and NTSB came a'calling, they brought the Official weather report from the time of the accident, which the pilot had checked before attempting
his takeoff. It was showing winds topping off at just over 20. Waaaaaaay below what I was getting on our Unicom's weather station. I wasn't letting anyone have
our airplanes that day at all, save for our instructors... one of whom gets off on this sort of weather.

Offline Frank N. O.

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2009, 04:13:36 PM »
Man, that was scary! Shouldn't the person have been able to feel walking to the plane, and even sitting in it, that the winds were way too strong, possibly stronger than listed on the weather info? Was that weather even measure at the airport or somewhere else?

Question to the experienced pilots and CFIs: Would it have made a difference if it was a low-wing airplane of the same size/weight, say a Tomahawk?

Frank
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— Leonardo da Vinci

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2009, 05:14:23 PM »
I think maybe experience was a factor here. One of our instructors was flying a tomahawk in that weather, and while he used the term "sporty" to
describe the winds, he didn't seem horribly concerned.
The pilot of the Cherokee 140 which landed right before the incident made it fine, though he was a bit nervous afterward. He told me he'd had "enough
of this for today", and left after I showed him the video.
The Cessna you see crossing the screen early in the video had also just landed, and while it was interesting to watch, he was able to plant the airplane firmly
and without any problem.

I have a little more information about the accident, and what happened, but I don't think I should talk about it until the FAA and NTSB are done with their
stuff.

Offline Chopper Doc

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2009, 04:11:11 AM »
I worked at an airport where an old gent kept his 152.  Once in a windy day he'd show up and hover-land that thing into a howling wind.  It looked all wrong, hanging up there without forward motion and with the wings all stiff and such.  I mean, if God had intended aircraft to hover, he'd have made their wings go round and round.

Oh wait...

On another tack, I built a Zenair 701 that would take off (solo) without wind in under 25' and land in under 75 (shorter, if I STOL'd it in).  If I had a 20kt headwind I could take off with the brakes locked.

Yes, Soccer Mom, I fly fixed wing, but I'm not takin' back all those pot-shots at the welded-wing crowd: that's all my best material there.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2009, 04:14:50 AM by Chopper Doc »
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Offline spacer

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2009, 04:14:50 AM »
With a 701 you coulda taken off across the runway.  ;D

Offline Chopper Doc

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2009, 04:20:13 AM »
Yeah, Spacer, with the whole vertical tail being a control surface, by the time you ran out of rudder authority you had enough wind you could land across the strip.  A 620 pound aircraft with 115hp and a gross of 1240.  Designed for ultimate loads of +6, -3, rugged as hell (designed by a former de Havilland engineer), and easy to maintain.  Only thing it wouldn't do is go faster than a good horse.
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Offline tundra_flier

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Re: Know when to say no-go (video link)
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2009, 01:06:20 AM »
Actually it looked to me like he was using too much down elevator to try and keep it planted and wheel barrowed it.  The fact that he was able to taxi out without problem seems to indicated he could have gotten airborn without problem.  As for the wind velocity a couple of the wind socks in the video weren't fully extented to horizontal, that seems to indicate the wind was under 15kts at least part of the time.

Phil