Today's Message Index:
----------------------
0. 12:34 AM - Just A Few Days Left; Trailing Last Year... (Matt Dralle)
1. 05:25 AM - Re: Facet pump thread sealer (Thom Riddle)
2. 06:03 AM - Re: Facet pump thread sealer (Thom Riddle)
3. 07:03 AM - Re: Re: Facet pump thread sealer (Larry Bourne)
4. 10:58 AM - Re: Facet pump thread sealer (Kirby Dennis Contr MDA/AL)
5. 11:11 AM - Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Chris Wolf)
6. 11:18 AM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Chris Wolf)
7. 11:21 AM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Chris Wolf)
8. 11:37 AM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Cory Emberson)
9. 11:40 AM - Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Chris Wolf)
10. 12:22 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Wayne T. McCullough)
11. 12:56 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Eugene Zimmerman)
12. 02:19 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (jam-n)
13. 03:25 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Kirk Smith)
14. 03:35 PM - Re:Clarification for jam-n (Eugene Zimmerman)
15. 04:08 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Larry Bourne)
16. 04:37 PM - Dual Elevator Cables (Larry Bourne)
17. 04:46 PM - Re:Clarification for jam-n (jam-n)
18. 05:17 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (John Hauck)
19. 07:18 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Eugene Zimmerman)
20. 07:36 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Larry Bourne)
21. 07:45 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (John Hauck)
22. 07:49 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Eugene Zimmerman)
23. 09:06 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (Eugene Zimmerman)
24. 09:22 PM - Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf (John Hauck)
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DNA; do not archive
| Subject: | st A Few Days Left; Trailing Last Year... |
Dear Listers,
There are just a few more days left of this year's List Fund Raiser! Response
has been very good, but we are behind last year in the number of people that have
made a Contribution and as a percentage of the total number of subscribers.
Please remember that there isn't any sort of commercial advertising on the Lists
and the *only* means of keeping these Lists running is through your Contributions
during this Fund Raiser.
Please make a Contribution today!
http://www.matronics.com/contribution
Thank you!
Matt Dralle
Matronics Email List Administrator
Message 1
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| Subject: | Re: Facet pump thread sealer |
Parallel vs. Series Fuel Pump Installation
I prefer the aux. fuel pump to plumbed in parallel. However, our
Allegro has the pump plumbed in series and we've had no problems in 450
hours use. The pump used in this installation does not have its own
check valve so that is not an issue. Instead it has a separate check
valve plumbed in parallel to the aux. pump. The gascolater is upstream
and has two outlets, one going to the aux. pump and one going to the
parallel check valve. Attached is a .jpeg from the manual.
Thom in Buffalo
do not archive
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| Subject: | Re: Facet pump thread sealer |
Parallel vs. Series Fuel Pump Installation
I prefer the aux. fuel pump to plumbed in parallel. However, our
Allegro has the pump plumbed in series and we've had no problems in 450
hours use. The pump used in this installation does not have its own
check valve so that is not an issue. Instead it has a separate check
valve plumbed in parallel to the aux. pump. The gascolater is upstream
and has two outlets, one going to the aux. pump and one going to the
parallel check valve. Attached is a .jpeg from the manual.
do not archive
--------
Thom in Buffalo
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=77826#77826
Attachments:
http://forums.matronics.com//files/fuelpumparrangement_197.jpg
Message 3
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| Subject: | Re: Facet pump thread sealer |
I 3rd that. Charlie's exactly right - on re-assembly residue in the female
threads get pushed into the system. I work on commercial appliances, and
can say that many manufacturers of gas appliances will void warranties if
they find teflon tape on connections. Lar.
Larry Bourne
Santa Fe, NM
www.gogittum.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charlie England" <ceengland@bellsouth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 7:37 PM
Subject: Re: Kolb-List: Re: Facet pump thread sealer
>
> Many have used the tape without any problems.
>
> However, some homebuilts have had blocked fuel systems caused by slivers
> of teflon tape. Even if there's no problem on initial installation,
> residue in the female threads can get pushed into the lines if the
> connection is opened & re-made. It doesn't take much to block a fuel
> injector or carb jet.
>
> Charlie
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| Subject: | Re: Facet pump thread sealer |
<< Hi All, My Facet pump came today, are there any suggestions as to
what I should use to seal the threads? Lanny Fetterman >>
Lanny -
Use the Permatex product called "High Temperature Thread Sealant."
Available in most auto parts stores.
It's purpose is to seal any threaded fuel or oil lines, instead of
Teflon tape.
Reason to avoid the Teflon tape: someone on this List shared a story
about an engine stoppage that was due to a tiny fleck of Teflon tape
that came loose from a threaded fuel line fitting and got stuck in a
carb jet.
Dennis Kirby
Mark-III, 912ul
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| Subject: | Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
On Monday, November 13, 2006, at 10:27 a.m. local time, a Kolb Mark III
Classic aircraft carrying the owner, Dave Pelletier, and Michael Maikowski,
a visiting pilot, crashed near the town of Paulden, Arizona. Both men were
instantly killed on impact, and the aircraft was destroyed.
At the time of the crash, there was speculation that Michael Maikowski and
Chris Wolf were the same person. I can state, with absolute certainty,
they are not. Michael Maikowski died at 10:27 a.m. I died about three
hours later when a police chaplain came to my door to give me the terrible
news that my best friend was dead. For some reason, I was given a second
chance to live again, and try to rebuild my shattered life. For some
reason, Mike and Dave were not.
Mike Maikowski was my best friend, business partner, and lifelong flying
buddy. I've known him for the last 36 years, ever since we attended Purdue
University together. I've spent the last two weeks grieving, trying to
understand what happened, and trying to accept the fact that I will never
see my best friend again.
At the time of the accident, there was much speculation as to what actually
happened, and what caused it. I think I have as much information about the
crash as anyone. And more importantly, I knew Mike Maikowski better than
anyone. I know exactly what sort of pilot he was.
During the speculation about the crash, someone solicited my feedback. I
was in no condition to give it, at the time, but I think I am now. So here
is what I know.
I've been told that Dave Pelletier was a very good pilot, was very safety
conscious, and that his plane had been inspected by an A&P mechanic only a
week earlier. I have no reason to doubt any of this. If Mike Maikowski
had even the slightest doubt about Dave's plane, or Dave's piloting skills,
Mike would never have flown with Dave.
Mike Maikowski had been flying fixed wing aircraft for forty years. At age
13, he won a statewide aviation essay contest, held in Wisconsin. Senator
William Proxmire personally handed Mike First Prize at the big Milwaukee
aviation show, held every year. Mike had been in love with airplanes all
his life. I think he was greatly influenced by the 1950s television
series, "The Whirlybirds." (I know I was.) If the names PT, Barney, and
Helen mean anything to you, then you know what I'm talking about.
According to his parents, Mike soloed at age 14. Perhaps he was not quite
that young, but when Mike came to Purdue University to pursue a degree in
aeronautical engineering, he already had his private pilot license. Mike
had wanted to go to the Air Force academy, and eventually fly for the
airlines, but he was beaten out by another applicant who didn't have a
couple of trapped air bubbles in his tailbone (the contest it was so close,
that was the final selection criteria).
Mike was greatly disappointed that he didn't get into the Air Force
Academy, but he was never one to complain. Instead, he came to Purdue
University to become an aeronautical engineer. That's where we met in
Mike's Freshman year (I was a Sophomore). I had a room on the seventh
floor of the local residence hall, with a view of the local airport, and
Mike asked to be my roommate (so he could watch the airplanes take off and
land).
As it turned out, that was the luckiest day in my life. Mike and I became
fast friends. We both loved to fly, and I was always happy to split the
cost of an hour's flight with Mike. He logged the time, and I got to look
out the window.
Even after graduation, Mike and I continued to live and work together. We
just got along so damn well, and worked so well together, and had so much
fun together, that we decided to live and work together until one of us got
married (or got tired of each other).
Somehow this peculiar arrangement lasted for the next 36 years. I still
can't figure out how. We never fought, we never quarreled, and we never
had a harsh word for each other. A lot of married couples envied our
compatibility. And we weren't even gay. We were just two guys who really
enjoyed each other's company. Mike and I wrote and published books
together, patented and licensed a new type of computer keyboard (almost got
rich off that one), explored caves, canoed rivers, traveled all around the
country, and took flying trips as often as we could afford them. It was a
good life.
Mike Maikowski was the best pilot I have ever known. He was fanatical
about safety, never cut corners, never hurried, and never panicked. When I
flew with him, I had total trust and confidence in his flying skills. (I
know enough to take the controls, if necessary, but I'm not a licensed
pilot.) When we got caught in zero-zero conditions in Alaska, over the
Inside Passage, and Mike had to get us up through the soup, and on top,
while not running into high mountains on all sides of us, I was so
confident in Mike's flying skills that I sat in the back seat, drinking
coffee.
Mike had been an instrument pilot for many years. He flew almost every
week, practicing and refining his instrument flying skills. He was working
on his Commercial rating when he lost his life, and was planning on being
an instructor for a few years after he retired from the FAA next year.
While still at Purdue, Mike spent several semesters interning at Edwards
Air Force Base, in California, working on NASA's Supercritical Wing
project. After graduating from Purdue University, Mike worked for the
Boeing Aircraft company, in Seattle, for several years, as an aeronautical
engineer. Then when President Regan fired the striking air traffic
controllers (PATCO), in the early 1980s, Mike went to work as an air
traffic controller for the FAA. He was a controller for the next 25 years.
And a pretty damned good one. There are several pilots flying today who
owe their lives to Mike Maikowski's air traffic control skills. And at
least one airline who still has an unbroken DC-10, thanks to the fact that
Mike was as good a pilot as he was a controller.
Before 911, air traffic controllers used to be allowed to ride in the
cockpits of commercial airliners to help familiarize themselves with air
traffic from the pilot's perspective. Mike was once sitting in the cockpit
of a DC-10 that had a minor mechanical problem. A pickup truck, containing
a mechanic, was dispatched out to the plane as it sat on the runway, to see
if the problem could be fixed on the spot. The pilots of the DC-10 were
busy, but Mike happened to be looking out the window as the pickup truck
drove under the airplane, and parked there. Then the Captain of the DC-10
said he was going to move the plane down the runway, while he waited for
the pickup truck to arrive. The Captain was reaching for the throttles
when Mike stopped him, and told him the truck was already parked under his
airplane. I'll leave it to your imagination as to what happens when a
DC-10 tries to taxi over a pickup truck.
But that's the kind of guy Mike was. If a pilot made a bad mistake while
in the pattern, Mike didn't automatically report him. Being a pilot
himself, Mike could relate to the pilots. Usually he just invited the pilot
up to the tower, so Mike could explain what had happened, and how to avoid
it in the future.
And Mike also worked the air traffic control side of the equation, as well.
If a new controller simply couldn't be trained to control airplanes, and
was about to be fired, Mike took over and trained the controller.
So I guess what I'm trying to say here, is that Michael Maikowski was a
pretty damn good pilot who knew what he was doing, and hadn't learned to
fly last week.
So what happened on the morning of November 13?
Mike had been flying GA aircraft for forty years. About six years ago, we
acquired a powered parachute (PPC) and flew that just for fun. (And
because it was cheap to fly.) We liked to tow it on a trailer behind my
RV, and drive to interesting areas, camp in the RV, and then explore the
area.
But while the powered parachute was fun, it was also pretty limited in what
it could do. With a top speed of only 30 mph, it was at the mercy of the
wind, and it wasn't safe to fly if the wind was blowing much more than 10
mph. And it didn't have a range of much more than about 15 or 20 miles.
And since the PPC had to be launched and landed into the wind, there were a
lot of airports where it wasn't practical to fly it. But we liked it.
And then the FAA decided that powered parachutes should be included in the
new Sport Pilot program. Mike was already qualified to fly the PPC, since
had his private pilot ticket, but I would have to get a Sport Pilot
license. I would also have to get the PPC inspected and N-numbered. Worse
yet, I'd have to fly across the country and take a 16 hour repairman's
course if I wanted to be able to do my own annual inspections, and sign off
on my own maintenance (which I'd been doing for five years). What a pain!
After years of carefree flying under Part 103, it was like having your
paper airplane, or your box kite, suddenly regulated by the FAA.
And that's when I suggested to Mike that perhaps we might think about
flying something else. Especially if I had to bother with Sport Pilot.
Perhaps a little fixed-wing airplane with folding wings that we could
transport on a trailer behind the RV. Something with more speed and range.
Something that could handle a crosswind better than a PPC.
We looked at the Zenith 701. I even went to one of their factory workshops
and built a rudder. Nice little plane, but not the best folding wing
design in the world. Then I saw a picture of a Kolb, in flight, and saw
how easily the wings folded. That looked like it might be our plane. I
came onto this list and gathered information about the Kolb. I talked to
the Kolb factory, and was much impressed with their level of customer
support.
After much discussion, Mike and I decided that the Kolb Mark III was the
plane for us. It looked like the perfect flightseeing airplane; ideal for
towing behind an RV. Robert Lee, down in Arizona, had a Mark III Classic
for sale. It had the Rotax 912 engine on it, and was even equipped with a
ballistic parachute. (I'm a firm believer in ballistic parachutes. I even
equipped our powered parachute with a ballistic parachute.)
I told Mike we needed to travel to Arizona and see this plane. The only
drawback was that it was a Classic, and not an Xtra. Mike was only 5'8",
and weighed 170 pounds, but I'm 6'4" and weigh 250 pounds. I was concerned
that I might not be able to fit comfortably in a Classic, whereas the Extra
was a little larger for larger pilots. Still, the Arizona plane had
everything we wanted on a Kolb, so I figured it was worth a look.
But somebody else was ahead of us in the buyer line. A man from Miami
bought the Arizona plane, and that was that. Then I learned of another
Kolb for sale. Better still, it was a Mark III Xtra. Sounded like it was
made for a larger pilot, like me. I won't mention the owner's name, out of
privacy considerations.
The Mark III Xtra only had a Rotax 582 engine on it, and had no ballistic
parachute, but I knew I could sell the 582 and replace it with a 912. And
I could install a ballistic parachute. And it was one beautiful plane. I
saw lots of pictures of it. The owner was obviously quite a craftsman.
There was just one problem with buying the plane. The owner was currently
under a doctor's care, and didn't feel safe in flying the plane. So he
couldn't take us up for a test flight, or give Mike some familiarization
flights in the plane. However we were welcome to come and test fly it
ourselves.
But the Kolb is a taildragger, and Mike had only flown tricycle gear.
Also, Mike did not want to fly the Kolb "cold." He wanted an experienced
Kolb pilot to fly with him, and show him the ropes. So I called the Kolb
factory and asked them if they could recommend a Kolb owner who could
familiarize Mike with the Kolb. Then we could test fly the Mark III Xtra,
and if we liked it, buy it.
The Kolb factory gave me the names of three Kolb pilots who might be able
to help us. The name at the top of the list was Dave Pelletier. Mike
promptly called Dave, and they became instant friends. Dave not only
offered to familiarize Mike with the Kolb, but even offered to have him as
a guest in his home while they did it. I understand this was very typical
behavior for Dave.
I was planning to go to Arizona, with Mike, and take some familiarization
rides in Dave's plane. I knew Dave's Classic wouldn't be quite as roomy as
the Xtra we were thinking of buying, but I figured it would give me a
pretty good idea of the view from the Kolb, in flight, and the overall
suitability of the plane for us.
But there was just one problem. Dave's flying field was at an elevation of
4400 feet. And Dave's Kolb only had a Rotax 582 engine on it. Dave said
there would be no problem flying with Mike, but that I was too heavy for
safe flying. With both Dave and myself on board, the plane would be too
heavily loaded for Dave's liking.
But that was no problem. I told Mike I would stay home and tend to our
business, and start making preparations to bring the Xtra home. Mike could
travel to Arizona and get checked out in the Kolb. Then the following
weekend we would test fly the Xtra. If we liked it, and bought it, I would
pick up the plane with my RV, and bring it home.
And so it was that on the morning of November 12, 2006, I shook Mike's hand
at the curb of local airport as he was about to board his flight to
Arizona. I have never seen him so happy and excited. Even though Mike was
half owner of our PPC, and even though he was part owner of a Cessna
Cardinal, this would be his first, honest-to-God airplane that was all his.
He would able to base it just about five minutes drive from his home, and
fly it whenever he wanted to, wherever he wanted to, and as often as he
wanted to. I would take the Repairman's Course, and do the maintenance on
it (just as I've done with the PPC for the last five years), so the Kolb
would be dirt cheap for Mike to fly. And when Mike retired from the FAA in
2008, with a fine pension, we would spend a lot of time towing the Kolb in
its trailer, behind my RV. We would take it all over the country, and fly
it in all sorts of interesting and beautiful places. What a way to spend
the next thirty years!
That was the plan.
Mike called me from Dave Pelletier's house, Sunday night, to tell me he had
safely arrived in Arizona, had rented a car, and had driven up to Dave's
house near Prescott, Arizona. Before he left Seattle, I reminded Mike that
Dave's Kolb only had a 65 horsepower engine, there would be two people in
the plane, and the field elevation where they would be flying was almost a
mile above sea level. I told him not to push the performance of the plane,
to be extra-cautious, and not to fly over unfriendly terrain unless the
plane was equipped with a ballistic parachute. So I was delighted when
Mike called me on Sunday night to tell me that Dave's plane was equipped
with a ballistic parachute. I knew that Mike was safe as he could possibly
be. Mike said they were going out early next morning, probably at dawn, to
get Mike checked out in the Kolb. Good time to get familiar with a new
plane. Calm, cold, dense air. Best possible learning time.
The next morning, on Monday, November 13, I hadn't heard anything as of
noon. This was unusual, because Mike had promised to call me on Monday
morning, and tell me how the Kolb was working out. When I didn't hear from
him, I started to wonder if he and Dave had run into some trouble. But I
wasn't worried. I knew the Kolb could easily make an emergency landing, in
case the engine quit, and if anything really serious happened, all they had
to do was pull the firing handle on the ballistic parachute, and float down
to a safe landing.
Just about the time I was thinking that, a chaplain from the local police
department came to my door. When I opened the door, and saw who it was, my
heart sank. I instantly knew what had happened. I won't try to describe
what the rest of that day was like. I won't try to describe what the next
two weeks were like. I did not know that such suffering was possible.
I've never lost anyone close to me. The top value in my life was suddenly
wrenched away and destroyed. My life was shattered. I died that day.
Mike and I weren't even gay, but now I think I know what it's like to lose
a husband or a wife. I guess I thought this kind of a loss could never
happen to me or my people. But it did. And my life will never be the same
again.
If I could make a bargain with God or the Devil to split the remaining
years of my life, and give half of them to Mike, so he could live again, I
would do it in an instant. I tried.
But this post is about the crash of Mike and Dave; not me. So what
happened? I've spoken with the Chino Fire Department, who were the first
responders on the scene. When Mike and Dave crashed, the folks who lived
in a nearby house rushed out to the crash site. They said they found no
sign of life in either pilot. Apparently Mike and Dave died instantly, on
impact. When the Chino Fire Department arrived soon after, they found no
sign of life either. And the ballistic parachute, that could have saved
the plane and the pilots, had not been fired.
According to the Fire Department, the plane crashed only about 600 feet
from the end of the runway. We know from eyewitnesses at the airport (who
heard the crash) that Mike and Dave had been doing touch-and-go maneuvers,
and had just taken off again. We don't know who was flying the plane at
the time of the crash. According to a neighborhood eyewitness, the plane
appeared to be making a turn when it suddenly nosed over and dived into the
ground.
Now this sounds like a classic departure stall turn. The pilot loses his
engine shortly after takeoff, and frantically tries to turn around and
regain the runway. In his panic, he turns too steeply, stalls the plane,
has insufficient altitude to recover, and crashes. Or perhaps the pilot is
doing touch and goes, and is turning around for another landing. He turns
too steeply, fails to keep the nose down and the power up, and stalls and
crashes. Happens all too regularly.
But the problem with this scenario is that both Mike and Dave were very
experienced pilots. Mike wasn't experienced with the Kolb, but he had been
flying fixed-wing aircraft for forty years. Everyone who has ever flown
with Mike agrees that he was a first-rate pilot. And I never saw Mike
Maikowski panic in his life. Not even when we suddenly flew into zero-zero
conditions in Alaska, earlier this year, while surrounded by high mountains
on all sides, only three miles away. Mike had his contingency plan all
ready, and handled the situation in his calm, cool, professional manner.
By all accounts, Dave was an experienced Kolb pilot who had given rides to
his grandchildren and to many other people. So Dave certainly knew the
Kolb very well, and how it handled, and what it could do, and what it
couldn't do. And before they even made their first flight together, I know
that Mike would have conducted an intense safety briefing with Dave, so
there would be no doubt as to who would be in command in the air, and who
would be at the controls, and how they would trade off, and what they would
do in case of any conceivable emergency. That's just the way Mike flew.
So what happened? Pilot error doesn't seem likely, and neither does
mechanical malfunction. I'm told the Kolb is not an easy plane to stall;
that you really have to try. The plane had just been checked out by an A&P
mechanic (according to Eve Pelletier). Could the engine have failed in
flight? Certainly. Everyone knows the Rotax 582 is not the most reliable
engine in the world. But even if the engine failed, Mike and Dave would
have simply glided down to a safe landing. The area where they crashed is
wide open grassland. Endless places for power-off landings. No serious
obstacles to avoid or hit. The only obstacle on the ground was a wire
fence, about twenty feet in front of the plane, but from the position of
the plane on the ground, it's pretty obvious that the plane never flew over
the fence, but rather crashed short of it. And according to the fire
department, the fence shows no sign of damage. So even if Mike and Dave
were gliding to a power-off landing, they apparently did not hit the fence.
And even if they had clipped the top of the fence while landing, and nosed
over, it seems unlikely that the Kolb would have been so utterly destroyed,
as it was, given its slow landing speed. And according to the eyewitness,
the plane dived toward the ground, rather than gliding down in a power-off
landing.
Another clue as to what happened can be seen in a photograph that I
recently obtained from the Chino Fire Department (and have attached to this
post). It's taken from the front of the crash site, and shows the engine
and propeller, sitting on top of the crumpled wing. All three blades of
the propeller are shattered. Only three short stubs remain. This strongly
suggests to me that the engine was running, and was under full power when
the plane struck the ground, and the spinning prop was shattered when it
struck the earth. If the engine had quit in flight, the prop would have
instantly stopped. Even if the prop had a clutch on it, it would only be
windmilling. In any case, without the power of the engine to drive it, the
prop might have broken one blade on impact, possibly two blades, but most
likely the third blade would have been relatively undamaged. Since all
three blades were totally destroyed, I'm pretty confident that the engine
was still running, probably at a high power setting, when the plane
crashed.
And if the plane suffered some sort of massive mechanical failure while in
the air, why didn't Mike or Dave just pull the firing handle of the
ballistic parachute, and float down to safety? Below three hundred feet of
altitude, a save with a ballistic parachute starts to get iffy, but it's
been done.
Could it have been a medical emergency? Could Mike or Dave have suffered a
heart attack, fallen forward on the controls, and caused the plane to crash
before the other pilot could correct it? Possibly. But Mike was only 54
years old, and in excellent heath. Dave was older (68, I believe), but was
also reported to be in excellent heath.
So what happened? I just don't know. The NTSB has the wreckage, and will
be investigating it, but their report is many months away. My guess is
that Mike and Dave were doing touch and go maneuvers, and had just taken
off, and were at a very low altitude when something went terribly, terribly
wrong. My guess is that the plane suffered a massive mechanical
malfunction that caused the aircraft to instantly go out of control and
crash in only a few seconds. It probably happened so fast that neither
pilot had a chance to fire the ballistic parachute. In any case, my guess
is that no pilot in the world could have saved that plane from disaster.
But I have no doubt that both Mike and Dave were trying to get the aircraft
back under control when both men lost their lives.
That's about all I know. I relate these details in the hopes that the rest
of us may learn something from this terribly tragedy, and possibly save the
lives of other pilots in the future. If anyone has any ideas, or comments,
please feel free to share them with me; in public or in private.
Mike Maikowski was my best friend. He was the finest man I have ever
known. He did not deserve to die in the prime of his life. And I will
miss him very, very much.
Chris Wolf
cwolf41@comcast.net
Message 6
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Forgot to attach the photos of the crash in my previous post. Here they
are.
Chris Wolf
cwolf41@comcast.net
Message 7
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Okay, let's try the pictures again.
Chris Wolf
cwolf41@comcast.net
Message 8
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Dear Chris,
Thank you for taking the time to write such a beautiful, heartfelt
tribute to your best friend, and to add to that a clear-headed potential
analysis of what happened. My heart is breaking you for, and you will be
in my prayers. Chris was extremely fortunately to have such a friend as
you. I know there's not much that will ease the pain you're in right
now, but do know that the family of pilots stand behind you.
And maybe it will help to know that every good thing we do in our lives
(and it sounds like Mike and Dave and you have all done much good) ...
*every* good deed and word leaves a permanent mark on this world.
Please take care...
best, Cory
>
>
Message 9
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| Subject: | Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Oops! I just realized that in my first post about the Kolb crash of Dave
and Mike, I neglected to update the section on the condition of the prop
after the crash. What I originally wrote was based on a firsthand
examination of the photographs, made late at night, while very tired. The
next day I realized my description was incorrect, but I forgot to update it
before sending the post to the list. My apologies. The following is what
I intended to post.
Another clue as to what happened can be seen in a photograph that I
recently obtained from the Chino Fire Department (and have attached to this
post). It's taken from the front of the crash site, and shows the engine
and propeller, sitting on top of the crumpled wing. All three blades of
the propeller are shattered. Two short stubs remain, while the third blade
appears to have a little more than half its length still intact. This
description was also confirmed to me by one of the fireman who was at the
scene of the crash. This strongly suggests to me that the engine was
running, and was under high power when the plane struck the ground, and the
spinning prop was shattered when it struck the earth. If the engine had
quit in flight, the prop would have instantly stopped. Even if the prop
had a clutch on it, it would only be windmilling. In any case, without the
power of the engine to drive it, the prop might have broken one blade on
impact, possibly two blades, but most likely the third blade would have
been relatively undamaged, since it would have been pointing away from the
other two blades, and away from the ground. Since all three blades were
heavily damaged (and two totally shattered), I'm pretty confident that the
engine was still running, probably at a high power setting, when the plane
crashed.
Chris Wolf
cwolf41@comcast.net
Message 10
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Chris,
Everyone that I have ever met in the aircraft world......is like a band of
brothers and sisters..........ESPECIALLY people who fly the light
stuff.......
I have lost my wingman 2 years ago to heart problems.........but he still
flew a quicksilver every chance he got..........
Still miss him though...........
I too am Deeply touched by your responce and take on the accident..........
Wayne McCullough
Kolbra 004
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Wolf" <cwolf41@comcast.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 2:40 PM
Subject: Kolb-List: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf
>
>
> Oops! I just realized that in my first post about the Kolb crash of Dave
> and Mike, I neglected to update the section on the condition of the prop
> after the crash. What I originally wrote was based on a firsthand
> examination of the photographs, made late at night, while very tired. The
> next day I realized my description was incorrect, but I forgot to update
> it
> before sending the post to the list. My apologies. The following is what
> I intended to post.
>
> Another clue as to what happened can be seen in a photograph that I
> recently obtained from the Chino Fire Department (and have attached to
> this
> post). It's taken from the front of the crash site, and shows the engine
> and propeller, sitting on top of the crumpled wing. All three blades of
> the propeller are shattered. Two short stubs remain, while the third
> blade
> appears to have a little more than half its length still intact. This
> description was also confirmed to me by one of the fireman who was at the
> scene of the crash. This strongly suggests to me that the engine was
> running, and was under high power when the plane struck the ground, and
> the
> spinning prop was shattered when it struck the earth. If the engine had
> quit in flight, the prop would have instantly stopped. Even if the prop
> had a clutch on it, it would only be windmilling. In any case, without
> the
> power of the engine to drive it, the prop might have broken one blade on
> impact, possibly two blades, but most likely the third blade would have
> been relatively undamaged, since it would have been pointing away from the
> other two blades, and away from the ground. Since all three blades were
> heavily damaged (and two totally shattered), I'm pretty confident that the
> engine was still running, probably at a high power setting, when the plane
> crashed.
>
> Chris Wolf
> cwolf41@comcast.net
>
>
>
Message 11
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Chris,
Thanks for sharing with us.
I'm pained for you and for all the bereaved of this grievous tragedy.
As a long time Kolb flyer the first thing that comes to my mind as a
possible cause, is a sudden failure of the up elevator cable.
With two people on board, and flaps extended, and full thrust power,
which it is reasonable to assume they would have had at that time,
is the most force a Kolb plane can possibly exert to nose over.
Were the elevator cable to suddenly fail at that point @ 600 ft AGL
an incident such as occurred would be almost impossible to prevent
even at sea level.
May God give you grace for this difficult time.
Gene Z
On Nov 29, 2006, at 2:11 PM, Chris Wolf wrote:
> If anyone has any ideas, or comments,
> please feel free to share them with me; in public or in private.
grievous
Message 12
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
">Were the elevator cable to suddenly fail at that point @ 600 ft AGL
>an incident such as occurred would be almost impossible to prevent "
not an incident... IT is an accident.
sad yes... very sad.
jg
DO NOT ARCHIVE
On 11/29/2006, "Eugene Zimmerman" <etzim62@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>Chris,
>Thanks for sharing with us.
>I'm pained for you and for all the bereaved of this grievous tragedy.
>
>As a long time Kolb flyer the first thing that comes to my mind as a
>possible cause, is a sudden failure of the up elevator cable.
>
>With two people on board, and flaps extended, and full thrust power,
>which it is reasonable to assume they would have had at that time,
>is the most force a Kolb plane can possibly exert to nose over.
>Were the elevator cable to suddenly fail at that point @ 600 ft AGL
>an incident such as occurred would be almost impossible to prevent
>even at sea level.
>
>May God give you grace for this difficult time.
>
>Gene Z
>
>
>On Nov 29, 2006, at 2:11 PM, Chris Wolf wrote:
>
>> If anyone has any ideas, or comments,
>> please feel free to share them with me; in public or in private.
>grievous
>
>
Message 13
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
> >> If anyone has any ideas, or comments,
> >> please feel free to share them with me; in public or in private.
> >grievous
You were both fortunate men to have had such a friendship. My father always
told me that if you have one true friend in your life you're a fortunate
man. I guess the closest I had to that was in Vietnam. The last time I saw
him was when they put him in a body bag. He was drafted and had just turned
21. A whole life was ahead of him. Not to be.
Message 14
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| Subject: | Re:Clarification for jam-n |
On Nov 29, 2006, at 5:17 PM, jam-n wrote:
>
> not an incident... IT is an accident.
Sorry Jam-n,
I did not intend to minimize the seriousness of the "incident".
Perhaps the use of the word "calamity" would have been more appropriate.
Here are some dictionary definitions for your clarification.
calamity
- a great misfortune or disaster,
incident
- A definite and separate occurrence; an event.
- Something contingent on or related to something else.
- An occurrence or event that interrupts normal procedure or
precipitates a crisis:
accident
- An unforeseen incident:
do not archive
Message 15
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Gene, that exact thought is why Vamoose has dual elevator cables, and that
thought occured to me, too, regarding the crash. Also seems to me that a
couple of people poo-poo-ed the idea when I brought it up 6 or 8 years ago.
That's the only thing I can think of that 2 experienced pilots would have no
option for. Lar.
Larry Bourne
Santa Fe, NM
www.gogittum.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eugene Zimmerman" <etzim62@earthlink.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 12:55 PM
Subject: Re: Kolb-List: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf
>
> Chris,
> Thanks for sharing with us.
> I'm pained for you and for all the bereaved of this grievous tragedy.
>
> As a long time Kolb flyer the first thing that comes to my mind as a
> possible cause, is a sudden failure of the up elevator cable.
Message 16
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| Subject: | Dual Elevator Cables |
While thinking on this topic, I'll refer you to a page of my website. Take
a look about 1/2 way down the page.............
http://www.biglar.homestead.com/STARTINGTHECABIN.html
Larry Bourne
Santa Fe, NM
www.gogittum.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Bourne" <biglar@gogittum.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 5:07 PM
Subject: Re: Kolb-List: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf
>
> Gene, that exact thought is why Vamoose has dual elevator cables, and that
Message 17
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| Subject: | Re:Clarification for jam-n |
no, its not an issue of denotative or conotative definitions... its just
what is most appropriate in aviation communications. that's all. :) an
incident carrys one definition and an accident another relative to
seriousness. as u suggested perhaps an incident lead to an accident
which sadly included the two fatals. ie, a dent in the leading edge may
be an incident... a ground loop produced an accident... ie, for example
the pilot had 3 incidents of record and 2 accidents... etc. not all
accidents include fatals. but usally all fatals resulted from an
accident.
the visuals of this accident are shocking... i always wonder why an a/c
that will fly with enough airspeed impacts nose down...
i have tried to fly with no elevator input... flippers as they say in
"stick n rudder'... and in all cases of power and ailerons... soon enuff
the a/c was uncontrolable and oscillating out of control... i do wonder
why this kolb crashed as it did...
always so sad and startling... for ' any '... young, old or bold pilot.
regards
jg
DO NOT ARCHIVE...
>> not an incident... IT is an accident.
>
>Sorry Jam-n,
>
> I did not intend to minimize the seriousness of the "incident".
>Perhaps the use of the word "calamity" would have been more appropriate.
>
>Here are some dictionary definitions for your clarification.
>
Message 18
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
----- Original Message -----
and that
| thought occured to me, too, regarding the crash. Also seems to me
that a
| couple of people poo-poo-ed the idea when I brought it up 6 or 8
years ago.
| That's the only thing I can think of that 2 experienced pilots would
have no
| option for. Lar.
Larry:
Don't remember if I poo-poo-ed your idea back then or not. Don't know
that I have ever poo-poo-ed anything. Don't know that I know how to
poo-poo! ;-)
MKIII plans and instructions called for 3/32" cable when I built my
MKIII in 1961. Because my airplanes work a little harder than most
"normal" Kolbs, I elected to go 1/8" cable for up elevator, even
though one would be hard pressed to fail the up elevator cable, short
of an improper nico press job on both nicopress sleeves. Guess one
could lose 3/16 bolt at either forward or aft end. Never heard of an
up elevator failure on a Kolb. Doesn't mean it didn't happen. Just
means I did not hear about it if it did.
As for AZ Dave's crash, a look at the three photos show the elevator
in what looks like the near full up position. Appears something is
holding the elevator in the up position.If I remember correctly,
Dave's MKIII had the standard single control stick mounted in the
center. This system is built like a tank and pretty much bullet
proof, no matter how heavy the pilot's hand happens to be.
I have survived several crashes in the US, FS, and MKIII. These
crashes placed tremendous loads to both rudder cables through the
pedals, during impact. Have bent forward, those pedals, but never
failed a 3/32 rudder cable. Course that was loading both cables
pretty much equally.
Looks like all the tail wires are still attached as requred. Lower
cables appear larger than the upper cables. Perhaps Dave had changed
these from standard size???
It is always disappointing when fatalities occur and parachutes are
not deployed. I think Larry Bourne said it was doubtful that they
could have been saved from less than 1,000 feet AGL. Over the years a
hand deployed parachute saved my life from 200 and 500 feet AGL. No
doubt in my mind, a BRS will deploy at 300-400 feet AGL, and probably
much, much lower. We have experienced several fatal accidents on this
List because parachute was not deployed. It takes training and
practice to be ready to use the parachute, should the situation
dictate its use. Not uncommon for folks to freeze up, physically and
mentally, when critical situations occur. One must make a snap
decision and act, right then to pull the red handle. Can not sit
there and think about it.
Not fair for me to speculate on why an accident happened when I was
many, many miles from the scene, did not witness it, and only have the
words of a single witness that saw the aircraft crash, to go on. Best
left to the experts to determine what happened, although they do not
have a lot of info to go on either.
Was a tragic accident that quite possibly could have been survivable.
I am sorry it happened. I lost a good friend, as did many others on
this List.
Take care,
john h
mkIII
Message 19
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Larry, duel up elevator cables is a very good idea.
I know of two kolb planes that experienced in-flight torn rudder
cables,
and as your web site so aptly points out ,,,,"with no up-elevator,
you're gonna make your final dive - period "
Redundant up elevator cables will be one thing on my to do list.
On Nov 29, 2006, at 8:07 PM, Larry Bourne wrote:
>
> Gene, that exact thought is why Vamoose has dual elevator cables,
> and that thought occured to me, too, regarding the crash. Also
> seems to me that a couple of people poo-poo-ed the idea when I
> brought it up 6 or 8 years ago. That's the only thing I can think
> of that 2 experienced pilots would have no option
> for. Lar.
Message 20
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Thanks, Eugene. It's almost certain that they'll never be necessary, but it
seems to be such a simple thing for that much insurance. Lar.
Larry Bourne
Santa Fe, NM
www.gogittum.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eugene Zimmerman" <etzim62@earthlink.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 7:18 PM
Subject: Re: Kolb-List: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf
>
> Larry, duel up elevator cables is a very good idea.
> I know of two kolb planes that experienced in-flight torn rudder
Message 21
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
| cables,
Hi Eugene:
Will you expand on "in-flight torn rudder cables" please. Don't think
I understand what you are saying.
Thanks,
john h
mkIII
Message 22
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Yep, I predict you will become a trend setter if our suspicion is
confirmed by the investigators.
On Nov 29, 2006, at 11:36 PM, Larry Bourne wrote:
> Thanks, Eugene. It's almost certain that they'll never be
> necessary, but it seems to be such a simple thing for that much
> insurance. Lar.
>
> Larry Bourne
> Santa Fe, NM
Message 23
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
John,
Sorry for my feeble communication and confusing phraseology.
I know of two of at least two kolb planes and two pilots that
experienced sudden complete tearing or breaking of rudder cables
while in-flight.
One was our own Mk II with my son Earl as the pilot taking off at the
Father's day fly-in in a pretty good cross wind.
The other pilot was Wilmer Z, with his Ultrastar.
In both cases the cables suddenly severed at the pulleys and showed
no significant wear before they broke.
Wilmer said he noticed one tiny strand of wire in the cable was
broken and he was planning to replace the cables but it suddenly
snapped before he got the chance to replace it.
On Nov 29, 2006, at 10:45 PM, John Hauck wrote:
> Hi Eugene:
>
> Will you expand on "in-flight torn rudder cables" please. Don't think
> I understand what you are saying.
Message 24
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| Subject: | Re: Dave Pelletier, Michael Maikowski, and Chris Wolf |
Hi Gene:
| Sorry for my feeble communication and confusing phraseology.
Not you, my friend. I am slow to read, interpret, and understand
stuff.
| I know of two of at least two kolb planes and two pilots that
| experienced sudden complete tearing or breaking of rudder cables
| while in-flight.
How many flight hours were on these cables before they failed?
What kind of cable was it?
Strands, twists, wires, SS, Galvanized???
The tighter the bend, the more prone a cable will be to failure. The
US rudder cable has to make some 90 degree turns before it gets to the
tail boom.
Nylon fairleads, as used on the mkIII are very prone to wearing
through strands of wire in the cables. There is constant rubbing
during flight from vibration more than from operation of the pedals.
Good idea to include cables in ones preflight, especially up elevator
cables.
Never had any wear in elevator cables on the mkIII, but do get a bit
of wear on the rudder cables.
Thanks,
john h
mkIII
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