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1. 12:12 AM - Listen to your nose........ (mjb777)
2. 08:50 AM - Re: Listen to your nose........ (Esa Lehto)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Listen to your nose........ |
Hi guys, Got this interesting snippet in an email from a buddy of mine in Oz. It's
a great reminder that the old gut feeling is often worth pursuing!!
"I was just taking off the other day when I caught an unmistakable whiff of fuel.
In the event, the smell disappeared quickly and turned out to be the dregs
in my fuel tester cup, which I hadnt properly emptied. I keep the tester in the
wing root storage pocket of my Foxbat just above and to the left of my nose.
This brief experience set me to thinking about aircraft smells generally, and how
sometimes its all too easy to dismiss an unusual odour however faint as nothing
worth worrying about.
Here are a couple of true stories about how you should listen to your nose if
you know what I mean.
First coolant. A few years ago, I was flying an aircraft home just after maintenance.
Like the Foxbat and many other Light Sport Aircraft, this one was/is powered
by the Rotax 912 liquid cooled engine.
About 15 minutes into my planned 20 minute flight, I thought I could smell coolant
that peculiar metallic hot water and anti-freeze smell. The cylinder head
and coolant temperatures were steady, as was the oil temperature. But the smell
wasnt going away, even if it wasnt getting any worse. Luckily my destination
was soon within gliding distance, so I throttled back, made a radio call and
landed without completing the usual circuit.
It turned out the engineer had moved one of the coolant radiator hoses during maintenance.
When the cowlings were replaced, the hose had made a slight contact
with the nearby exhaust, enough to burn a tiny hole, through which coolant was
dripping onto the exhaust. I should have picked up this proximity during my
pre-flight but didnt. In fact with the top cowling off, the hose was a millimetre
or two clear of the exhaust underneath it. But replacing the cowling, to
which the coolant radiator was fixed, was enough to move the hose slightly and
enable contact with the exhaust. The manufacturer subsequently issued a service
bulletin requiring a specific clearance between coolant hose and exhaust. They
have now re-designed the installation to avoid the problem.
Next exhaust. Many years ago, I was flying another Rotax-powered aircraft, fitted
with flexible exhaust tubes connecting the manifolds to the muffler. In flight,
I thought I could smell exhaust fumes. Being an unfamiliar aircraft, I wasnt
sure if this was a trait of the aircraft or a real problem
However, I opened the air vents in the doors and decided to make an unplanned landing
a few minutes later at the nearest airstrip. Sure enough, one of the exhaust
tubes had slightly fractured. Most worrying the hole pointed the escaping
exhaust gases directly at the oil filter canister and it was only a matter
of time before it would have burned through. If oil had escaped onto the exhaust
in these circumstances, I really dont want to think about the possible outcomes.
So get to know your aircrafts typical smells and whether its the unusual smell
of exhaust, fuel, coolant, oil or brake linings listen to your nose and take
immediate action!"
Regards,
Matt.
--------
Pulsar 1 TD Kit.
Captain B777.
Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=424602#424602
Message 2
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| Subject: | Re: Listen to your nose........ |
Hi,=0A=0AThanks Matt for sharing! you need to have all senses in the game w
hen flying, not just your but.=0A=0AEsa=0APulsar XP=0A=0ARotax 912 UL=0A=0A
=0A=0A=0A________________________________=0A From: mjb777 <mattbrock777@gma
il.com>=0ATo: pulsar-list@matronics.com =0ASent: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 2:1
2 AM=0ASubject: Pulsar-List: Listen to your nose........=0A =0A=0A--> Pulsa
r-List message posted by: "mjb777" <mattbrock777@gmail.com>=0A=0AHi guys, G
ot this interesting snippet in an email from a buddy of mine in Oz. It's a
great reminder that the old gut feeling is often worth pursuing!!=0A=0A"I w
as just taking off the other day when I caught an unmistakable whiff of fue
l. In the event, the smell disappeared quickly and turned out to be the dre
gs in my fuel tester cup, which I hadn=C3=A2=82=AC=84=A2t properly em
ptied. I keep the tester in the wing root storage pocket of my Foxbat just
above and to the left of my nose.=0A=0AThis brief experience set me to thin
king about aircraft smells generally, and how sometimes it=C3=A2=82=AC
=84=A2s all too easy to dismiss an unusual odour =C3=A2=82=AC
=9C however faint =C3=A2=82=AC=9C as nothing worth worrying about.
=0A=0AHere are a couple of true stories about how you should listen to you
r nose =C3=A2=82=AC=9C if you know what I mean.=0AFirst =C3=A2
=82=AC=9C coolant. A few years ago, I was flying an aircraft home jus
t after maintenance. Like the Foxbat and many other Light Sport Aircraft, t
his one was/is powered by the Rotax 912 liquid cooled engine.=0A=0AAbout 15
minutes into my planned 20 minute flight, I thought I could smell coolant
=C3=A2=82=AC=9C that peculiar metallic hot water and anti-freeze s
mell. The cylinder head and coolant temperatures were steady, as was the oi
l temperature. But the smell wasn=C3=A2=82=AC=84=A2t going away, even
if it wasn=C3=A2=82=AC=84=A2t getting any worse. Luckily my destinat
ion was soon within gliding distance, so I throttled back, made a radio cal
l and landed without completing the usual circuit.=0A=0AIt turned out the e
ngineer had moved one of the coolant radiator hoses during maintenance. Whe
n the cowlings were replaced, the hose had made a slight contact with the n
earby exhaust, enough to burn a tiny hole, through which coolant was drippi
ng onto the exhaust. I should have picked up this proximity during my pre-f
light but didn=C3=A2=82=AC=84=A2t. In fact with the top cowling off,
the hose was a millimetre or two clear of the exhaust underneath it. But re
placing the cowling, to which the coolant radiator was fixed, was enough to
move the hose slightly and enable contact with the exhaust. The manufactur
er subsequently issued a service bulletin requiring a specific clearance be
tween coolant hose and exhaust. They have now re-designed the installation
to avoid the problem.=0A=0ANext =C3=A2=82=AC=9C exhaust. Many year
s ago, I was flying another Rotax-powered aircraft, fitted with flexible ex
haust tubes connecting the manifolds to the muffler. In flight, I thought I
could smell exhaust fumes. Being an unfamiliar aircraft, I wasn=C3=A2
=82=AC=84=A2t sure if this was a trait of the aircraft or a real problem
=0A=0AHowever, I opened the air vents in the doors and decided to make an u
nplanned landing a few minutes later at the nearest airstrip. Sure enough,
one of the exhaust tubes had slightly fractured. Most worrying =C3=A2=82
=AC=9C the hole pointed the escaping exhaust gases directly at the oi
l filter canister and it was only a matter of time before it would have bur
ned through. If oil had escaped onto the exhaust in these circumstances, I
really don=C3=A2=82=AC=84=A2t want to think about the possible outcom
es.=0A=0ASo get to know your aircraft=C3=A2=82=AC=84=A2s typical smel
ls and whether it=C3=A2=82=AC=84=A2s the unusual smell of exhaust, fu
el, coolant, oil or brake linings =C3=A2=82=AC=9C listen to your n
ose and take immediate action!"=0A=0ARegards,=0A=0AMatt.=0A=0A--------=0APu
lsar 1 TD Kit.=0ACaptain B777.=0ALicenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.=0A
=0A=0A=0A=0ARead this topic online here:=0A=0Ahttp://forums.matronics.com/v
=========================0A
=C2- =C2- =C2- =C2- =C2- =C2- =C2- =C2- =C2- =C2- =C2
===================
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