| Match: | #2 |
| Message: | #79510 |
| From: | "Doug Rozendaal" <dougr(at)petroblend.com> |
| Subject: | Re: Alternate air for injected engines? |
| Date: | Mar 05, 2001 |
This is long, but there is a point. I had a Cassutt type airplane with and an Ellison TBI. It did not have an alternate air system. It also did not have an air filter, just a 1/4" hardware cloth screen to keep out the birds. I did not believe alternate air was needed because I did not fly IFR, there was no venturi to make ice, and if there was I could move the throttle and clear the ice. Good to go I surmised. I never had any trouble at all, until, I was flying to an airport runway dedication. I announced on Unicom 5 mi. north. The Mayor was planning to clip a ribbon with his Gullwing Stinson and it would not start. He asked if I would cut it. I said I would. I made a low pass to size it up and turned around. I set up on the ribbon, I could not see it, but I could see the poles. My plan was to put the ribbon above the spinner, I keyed on the poles. When I saw the ribbon it was sagging enough to put it below the spinner. Too late to be fiddling around at the speed I was going. I blasted through the ribbon at about 240 mph and hauled back on the stick. Typically this airplane would go nearly straight up to about 2000 ft AGL. The deacceleration was so strong I felt like I would go through the windshield. I shoved the nose over, resisted the urge to try to turn back to the runway. (don't start that thread again!) I landed in a soybean field, went up on the nose and cartwheeled. I totaled the airplane and my right knee. I will admit the airplane was low on fuel and if you read the NTSB report, it will tell you I unported the fuel tank. Trouble is, the NTSB never looked at the airplane, and the FAA investigator (who I know) never realized the airplane had a header tank. I had fuel visible in the main tank so the header tank had to be full. I was not busted for being low on gas, I was busted for flying within 500 ft of persons, but thanks to the NASA card, I took my immunity and that went away too. What I believe happened is that the ribbon went in the air intake and the airplane went rich and would not run. More than one witness reported some black smoke puffing from the engine. The point is, no matter how much you think that you can get by shortcutting the standards there is a price to be paid. Alternate air is kinda like dual mags, I don't see anyone asking the list if they should fly with one mag to save weight? Tailwinds, Doug Rozendaal dougr(at)petroblend.com www.petroblend.com\dougr > > > > For those of you with injected engines, I would appreciate your > > suggestions, concerns, and/or perspectives on this issue. > > > > Thanks in advance for the help. > > > > Dean Pichon > > RV-4 > > Arlington, MA
| End Msg: | #2 |
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