|
|
From: "Ron and Marlene Brice" <rbrice@inter-linc.net>
Hello Lancair enthusiasts,
I share this so that none of you will ever try to repeat the situation that
caused the loss of my beloved Legacy today. I walked away without a scrape,
bruise or cut whatsoever. Sure was a tough little bird.
While at Reno at the air races, I lost my pitot tube cover, and after flying
home, because of mud dauber wasps in this area, covered my pitot tube with a
piece of paper and taped it up so that wasps could not get in the pitot
tube.
I was on my way to the GAMI seminar today, and last evening I went to my
hangar, washed the plane, checked the oil, and did a complete pre-flight
(except for the removal of the pitot tube paper and tape). This morning, I
arrived at the hangar, and looked for a half hour to find my spare pitot
tube cover, which I finally found. I did another complete pre-flight, but
missed the pitot tube. How I could have been so stupid marvels me. I
really took my time this morning, because my wife wasn't with me, and she
usually helps keep me honest. Probably the best pre-flight I ever did,
because I had lots of time, just overlooked the small piece of paper and
tape on the pitot tube. How could I have done such a sloppy job of
pre-flight?
Anyway, on the take-off roll, after checking my engine instruments, I
glanced at the airspeed, and only saw 40 knots when I should have seen about
60. I scanned outside, saw I was on centerline, and back in the cockpit I
now had 60 knots. I should have aborted at this point, but I had not
remembered the taping of the pitot tube in all the excitement. My aircraft
was equipped with a state of the art angle of attack, so I began a rotation
and immediately had an angle of attack warning which then convinced me to
abort. Unfortunately I am on a short strip where decision time was
squandered by my watching the erratic airspeed. Why did I not put 2 and 2
together? I should have instantly thought of the tape and paper, but didn't
in all the excitement. When installing the angle of attack, I physically
hooked up the pitot and static lines, and should, again, have put two and
two together..but time was running out on me. The angle of attack warning
was normal for my situation.
I still don't know how I got so much (should have been zero) airspeed
indication through the paper, but will take the pitot tube apart and see.
Most likely, the airspeed caused the paper to tear and then it lodged in the
system.
Anyway, I had more than adequate airspeed (way too much, actually) when I
started to abort. I am on a 2600 foot strip, which is more than adequate
when everything is working normally. The Legacy really does accelerate, and
burns up terra firma at a fast rate. Bottom line, I should have aborted at
the 40 knot indication. I just couldn't believe that, with all engine
instruments normal, and a normal acceleration feel, I wasn't seeing better
airspeed. Waited way too long, and made a bad pilot error.
Sure hope each person who reads this learns from my catastrophically stupid
error, and takes a minute more on preflight. I certainly knew better.
Enclosed is a picture of where N27RM came to rest, and I will send one more
of the aircraft on the trailer afterward for Rob to upload.
Rest assured that nothing airframe or engine wise was a problem, totally
pilot error. This was the best flying airplane I ever had my hands on, bar
none. Thanks to enough airspeed to still have rudder control after exiting
the end of the runway, I had the ability to take a tree that was right ahead
of me at the right wing root, which saved my life. Had I not been slowed
down by this action, I would have been killed in the trees ahead. The tree
took the right center section and wing completely off, and slowed me down
just enough to let me enter the next trees at a slow enough speed to walk
away.
Ron Brice
|
|