X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:12:10 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from imr-d06.mx.aol.com ([205.188.159.7] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.14) with ESMTP id 3744745 for lml@lancaironline.net; Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:45:33 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=205.188.159.7; envelope-from=VTAILJEFF@aol.com Received: from imo-da02.mx.aol.com (imo-da02.mx.aol.com [205.188.169.200]) by imr-d06.mx.aol.com (v107.10) with ESMTP id RELAYIN2-34a4f5cd2119; Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:44:50 -0400 Received: from VTAILJEFF@aol.com by imo-da02.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v40_r1.5.) id q.d4d.4a356677 (37566) for ; Sat, 4 Jul 2009 09:44:41 -0400 (EDT) Received: from smtprly-da01.mx.aol.com (smtprly-da01.mx.aol.com [205.188.249.144]) by cia-mb04.mx.aol.com (v124.15) with ESMTP id MAILCIAMB043-5bac4a4f5cc6181; Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:44:40 -0400 Received: from WEBMAIL-MY01 (webmail-my01.sim.aol.com [64.12.108.12]) by smtprly-da01.mx.aol.com (v124.15) with ESMTP id MAILSMTPRLYDA013-5bac4a4f5cc6181; Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:44:38 -0400 References: X-Original-To: lml@lancaironline.net Subject: Re: [LML] Evolution incident X-Original-Date: Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:44:38 -0400 X-AOL-IP: 205.188.169.200 In-Reply-To: X-MB-Message-Source: WebUI MIME-Version: 1.0 From: vtailjeff@aol.com X-MB-Message-Type: User Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="--------MB_8CBCAC4B599A508_464_9F04_WEBMAIL-MY01.sysops.aol.com" X-Mailer: AOL Webmail 43661-STANDARD Received: from 24.107.96.192 by WEBMAIL-MY01.sysops.aol.com (64.12.108.12) with HTTP (WebMailUI); Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:44:38 -0400 X-Original-Message-Id: <8CBCAC4B5901BB4-464-4E1B@WEBMAIL-MY01.sysops.aol.com> X-Spam-Flag: NO ----------MB_8CBCAC4B599A508_464_9F04_WEBMAIL-MY01.sysops.aol.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Bob, Thank you for your candidness. I believe it takes a BIG MAN to admit his= errors and take responsibility. That quality is in short supply in Americ= a. All of us make mistakes -- it is the person with unflinching integrity= who admits them. As a group of Lancair=C2=A0=C2=A0pilots we are constantl= y learning from others misfortunes. I am sorry this happened to you but it= should be a wakeup call to all of us to be on guard when distractions mou= nt up in the cockpit. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Airplanes can be repaired but people= cannot be put back together as quickly as this Evolution. Last year's two= fatal Legacy accidents (one at Sun N Fun and one at Oshkosh) likely invol= ved distractions. When my next kit is finished-- you will be checking me out in it! Best Regards, Jeff Edwards President, Lancair Owners & Builders Organization -----Original Message----- From: BJeff10338@aol.com To: lml@lancaironline.net Sent: Sat, Jul 4, 2009 7:36 am Subject: [LML] Evolution incident OK, it=E2=80=99s time to dispel all the rumors and conjecture.=C2=A0 I ret= urned this morning from the Evolution demo tour and now have time to sit= down and shed some light on what happened.=C2=A0 I told myself that there= were two things I would never do in my aviation career; run out of gas an= d land gear up.=C2=A0 I=E2=80=99ve flown for 52 years, have over 26,000 ho= urs, flew fighters in the Air Force until I retired, part 135 in the Hawai= ian Islands, deep desert operations in Saudi Arabia for ARAMCO, part 121 with American Airlines (serving as check airman on the B-757/767), fr= actional ownership in the Lear 60 for Bombardier, taught in war bird jets= and Lancair aircraft, raced at the National Championship Air Races and ye= s , spent over 7 years as a guest of Uncle HO.=C2=A0 I say this not to imp= ress you but to make the point that this can happen to the most experience= d pilot.=C2=A0 The incident took place at Winder, GA (KWDR).=C2=A0 I was= doing a demo in the Evolution with a client flying the aircraft from the= left seat.=C2=A0 We had done the airwork demonstration and after demonstr= ating a pattern I gave the Evolution to the customer.=C2=A0 On downwind,= an aircraft reported a three mile straight-in.=C2=A0 In fact, he was arou= nd five miles out.=C2=A0 I told the customer to hold the flaps and gear un= til we had a visual on the straight-in.=C2=A0 At around three miles we had= the traffic and turned base, putting some flaps down.=C2=A0 On final, my= attention was on the traffic and the customers airspeed and glide path co= ntrol.=C2=A0 As we flared for the landing, the prop began to strike the ru= nway.=C2=A0 I looked up and saw that the gear switch was still in the UP= position.=C2=A0 I immediately put the gear switch down.=C2=A0 The aircraf= t slid to a stop on the runway.=C2=A0 When I got out, I saw that the main= gear had partially extended, holding the fuselage off the runway.=C2=A0= The nose gear had partially extended and the tire rotated 90 degrees rest= ing below the nose gear doors protecting the nose cow l.=C2=A0 The step on the left side was ground down and the flap hinges on= the right side were ground a little.=C2=A0 The bottom of the rudder was= slightly scraped.=C2=A0 The prop, of course, was trashed.=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0 I cannot put to words the terrible thoughts and feelings that I experi= enced with the realization of what had just happened.=C2=A0 I hope none of= you have to experience this.=C2=A0=C2=A0 The Garmin 900X has no gear warn= ing system (Lancair is installing an independent system). There were three= certified pilots on board at the time.=C2=A0 One was a corporate pilot in= the rear seat observing the demonstration flight.=C2=A0 It still comes do= wn to the fact that I was PIC and was responsible.=C2=A0 We lifted the Evo= lution with bridles, put the gear down and towed it to Roman Air on the fi= eld.=C2=A0 This happened on Monday.=C2=A0 By Saturday, I test flew the air= craft and we continued on with the tour.=C2=A0 The nose gear and airframe= parts were replaced and our on-board mechanic performed a composite repai= r on the rudder.=C2=A0 Lancair responded immediately with parts support an= d the gear case and hot section were sent to a repair facility for teardow= n and inspection.=C2=A0 There was no damage to it but the bearing and prop= governor were mandatory replacements.=C2=A0 Our mechanic and demonstratio= n team worked their butts off and the Evolution was airworthy in five days= .=C2=A0 It=E2=80=99s a great aircraft and this was a testimony to it=E2=80= =99s robustness.=C2=A0 We continued the tour to Austin, Atlanta, Spruce Cr= ee k, Raleigh-Durham, Norfolk and then home.=C2=A0 We completed 15 demonstrat= ion rides during the tour and covered over 6000 miles flying at altitudes= up to FL 270 and True airspeeds over 300.=C2=A0 Most of our takeoffs were= at or near max gross take-off weight (4300 lbs) with density altitudes up= to 7000=E2=80=99.=C2=A0 Every customer was impressed with the aircraft an= d the most common response was =E2=80=9CWOW=E2=80=9D.=C2=A0=C2=A0 The inci= dent (FAA classified it as an incident after inspecting the aircraft), as= most are, was due to a series of events.=C2=A0 I broke my normal configur= ation routine, was distracted by other factors and did not complete the ch= ecklist.=C2=A0 The Evolution is a thorobred and should receive the respons= e from the customers that it deserves.=C2=A0=C2=A0 So, keep your heads out= , be aware when routines are broken and use that checklist.=C2=A0=C2=A0 Re= spectfully, Bob Jeffrey It's raining cats and dogs -- Come to PawNation, a place where pets rule! ----------MB_8CBCAC4B599A508_464_9F04_WEBMAIL-MY01.sysops.aol.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Bob,

Thank you for your candidness. I believe it takes a BIG MAN to admit his= errors and take responsibility. That quality is in short supply in Americ= a. All of us make mistakes -- it is the person with unflinching integrity= who admits them. As a group of Lancair  pilots we are constantl= y learning from others misfortunes. I am sorry this happened to you but it= should be a wakeup call to all of us to be on guard when distractions mou= nt up in the cockpit.

Fortunately, there were no injuries. Airplanes can be repaired but people= cannot be put back together as quickly as this Evolution. Last year's two= fatal Legacy accidents (one at Sun N Fun and one at Oshkosh) likely invol= ved distractions.

When my next kit is finished-- you will be checking me out in it!

Best Regards,

Jeff Edwards
President, Lancair Owners & Builders Organization


-----Original Message-----
From: BJeff10338@aol.com
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Sent: Sat, Jul 4, 2009 7:36 am
Subject: [LML] Evolution incident

OK, it=E2=80=99s time to dispel all the rumors and conjecture. = I returned this morning from the Evolution demo tour and now have time to= sit down and shed some light on what happened.  I told myself that= there were two things I would never do in my aviation career; run out of= gas and land gear up.  I=E2=80=99ve flown for 52 years, ha ve over 26,000 hours, flew fighters in the Air Force until I retired, part= 135 in the Hawaiian Islands, deep desert operations in Saudi Arabia for= ARAMCO, part 121 with American Airlines (serving as check airman on the= B-757/767), fractional ownership in the Lear 60 for Bombardier, taught in= war bird jets and Lancair aircraft, raced at the National Championship Ai= r Races and yes , spent over 7 years as a guest of Uncle HO.  I say= this not to impress you but to make the point that this can happen to the= most experienced pilot.  The incident took place at Winder, GA (KWDR= ).  I was doing a demo in the Evolution with a client flying the airc= raft from the left seat.  We had done the airwork demonstration and= after demonstrating a pattern I gave the Evolution to the customer. = On downwind, an aircraft reported a three mile straight-in.  In fact= , he was around five miles out.  I told the customer to hold the flap= s and gear until we had a visual on the straight-in.  At around three= miles we had the traffic and turned base, putting some flaps down. = On final, my attention was on the traffic and the customers airspeed and= glide path control.  As we flared for the landing, the prop began to= strike the runway.  I looked up and saw that the gear switch was sti= ll in the UP position.  I immediately put the gear switch down. = The aircraft slid to a stop on the runway.  When I got out, I saw th= at the main gear had partially extended, holding the fuselage off the runway.  The nose gear had partially extended an= d the tire rotated 90 degrees resting below the nose gear doors protecting= the nose cowl.  The step on the left side was ground down and the fl= ap hinges on the right side were ground a little.  The bottom of the= rudder was slightly scraped.  The prop, of course, was trashed. = ;   I cannot put to words the terrible thoughts and feelings tha= t I experienced with the realization of what had just happened.  I ho= pe none of you have to experience this.   The Garmin 900X has no= gear warning system (Lancair is installing an independent system). There= were three certified pilots on board at the time.  One was a corpora= te pilot in the rear seat observing the demonstration flight.  It sti= ll comes down to the fact that I was PIC and was responsible.  We lif= ted the Evolution with bridles, put the gear down and towed it to Roman Ai= r on the field.  This happened on Monday.  By Saturday, I test= flew the aircraft and we continued on with the tour.  The nose gear= and airframe parts were replaced and our on-board mechanic performed a co= mposite repair on the rudder.  Lancair responded immediately with par= ts support and the gear case and hot section were sent to a repair facilit= y for teardown and inspection.  There was no damage to it but the bea= ring and prop governor were mandatory replacements.  Our mechanic and= demonstration team worked their butts off and the Evolution was airwort hy in five days.  It=E2=80=99s a great aircraft and this was a testim= ony to it=E2=80=99s robustness.  We continued the tour to Austin, Atl= anta, Spruce Creek, Raleigh-Durham, Norfolk and then home.  We comple= ted 15 demonstration rides during the tour and covered over 6000 miles fly= ing at altitudes up to FL 270 and True airspeeds over 300.  Most of= our takeoffs were at or near max gross take-off weight (4300 lbs) with de= nsity altitudes up to 7000=E2=80=99.  Every customer was impressed wi= th the aircraft and the most common response was =E2=80=9CWOW=E2=80=9D.&nb= sp;  The incident (FAA classified it as an incident after inspecting= the aircraft), as most are, was due to a series of events.  I broke= my normal configuration routine, was distracted by other factors and did= not complete the checklist.  The Evolution is a thorobred and should= receive the response from the customers that it deserves.   So,= keep your heads out, be aware when routines are broken and use that check= list.   Respectfully, Bob Jeffrey

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