Plane down near PNS

[JediNein]

CONGRATS! You've passed the hardest test there is.

Fly SAFE! (which you obviously did)
Jedi Nein

 

[maverick_fp00]

Well, I didn't even see the road until I was about 2,000', but only because there were some motorcycles driving on it. I was planning on landing on the beach.

Before we went I was eating dinner with my friend and his parents and I was telling his dad that the only way I like to fly single-engine at night is flyin the coastline (e.g. Pensacola ) in case something happens there is always the shoreline.

Anyway, I gotta hit the bed, have to get up in 4 hours to go to work.

Thanks for the replies guys!

-Nick

I'm getting my commercial real soon - and I'm almost done with my instrument, anybody want to hire me? just kidding....

 

[avbug]

It sounds as though you threw a rod. Not uncommon, and not unique to the Katana. This is a good example of why we always say that it's not a matter of if you will have an engine failure, but when.

Just be grateful for the experience.

 

[bobbysamd]

Nice job handling a difficult situtation. Now, you have a real-life situation from which to speak at "the interview."

Bet the bikers were freaked when they saw your airplane happening upon them!

 

[maverick_fp00]

The bikers in front of me didn't even know I don't think beacuse they didn't stop. Some other people stopped after we landed, they were on a bike also.

 

[NoPlaneNoGain]

Glad to hear that you made it down safely. Good job handling the situation.
I once lost an intake valve on a Navajo when I was a freight dog. I had sprayed oil all over the left cowling and had shut the engine down before it did itself. Once safely on the ground I first inspected the oil cap just to make sure it was on tight, and it was, thank God! The local mechanic pull the cowling off and we found a hole that the valve had been driven through causing a loss of oil.
Anyway, it sounds your situation might be a rod or valve problem.

 

[maverick_fp00]

NoPlaneNoGain:

Yea, that sounds about the same that had happened to me. Once the plane cooled down a little I checked to see if the oil cap was on tightly, thank God! Although, most likely, the oil would have spilled out right at takeoff when I/you put the coals to it, and you would have noticed something was wrong during takeoff or just after takeoff. That's what I think anyway, I could be wrong... I'm just a 220 hour 20 year old pilot.



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