Your scariest moment - In A 170

[Dave Clark]

I thought this would be a fun topic so we can all enjoy and perhaps learn from each others experiences. So I'll start.

I only had my first 170 for one year, my second year as a pilot and after owning an Aeronca Chief for the first year and 150 hours. On one pretty nice Northwest day I filed a flight plan from Seattle to Vancouver, (Canada). As I got up to Bellingham the weather deteriorated with a lot of haze and low visibility over land. So cruising along at 3,000' I decided to just stay over the water. As I droned along the visibility dropped gradually and I soon found myself no longer able to see far enough to see any land, just water below. But I was just fine, just hold a heading and DR for a while right? Well it didn't take long and I'd blundered into a complete white out seeing nothing below and with no reference to level flight other than my instruments. Fortunately I had an old AN horizon and DG and was able to carefully execute a 180 and get out of there. It was, as a friend used to say, a "significant emotional event".

Of course I've had other experiences in other airplanes but the rules of this thread will be those experiences in a !&) only please.

BTW, I had that plane only one year and 150 hours and went on to many other types but just got back home four years ago some 25 years later.

[N1277D]

A few years ago we were in Canada with a couple of 170s heading north and got weathered in for a few days. While waiting for the weather to break we meet three guys from southern California flying their three J3s as far north as they could go on their vacation. After some ribbing the flight service let us file a VFR flight plan and go (it was good VFR at the airport), we got about 30 to 50 miles and ran into some ugly weather ahead, turbulence, low clouds, heavy rain and lots of static on the radio. We diverted and headed to the closest airport. The final approach into this airport was one of the roughest I've had - lots of wind shear, tall trees, gusting variable winds and some rain. After getting the 170 on the ground and the other 170 landed, the three J3s tried their best to land but had to go around and wait for a lull in the winds. They finally got on the ground and said this is not fun any more. There we were "in the middle of no where" where it was cold, rainning and windy. It sure looked like we should have stayed back at the other airport in the lounge watching the weather and asking the briefer when it would be much better. Then suddenly a black bear meanders out of the trees and checks us out. The guys in the J3s were prepared they went and got their survival guns, a 22 cal rifle. The scariest moment occured when I realized these guys were from southern Ca and might actually try to shoot the bear with the 22. That wounded bear sure would make a mess of the 170s and J3s. We waved the bear away and got them to put their guns away. A few minutes latter the towns people came out and offered us a ride into town where small town northern Canada hospitalty was sure evident. The next day the guys in the J3 gave rides to the town kids and did a J3 airshow.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

There I was Dave in my !&) and I was so scared cause I didn't know what the heck I was flying

I had just brought my 170 home with my wife over the hills of Virginia with out a problem.

The second day of ownership I was out just floating around the sky enjoying the slow flight characteristics of my 170. After about 30 minutes of slow flight I decided to head back to the airport and advanced the throttle from about 2100 RPm to full throttle.

Only one problem. The engine just wanted to die. I quickly pulled the throttle back to where it was and the engine ran fine. Tried several times but had the same effect. I wasn't scared at the time. I was mad. Here it was at 1500 ft on a beautiful day in my new to me airplane and the engine didn't want to run. Dam it. Oh yea I'm at 1500 ft and the engine isn't running right perhaps I should be looking for a landing area.

Well with the engine just ticking merrily away at about 2100 RPM I slowly made my way from one field to the next till I was back at my home airport.

After landing and trouble shooting the fuel system I found the finger screen in the carburetor was jammed full of some material that looked exactly like a cigarette filter.

Now I got scared thinking how things would have been different one day earlier as my wife and a I where flying home over the mountains.

[N170BP]

Several months ago, my flap handle went from 40 degress to 10 degrees
(WHHAAMM) on short final. Good thing I had my hand on the throttle
where it belongs!!! The pawl/latch spring had broken, and there wasn't
enough force pushing the pawl down into the flap ratchet bracket.
Landed back at home with no flaps that day.

Only other time I scared myself in my 170 was over in Idaho.
We were having a great time fishing and the time got away
from me. The wind had come up + it started getting hot
(mistake #1, didn't leave early enough). I elected to take
off down wind (mistake #2, but there really wasn't a choice
as the 170 would never make it out the other way no matter
what the winds/temperature was). I cleared the trees at the end
by maybe 30 feet (my buddies say that's 29 feet more than I
needed!)

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Alright as I was typing my last post I remembered the moment I was the most scared I ever was in any aircraft and it was in my 170.

This story is truly told in the spirit of "Never Again" or "It can happen to you" or what ever title you want.

Shortly after buying the 170 I was in a little bit of a hurry to depart for a breakfast with the Short Wing Piper Club of which I was a member.

Of I went departing the airport then making a 180 degree turn to my on course heading. Leaving out at 1500 ft I realized it was a very smooth day and the plane would pretty much fly where I pointed it. About 10 minutes into the flight I decided this would be a great day to fool with the electric aileron trim tab installed (by STC) on the plane.

I reached over to the left for the control and casually looked out at my left aileron in order to observe the tab movement.

There it was. IN BRIGHT RED. I had left one of my aileron gust locks securely attached to between the aileron and flap.

My life past in front of me and I was ready for the airplane to roll uncontrollably into the ground. I event thought of what the NTSB report would say and what effect the crash would have on other 170s if they didn't find the gust lock in the crash.

But then it dawned on me. I'd been flying this airplane for 10 minutes with out any problem. I gently tried the ailerons and to my surprise the plane rolled slowly left and right but my left aileron didn't move. Looking at my right aileron it was moving about half travel. I also had full rudder. I went over and over in my head what I could and couldn't do and how I would control the airplane.

Ok maybe I can fly the plane but where should I go. I thought about going to the local glider airport where I could land in any directing which means I could line up perfectly into the slight breeze. Problem is there would be no one there to help or call for help if things went wrong.

I decided to very gently fly to back to my home airport where the breeze was almost down the runway. I decided I wouldn't attempt a landing until I could contact someone on the ground and tell them of my situation and have them read to call for help. As luck would have it there was someone taxiing who I was able to talk to on the radio. He waited until I made one of the best landings I've ever made.

After removing the gust lock I proceeded to my breakfast and during that 2 hour flight I had a lot of time to think about what had just happened.

I made the following observations.

1. I had been in a rush.

2. I was interrupted on my preflight by a friend

3. It was a relatively new airplane to me and the preflight removal of the gust locks was new to me having never had them before.

4. Although the gust lock was painted red it didn't have a red remove before flight ribbon to catch my eye.

5. There was two aileron gust locks one more than is necessary. I no longer use the one on the right side of the plane. One less thing to remember or forget. Ironically I missed the one right out side the door I got in.

6. My aileron cables must be pretty loose in order to allow one aileron to move with out the other. Better check them. Better not tighten them more than the minimum as a "built in safety feature" I hope I never need again.

7. I had not flown airplanes for more than an 8 month period just prior to this and had gotten out of the practice of running a check list. I needed to develop one for my preflight and departure.

I can say it enough. When things go wrong for any reason. Fly the airplane.

[Harold Holiman]

This incident did not really scare me, but, I thought I had messed up big time. We were flying at night at near full gross in my 170A to a small town where Carolyn's parents lived at the time. When we got there the lights on the field were out of service. I made my one and only night landing in the dark with no field lights. This was many years ago. I flared too high and dropped it in heavy. When it did, it broke off the small axle on the tail wheel. My 170A had a Maule tail wheel which only has the 1/2" axle supported on one side. All the noise it made inside the plane, with the metal acting like a megaphone to the cabin, I thought I had torn the whole tail end off of the airplane. We pulled the plane off the runway and tied it down. The next day in the light upon examination I found it had done no damage, just scratched the bottom of the housing where the axle goes through a little. We found the wheel and broken axle alongside the runway. A old hanger at the airport had a old small solid rubber tailwheel off of something hanging on the wall which fit a flat spring, which I borrowed and bolted to the tail spring. I flew with this small wheel for a couple of weeks untill my new axle arrived. Replacing the axle and snap ring was the only repair necessary. I sure thought it was going to be more than that the night it happened though.

Harold H

[GAHorn]

I only fly B 170's so I can't add anything to this thread. Sorry.
(I've done some fairly stupid stunts in a 140 tho'.)

[4583C]

[All the noise it made inside the plane, with the metal acting like a megaphone to the cabin, I thought I had torn the whole tail end off of the airplane]

During my second or third hour of checkout time in the 170 I had a tailwheel spring fail and I agree with Harold's description of the racket. Sure was nice to be able to tell the instructor "You take it" . We went around and he wheel landed and kept the tail up as long as possible and then that awful racket again...not as scary when you know whats happening. George tailwheel springs can break on a "B" as well.
Paul

[johneeb]

The first time took my 170 over the red line was a very broadening experience.

Johneeeeeeb



Dave, no disrespect intended just a little levity.

I think the your concept for this string is an excellent chance for all of us to learn from each other.

In my case if dumb will fill in for scary; it would be giving in to the pressure, my own at that, of being in one place and thinking I had to be in another with an airplane that is not IFR certified. I have solved the IFR certification problem with a recent avionics upgrade.

Johneb

[GAHorn]

Paul, my little synapse mis-fired again. (I was poking fun at the threat topic "Your scariest moment in A 170" (as opposed to in B 170) I guess you still haven't recovered from "Dick's".

[Dave Clark]

[quote="johneeb"]The first time took my 170 over the red line was a very broadening experience."

That's really funny. Makes it look a little like a 195.

George:

Glad you clarified your synapse thing but I was really surprised at your admissin that you had nothing to offer this thread.

[N1478D]

I guess you still haven't recovered from "Dick's".

THAT sounds scarier than anything that normally happens in an airplane! Maybe the red B's are a different team?

[GAHorn]

Hint: "Dick's" is a bar with live music on the San Antonio River-Walk. During some off-time at the mid-year meeting, our esteemed director Paul Woods Much-Better Half convinced many of us to go there after the evening meal, because she claimed to know the band and thought we'd all love it. Rumor rapidly spread that in reality, Debra simply loves Dicks. (But if you saw the pics you'd be certain Paul loves Dicks even more.) I'd post one, but it mightn't be the most prudent useage of our assn's webspace. Just another example of why members ought to participate in assn gatherings more.

[N1478D]

Hint: "Dick's" is a bar with live music on the San Antonio River-Walk. During some off-time at the mid-year meeting, our esteemed director Paul Woods Much-Better Half convinced many of us to go there after the evening meal, because she claimed to know the band and thought we'd all love it. Rumor rapidly spread that in reality, Debra simply loves Dicks. (But if you saw the pics you'd be certain Paul loves Dicks even more.) I'd post one, but it mightn't be the most prudent useage of our assn's webspace. Just another example of why members ought to participate in assn gatherings more.

Not even going to touch that one with someone else's 10 foot pole! It's damn funny though!

[rudymantel]

Bruce's experience with the aileron lock could happen to anyone, especially when not using a check list.
I learned the following verbal check list from an air taxi pax of all people- he had been a WW2 fighter pilot. This has served me well for many years and works in most any piston airplane:
"Can I get f'd tonight please mother?"
Controls- Instruments - Gas- Flaps- Trim- Prop- Mixture.
Easy to remember and it covers all the important items.
Rudy