Post by ErrolC on Aug 24, 2019 12:56:37 GMT 12
Shared in the interests of safety - fuel feed issue in Nieuport II Replica followed by crash resulting in minor injures. Pilot is a member of The Aerodrome WWI forum. Some more details at the link.
www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71776
www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71776
The FAA man and myself figured out that in the terrible turbulence I wound up on Saturday, the line at the bottom to the fuel tank to the sump came loose...making for a very quiet engine in flight.
I didn't have much by way of choices - road with traffic, power lines, or 50 foot tall Alabama pines. I took the pines.
Landing went well, and the drop to the ground was exciting!
I didn't have much by way of choices - road with traffic, power lines, or 50 foot tall Alabama pines. I took the pines.
Landing went well, and the drop to the ground was exciting!
Nobody's made the point to ask about the fitting at the bottom of the tank, which was a bog standard brass barb fitting.
Now, then, I'm not afraid of using non-aviation hardware where it doesn't matter, but in this case I should have used an AN grade fuel fitting there. I just didn't think one could break one that easily. Indeed, I had an extra one here at the house and managed to snap it with a lot less force than I thought it would take.
So when I rebuild, not only will it have an aircraft grade fitting, I'm putting a little guard around it.
Now, then, I'm not afraid of using non-aviation hardware where it doesn't matter, but in this case I should have used an AN grade fuel fitting there. I just didn't think one could break one that easily. Indeed, I had an extra one here at the house and managed to snap it with a lot less force than I thought it would take.
So when I rebuild, not only will it have an aircraft grade fitting, I'm putting a little guard around it.
About forty minutes into the return flight, where I was south and split between Pell City and my home field of Talladega, and had begun to descend as I was about 15 miles from the field, I glanced over to see I was down to four gallons.
An hour worth of flight; now worries.
I glanced back down and it was two gallons.
And the engine quit.
Just that fast.
It's the one spot on the route that doesn't have fields, naturally, and so I was left with crap decisions on where to land.
I put her into best glide, aimed along a road, noted the wires over it and cars on it, and landed on top of the trees next to it
An hour worth of flight; now worries.
I glanced back down and it was two gallons.
And the engine quit.
Just that fast.
It's the one spot on the route that doesn't have fields, naturally, and so I was left with crap decisions on where to land.
I put her into best glide, aimed along a road, noted the wires over it and cars on it, and landed on top of the trees next to it
