Simviation Forums

Not trying to scare any of the new pilots here, but I was just wondering, what kind of in-flight or on-the-ground emergencies have you guys had (not caused by pilot error )?

I had flaps that wouldn't go down once, which doesn't sound bad, but that was a couple of flights after I got my license and back when the runway at the local airport was only 2,900 x 38 ft, which was still plenty long, but somewhat intimidating.  The landing ended up being one of my best landing though.    ;D

Im not sure if this one counts.

It counts, as long as you didn't cause it, if so, the post it in Boss_BlueAngel's thread about your mess up.

Whenever I was flying with my instructor and it would get hot, he would just open up a window and stick his arm out while we were flying.  It was just like riding in a car going 120 mph.

The closest thing to a real emergency I ever had was a smoking transponder aboard a C172 while on a PP training flight. Fortunately, we were very close to the home airport (TEB), and it never smoked very much, but it was a little nerve-wracking as we expected the thing to fill the cabin with smoke at any moment, which would've been a very bad deal, as we were pretty low over a congested area. Didn't know until later that it was the transponder (tower radar was actually still getting our squawk!), so we had no idea what device to shut down. It was just a vague trickle of smoke coming from under the panel, smelled like an electrical device overheating.  So we just made a normal approach and landing.
Only other thing was an alternator failure in a different Cessna... stopped somewhere for a few hours and didn't know anything was wrong until the plane wouldn't start. I'd had just enough juice in the battery to use flaps on approach earlier, I guess. I'd seen the warning light on takeoff that morning, but this particular plane had a reputation for false readings on that circuit, so I just reset it (stupid? Yes!), and didn't see it again for the remainder of the flight. Good thing the battery was too low for me to start the plane later, or  I would've probably found myself suddenly approaching TEB w/no transponder or radio ("let's see, what are those light-gun signals again?")

Myself, nothing, thankfully...

I had a buddy who was flying his decathalon and during the taxi, the oil drain plug fell off (you can still see the oil trail on the taxiway). The engine died 10NM from KGFK and he safely flew back, thanks to a hefty tailwind.

Another, a friend of mine in WA state, Spokane area and his engine quit. He ended up landing on a fairly busy street downtown. He weaved in and out, between powerlines and trees and ended up stopping right behind a bus. He told me that the passengers on the bus looked mighty confused to see a plane right behind them.

Well, now that I think about it, I have had an engine problem but we caught it before we got airborne. We started to take off roll and at about 40kts the engine sounded wrong, I'm not sure how it sounded wrong, it just did. I cut power and taxied off, radio'd ground and shut down and had them tow us back in.  That was exciting and scary at the same time.  

Auto-rotation in a Puma due to some rather nasty engine related problems (read bits everywhere they shouldn't be from the gearbox). That was scary, only because I was the loadie not the pilot so I had no control of the situation

1. Fumes in cockpit just after take off... No drama, just landed...

2. Engine failure (non-mechanical) after landing. Just done a pfl on to the airfield and a second or two after touchdown the engine stopped. Restarted it whilst rolling down the runway and taxied in...

3. ILS failure in a Jag in pants weather at about 800ft, with the cloudbase bordering on being below or minimum decent height. Not a major drama but we were almost on minimum diversion fuel. My chaffeur kindly flew a short pattern GCA and just as we were about to divert we saw the runway approach lighting off to our left...

Back in the good 'ol days of working on my license, we were doing my first night XC.  About 3/4 of the way through the first half of the trip we started losing electrical power, the battery was on a constant discharge and we weren't getting enough power from the alternator.  So, since we had to get gas, just shut down everything we didn't need.  Which, was pretty much everything except the radio.  It was a clear night and the moon was out, so I could make out large hills, lakes, and all that.  Once we got gas, the engine wouldn't start!  It'd only turn over once... so my instructor told me what to do, and he  hand proped it...  on the way back it was a bit more dark as the moon was almost gone but it was still pretty cool.  
We still had enough power to get the landing lights, nav lights, and flaps down... so that was good.

I've also had the engine choke up several different times due to carb ice.  I first noticed it in the rudder pedals actually... they had a funny vibration to them, then about 5 seconds lader the engine started to sputter... put on the carb ice, RPM dropped, then slowly rose another 60 or so RPM... man it's good to k now the things you read about actually work!  So, every other time I felt that odd vibration in the pedals, I just added carb heat, and the problem was gone.  Oh, and each time, the OAT was aroun 60*.  

Reminds me I did get a little carb ice once, in a 150 near the Hudson River just NE of TEB. Carb heat did the trick... I recall one of the CFIs asking me why I didn't just go lower!? I had to remind him that I was already at about 1500 AGL over a densely populated area...

Nastiest thing ever happened to me was a go-around...

Go-arounds are fun though...

Cheers,
Ashar

they ran out of pepsi on a long haul flight only 30 minutes in  ;D

[quote]they ran out of pepsi on a long haul flight only 30 minutes in

I've never had anything too serious happen to me. A few gears that wouldn't come down and even one that wouldn't go up! And of course a little too much ice at times. I almost went on a trip to Cleveland one day, but had to stay home for one reason or another, the airplane ended up having an engine failure on climbout, so that could've been me.

I do have a story I'd like to share that happened to my dad and has changed the way I look at single engine IMC.

My dad was flying up to Vermont in the mid 80's in a nearly new 182 to pick up a friend. At the time he had about 5,000 hours, most of which was helicopter time. The weather was terrible, at minimums all along the east coast. At some point in time the oil tank (I guess that's what you call it?) developed a hole and started leaking.

Now remember, this is in Vermont in the middle of a very mountainous area with low clouds. No oil means the engine will seize up, add all those factors together and you have a pretty scary situation.

He ended up breaking out a little above minimums. There was litterally no oil left by the time he got to the ramp. Had he had to have gone missed chances are that pretty blue 182 wouldn't still be flying and neither would my dad!

i want shore if i where  there but.
about 5-10years ago, My dad was about to jump in a cessna.
He heard a load grinding sound. He then turned around and ran to a T-28 trojan.  I arnt shore what happened next.
But the last pilot on it had bumped the landing gear switch
when the engine was off. When the next piot got in and started the engine, all of the hydrolic pressure came back.
Raised the landing gear and then the propeller grinded a hole
1metre deep into the ground!.

cya