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Thread: Causes of Forced Landings

  1. #1

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    Default Causes of Forced Landings

    Having read too many mentions of forced landings, I'd like to start a thread to simply collect them all in one place. If you've had one, it'd be great if you could post here with as much detail as possible about the cause and what might have prevented it? It's my hope that I may learn from the mistakes of others and keep my plane out of the dirt. Thanks.

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    Too much sausage and coffee at breakfast....

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    had an electrical connector fail once. The kind you slip over the bolt and tighten with a nut. It was a cheap alluminum one...all steel from now on. It broke off on the kill switch and touch the frame. Instant engine off...800 feet off the ground on takeoffgood thing the hay field I left from was 160 acres...landed with no issues. Was amazed how long it took to find it...

  4. #4
    Senior Member Slyfox's Avatar
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    Dec 2008
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    felts field, spokane
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    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    forward stick movement without any back movement.
    steve
    slyfox
    model IV 1200-flying
    912uls
    IVO medium in-flight
    RV7A-flying
    IO-360
    constant speed prop

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    Quote Originally Posted by wannafly View Post
    had an electrical connector fail once. The kind you slip over the bolt and tighten with a nut. It was a cheap alluminum one...all steel from now on. It broke off on the kill switch and touch the frame. Instant engine off...800 feet off the ground on takeoffgood thing the hay field I left from was 160 acres...landed with no issues. Was amazed how long it took to find it...
    Can I assume that this engine had only one ignition system?

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    yes it was a subaru back then

  7. #7
    Senior Member HighWing's Avatar
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    May 2009
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    Goodyear, AZ
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    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    Mine was a low oil pressure indication that prompted a precautionary landing in not great terrain. There was something in the oil tank that blocked the pick up tube.

    FYI - be careful when setting down in unfamiliar terrain. We were in the Sierra foothills and chose a clearing surrounded by trees. We decided to land in a direction away from the river and powerlines, not realizing we were on the other side of a hill and trying to find the ground as it sloped away from us. We were approaching oak trees at the edge of the clearing and forced a stall.

  8. #8

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    Sep 2009
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    Sioux Falls, SD
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    63

    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    Fuel starvation due to debris in the tank. Plane had about 50 hrs on it. Rotax 582, single 13.5 gal fiberglass tank with 1 gal aluminum header. Had enough altitude to CAREFULLY turn back and return to departure runway (downwind) from about 400 agl on crosswind, much to the consternation of the plane that had just departed.

    Never found out what the little white flakes in the float bowls was. My guess was fiberglass, although I had flushed/washed the tank before installation as per instructions. I'd also complied with the AD for 'sloshing' the header tank. Now have a clear glass filter just before the vacuum driven fuel pump and haven't seen any more stuff in it.

    Chris Carlisle
    Model 2, 582, C box
    Sioux Falls, SD

  9. #9
    Senior Member
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    Apr 2009
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    Chisholm Mn
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    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    I had filters between the wing tanks and the header tank on my Avid Flyer, and the filter on the tank I was running off of started to plug as I was taking off. I got to about 450' before the header tank started to run dry and the 582 started to miss and spit. The header tanks in many of the Avids is a 2" aluminum tube about 16" long. Not as big as most Kitfoxes use. Anyway, I landed in a neighbors hay field with no damage to me or the plane. It was exciting though and definatly got the blood presure up and the heart beating faster! Solution for me was to get rid of those filters and put them in after the header tank so it can have the first shot at catching any dirt or junk in the tank. Take care,
    Jim Chuk
    Avid MK IV (flying0
    Kitfox 4 (building)
    northern Mn

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    england
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    Default Re: Causes of Forced Landings

    Revs reduced from 6200 to 5100 during climb out,turned gently to go around.Engine stoped after turn, landed fast down wind in snow coverd croped field(same field as takeoff)port gear leg broke at bungee attachment point.When landing roll ceased plane slewed left and tipped on to starboard wing tip(not a great deal of damage).Evidence on back cylinder sugested "cold seizure".With low time on Kitfox,about 10 hrs,I did not handle the situation very well,hindsight is a marvellous thing,never stop learning.60+ hrs now and getting the hang of it Love it.
    KF Mk2 582

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