REFLECTOR: Gear-up landing
Glenn Babcock
gbabcock3 at adelphia.net
Wed Jan 17 08:56:52 CST 2007
Al,
Sorry to hear about your incident. I'm glad the damage was minimal and you
were able to repair it quickly.
I'm building a voice warning system that I designed. It is intended to be
used as a master caution system, and can be programmed to monitor any
system. It provides both visual and voice alarms. From a human factors
standpoint, it's very difficult to tune out both visual and aural inputs.
In my Velocity, the master caution system will be interfaced with the gear,
throttle and airspeed switches, the sump tank switch, and the VM1000 via an
I/O board. The audio output will be hooked into the uninterrupted input on
my SL15M. The display includes both a master caution light as well as
individual lights for each system.
I also have my GPSMAP 496 tied into the audio panel. It gives a voice call
at 500 ft, and I use that to prompt me to do a final GUMP check.
Once I have the master caution system running I'll put up some pictures and
more information in case anyone is interested.
Meanwhile I can also provide a simple circuit that will send an audio tone
to the audio panel if you need that. You can hook this up with or in place
of your gear horn.
Regards,
Glenn
Glenn Babcock
N697RG
Elite RG
_____
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Al Gietzen
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 11:54 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: REFLECTOR: Gear-up landing
Any thoughts on the best way to warn of an impending "gear up incident" ....
I have been looking at some of the Voice warning systems as a redundancy to
the horn, but would appreciate your thoughts.
I for one don't need further explanations beyond what you have already told
us.
I appreciate your comments, Terry. I don't mind talking about it in any way
that can be helpful. We've had three days with the temps in the 70's; so I
took advantage and did the repair of the bottom. The repair is completed;
except for finish work; and looks fine. The repair was not that difficult
as there was no damage beyond the bottom skin and foam. Rather amazing,
really. The damage started about under the pilot's seat and extended only
to the gear bulkhead, and was more toward the pilots side. It took removing
remaining skin where it was dis-bonded, replacing a small amount of the foam
core, adding micro filler and glass plies. The keel provided the structural
strength, and the gear cylinder and seat hardpoints made good skid pads.
The inner skin was intact.
The wing tip damage is basically confined to the carbon fiber formed wingtip
that Wingco puts on (no bottom winglet); near the leading edge at the
position light. The heavy inner plys that provide the support for the
tip-sail are intact - maybe a bit of scuffing closest to the leading edge. I
haven't done that repair yet.
I am amazed at how many pilots have to come to me with their gear-up
stories, and there have been two EZ's that have done gear-up landings at my
airport in the last month, one just four days after mine. Clearly this
happens too often. I have had some discussions with the two EZ pilots about
ways to insure that these don't happen. First; there is no substitute for
good pilot discipline!! Airspeed and throttle closure alarms are helpful.
In my case, I never got below the airspeed required to sound the horn, if it
had sounded I may not have heard it with my headset on, and there are many
landings where the throttle may not be pulled to closed until the flair when
it may be too late.
A voice warning system is a good idea. The radar altimeter is a good idea,
but seems unnecessarily expensive. There may be a way to get a less
expensive AGL detector, and design the circuits to give the audio alarm in
the headset. One of the EZ pilots is an electronics design/software whiz,
and he was agreeable to do some work toward designing a system for an audio
reminder, based on GPS output, that sounds when the plane is within about
1-2 miles of an airport, and AGL is less than say; 1000ft, and the gear is
up.
I appreciate everyone's care and condolences. In my case it was a
combination of distractions, lack of awareness (complacency?), and lack of
experience. I had gotten out of the discipline of the 'Before landing'
checklist (audiblizing) because it seemed unnecessary. With one lever
contol, no flaps, no mixture, no carb heat, etc. there is really only one
thing to do - put the gear down. I thought I would never overlook that
because the plane is so slippery it is difficult to get pattern speed
without the gear drag. So who needs a checklist, right? Entering downwind
you get the speed down to 120kts, drop the gear and get down to about 100kt
pattern speed.
I had a good flight, enjoyed the way the plane flies and handles; did a few
simulated approach to landings (putting the gear down each time on entering
downwind); then headed back for some touch and goes. There was no
"downwind" for setting, because the tower cleared me for a right base entry.
Hum-m, well that's fine, but I was too high and pretty fast so I decided to
do a 360. Dumped some altitude and speed, and coming into a base entry I
was at about the right altitude and speed, so I continued into my approach.
The tower then called that they didn't have me in sight and requested I call
turn to final; which I did; and then focused entirely on alignment and
descent rate. I recall (hindsite) noting that the speed was a bit high, but
before the VGs and canard incidence adjustment; 100 kt approaches were the
norm. And the rest is history; as they say.
The x-military pilots tell me - always first come in over the runway, then
break to downwind and set up, and always say aloud "Gear speed, Gear down,
flaps; whatever. . " Seems like a good idea, I don't know that the ATC
folks like it, especially when they have a couple of those 'slow' planes in
the pattern.
I will get back to calling my landing checks aloud on downwind or base, and
always call two greens for gear on final. And, now that my stall speed is
down around 68-70, I will be sure my approach speed is about 85-90; a speed
at which the warning horn will sound if the gear are not down. I will also
check out a way for that alarm to sound in my headset.
Al
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