REFLECTOR: Al, are you ok? How bad is the damage?

Matt Bucko mbuc310 at cox.net
Mon Jun 1 00:51:37 CDT 2009


Man, glad you are uninjured.  What a way to come back home.  

Matt

 

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Al Gietzen
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 11:46 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Al, are you ok? How bad is the damage?

 

Chris; et. al.,

 

Of course I was very disappointed not to make the fly-in, and other stops
planned on the trip.  But I don't want anyone to be alarmed - I'm fine, and
I flew the plane back home today with an improvised door.

 

We were about an hour out, cruising happily along at 9500' and 170 KTAS,
when suddenly there was a noise and lots of wind blowing and the pilot side
door was gone.  I have no idea why it came unlatched - I had a double detent
spring which had always kept it solidly in the latched position.

 

It took only a few moments to determine that the plane was controllable
(meaning the door had departed), and that there was no prop vibration
meaning there was no prop damage. With a few moments to adapt to the new
aerodynamics; it was a matter of flying to the nearest airport about 10
miles away.  Only when we got there, we found it was a small strip (looked
like dirt, although I found later it was paved) in the middle of the desert
with no structures of any kind anywhere in sight.  Since the plane was
flying stably, I decided to head off to another about 20 miles away; and
made a normal landing.

 

Upon landing we noted that the rear window on the passenger side had a large
hole in it. Apparently as the door ripped off it was swung over the top, and
the strake extension slammed into the window; and from there the door
bounced clear of prop. The front hinge mounting pad was torn out; the rear
hinge separated at the pin. The prop had a couple of minor marks on it
apparently made by pieces of the plexiglass from the window.

 

The plane was about 150 miles from home; and it is now safely back in it's
hangar.  All in all, the damage is not too bad; just a lot of work to do to
replace the door with my custom strake extensions, etc.

 

Al

 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Christopher Barber
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 10:10 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: REFLECTOR: Al, are you ok? How bad is the damage?

 

Al,

 

Please, I know you must have many distractions between weighing your 

options and counting your blessings, but, if you get a chance, let us 

know what happened on your way to the Texas Rotary Round-up.

 

I was so excited to hear you were coming and dumbfounded at the third 

hand report of a problem.

 

Was it the co-pilot door that came open?  Reportedly it ripped 

out/damaged  the structure between the doors, but the reports are VERY 

sketchy, except that you are ok, so please forgive my ignorance.

 

Anxiously awaiting details.

 

Thanks, and of course, thrilled you are ok.

 

All the best,

 

Chris Barber

Houston

> 

_______________________________________________

To change your email address, visit
http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector

 

Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery

user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose

Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail

Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html



__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 4117 (20090530) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20090531/0dee5c33/attachment.htm>


More information about the Reflector mailing list