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

Mon Jun 1 07:58:28 CDT 2009

By "we" I assume you had someone sitting in the passenger seat when this
all happened?   What was their version of the story as the door
disappeared, I assume they were buckled in.    

Great job of handling the emergency and "flying the plane."    One of
our local velocitites had the pilot door come open a few months ago
which stayed attached and the plane was almost uncontrollable.    

Bill Stockman, Senior Associate

Dayton Aerospace

(937) 369-4799 cell

(937) 426-4300 work

bill.stockman at daytonaero.com

________________________________

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Al Gietzen
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 2:46 AM
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

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20090601/ff321034/attachment-0001.htm>