Hey Guys,
Just thought I would share some of my most recent challenges to flying. This
past weekend the local flying club had it's annual picnic. About mid afternoon
they decided to have a spot landing contest. I decided at first not to
participate with the comment that every time i get competitive something stupid
happens. I changed my mind and got in the circuit with everyone else. I did my
first tree at the spot and it wasn't terrible , but on the roll out I heard one
of the guys in a cub that had done a touch and go ahead of me call that he had
lost power and was returning to the runway. I looked up and thought S*** he's
serious, I was about half way down the runway and he was pointed straight at
me. I goosed the throttle and got all the way to the side. I gave it a little
more gas again trying to give him every inch that i could with out being part
of the problem. I miss judged speed some and couldn't make the turn off the end
and really thought no big deal and I duct off the end between the end lights
and the taxi markers. I did clip one of the end lights but I figured no big
deal under the circumstance. I did a U turn and right back on the center line
between the end lights and off the taxi way. I which time the cub was already
on the runway.
I went and parked the plane because like i said stupid things happen. The taxi
light dinged the paint but it's just another character mark. Later when I was
about to leave one of the guys said "Hey did you see your prop?"-- What da ya
mean?
I looked at it and I was missing about a 1" chip in the one tip and about 3/4"
by 7" long from the other tip booth on the trailing edges. I never even gave it
a thought that the weeds of only about a foot tall would cause any damage.
I changed to my old Sterba prop and test flew it a few minutes on
Sunday. Not Great but I could fly. On Tuesday I had to get myself to a funeral
up state. One of the most beautiful days of the year. it was only a 50 min
flight in smooth conditions. On finial I thought I was little fast and I wasn't
sure of the runway length left because of the crown in it so I went around. On
finial again I couldn't get below 1200 rpm. Not being sure if it was caused by
the different prop I killed the engine on roll out and restarted to taxi in and
the rpm dropped to the 650 - no problem. Latter that day I fueled up and taxied
to leave, and run up -- no problem. On full throttle takeoff I noticed that it
sounded a little different and the rpm was a couple hundred low. The power
seemed fine and the climb was good so i continued and climbed and turned on
course. A Little tail wind and a good beautiful course and 35 min latter I
was over home. I throttled back to loose altitude and continued on a little
further to take pictures of my current construction site. The throttle stuck
briefly at about half. I circled the job and was fooling with the throttle as
it became more stubborn. It started to stick in several spots and was not
smooth at all. I headed home about 8 miles away and left it at about half
throttle which was a slow cruise around 120mph. I entered the pattern and tried
to adjust. It kept getting worse. I turned base and pulled back to slow and it
stuck, Pulled much harder and it popped back to idle. Not good as I glanced at
the end of the run way it was doubtful. Now i panicked for the first time ever
flying. I jambed it for everything I was worth and it gave way to full
throttle. That shot me forward fast and now high (not panicked any more) for
the runway. I yanked it back and it came back to the 1200 rpm and stuck again.
This time it would not and did not move. I was on finial and going as slow as
I could with that rpm. As soon as i was over the end lights I killed the engine
and pulled the mixture and landed dead stick. At about half way down the runway
with no problem to stop i hit the switch and it fired up and idled at 1200 rpm.
That was just right to turn and taxi back to my tie down.
I did not get back to it until last night and had a mechanic with me. The
throttle was still completely locked up and no amount of push or pull was going
to move it, only bend something. I removed the cowl and started at the carb
only touching it enough to see if something was bound there. I barely touched
or moved anything just enough to see if the cable was loose in the housing in
the slide and connection were not bound. Went back to the throttle knob and it
was completely freed up. From that point on nothing we could do would make it
lock up. Having said that it does not feel right. It is not smooth and it feels
like the bearings in the vernier are rough and it is very likely that there is
a broken piece of metal or even the bearing inside it. Replacement is the only
course for me. These are not cheap junk cables and have performed perfectly
until now but what an adrenalin rush. I have the same cable on the mixture and
the feel is like night and day.
Sorry this is so long but I thought it may help someone to know what can
happen at the wrong times.
Joe Horton,
Coopersburg, PA.
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