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+--- Thread: How to die and not be cool (/showthread.php?tid=2510)
How to die and not be cool - 727Sky - 12-18-2024
This happened back in the late 80s
It was a hazy day with a viability of 5 miles if you wanted to push it a little. I was flying a 1947 Globe Swift with an 0300 continental engine that produced all of 145 H.P. The aircraft had been manufactured with a big throbbing 85 H.P engine so the 145 was a decent upgrade.
This was my first Swift and I was in love with the aircraft even though the instrument package of this aircraft was lacking considerably, All I had for instruments was a turn and bank indicator, magnetic compass, altimeter, and a vertical speed indicator.
The air was smooth even if the visibility kinda sucked but hey I wanted to practice my acrobatic routine so I began my entry for the routine which consisted of a dive for max airspeed and a pull into a gentile 4 “G” loop. As I got to the top of the loop I had the great idea of doing a snap roll which was not part of the routine I was supposed to be practicing. I kicked the rudder and the aircraft snapped hard left and then everything went to “White Out”!
Some how some way I had entered into a white cloud that blended into the haze that I had not seen at the top of the loop while upside down on my back. At this point I was totally discombobulated as I had no horizon for attitude and situational awareness so as the airspeed rapidly increased all I could do was keep what felt like positive “Gs” on the aircraft and try not to over stress the air frame and maybe pull the wings off.
I finally got ground contact at 2000 feet MSL while passing 60 MPH over the max speed or red line for the aircraft. The aircraft had a fixed pitch prop which was also over speeding by at least 400 RPM at idle power.
It was a short 15 minute flight back to the private airport I was flying out of and the landing was uneventful.
I popped 9 rivets in the center wing section, 5 on the right side and 4 on the left side. A friend and I cleaned the old rivet holes and shot new rivets after thoroughly inspecting the air frame for more damage. The engine was bore scoped and an oil analysis was completed with nothing unusual therefore no damage.
I learned a few things that day with one of them being flying without adequate instruments and inadequate visibility is not smart. Even the Feds say you should have at least 5 miles visibility which at one point I had or so I kept telling myself.
I flew that aircraft for another two years and had many days of enjoyment . I sold it and bought another 180 H.P. Full instrument package Swift and sold that one after a few years and then I purchased another 210 H.P. Swift. The acrobatic routine in a 210 H.P. Fully instrumented and equipped Swift was almost as good as anything you can imagine.
Aviation, done right, is a safe endeavor however there is very little forgiveness for stupidity
The End