Airspeed, VSI, and Altimeter went bonkers.....

[N9405V]

I went and flew last night and everything seemed great on takeoff, but a few minutes into the flight the airspeed was not climbing, altimeter was "lurchy" and the VSI was going from nothing to F22 climb rates.  Cross checked with gps and it showed a steady 105 kts and the air was smooth.  I'm guessing there was some water in the system.  The plane does live outside and we got rain a few days ago.  When we got back on the ground I checked both static ports and they looked ok and the pitot tube was unclogged.  What am I missing?

 

Thanks,

Wade

[Skywarrior]

Does an 'E' have a static system drain tube?

[BigTex]

My "C" does.. In fact two! So I would assume an E would as well.

[N9405V]

It does!  I chatted with my A&P and he told me where to look.  I drained a little bit of water out.

[Mooneymite]

Does your aircraft have an alternate static source located just out of sight at the bottom of the pilot's instrument panel like the 'C' does?

[N9405V]

I don't think so, but I'll look.

[Marauder]

If you found any water at the drain port, then there is a good chance there is more water in the system. The alternate air port that Mooneymite is talking about is usually located on the left side of the panel (underneath). I also think on some earlier models, I have seen a knob just left of the throttle vernier.

[Mooneymite]

 

Here's where it is on my 'C'.  Just below the master switch; it's the blue handled petcock.

 

Disclaimer:  I've never used it, so this is just what I believe to be the alternate static source!  

[BTR]

My F did the same last week.  I had spent a few days in Branson tied down outside in the rain.  When I departed I noted the altimeter didn't seem quit normal.  Once I leveled off and set the altitude hold, a few minutes later the plane pitched up all of a sudden.  I immediately turned off the altitude hold and hand flew the plane.  I tried again later in the flight with the same effect.  I thought of water in the static system but not until the next day did I think of using the alternate static source.  I spoke to my avionics guy and he agreed it was probably water in the line.  I tried to drain at both drains but got nothing out.   The water may have dried enough in the hanger in six days to not cause a problem.   On my flight yesterday everything worked normal.  I still plan to let my avionics guy take a look to see if he can tell where the water got in.

[N9405V]

Thanks! Thus is a new to me plane so still trying to figure everything out.

[N201MKTurbo]

I just rebuilt the static drain under my battery. It was corroded all to hell and wouldn't seal. I couldn't pass my static cert. All was fine after I cleaned it up and put in a new o-ring.

 

On my J you could clear the water by removing the fitting going into the alternate static port and blowing into the tube to blow the water out. Technically if you do this you need a new cert. I could make a good case that if you actuated the drain valve you should have a new cert.

[mooniac15u]

I just rebuilt the static drain under my battery. It was corroded all to hell and wouldn't seal. I couldn't pass my static cert. All was fine after I cleaned it up and put in a new o-ring.

On my J you could clear the water by removing the fitting going into the alternate static port and blowing into the tube to blow the water out. Technically if you do this you need a new cert. I could make a good case that if you actuated the drain valve you should have a new cert.

There's an exception in 91.411 for drains:

(2) Except for the use of system drain and alternate static pressure valves, following any opening and closing of the static pressure system, that system has been tested and inspected and found to comply with paragraph (a), appendices E and F, of part 43 of this chapter; and

[N201MKTurbo]

Oh, I know the rules.

 

I'm just saying that there is more risk of the system leaking from operating the drain then disconnecting and reconnecting the fitting...