Emergency Landing | Baggage Door Blow Off Mid Flight | Model K

[flyboy0681]

10 hours ago, PT20J said:

Perhaps I look at it a little differently because I once had an aileron jam in a C-152 Aerobat coming out of a hammerhead turn. (The problem turned out to be due to a cleco left in the wing, but that's another story). In my case, the airplane wanted to roll hard to the right and it took considerable control pressure to keep it level. We (another instructor was on board -- we were having some fun after work) happened to be pointed at an airport and roughly lined up with a 4000' runway so we declared an emergency and were able to land without having to maneuver. I can tell you that a control problem messes seriously with your mind because what will happen next is completely unknown: What's broken? Will it suddenly let go and become uncontrollable? What will happen if I change speed or configuration? In my case, I flew that little plane down close to the runway without changing airspeed until I had pavement under me and then I slowly reduced power and let it slow and land. I used about 2000' - a record for my longest landing ever in a C-152. So, if I had been flying a Mooney with a baggage door stuck on my stabilizer messing with my elevator, I'd have kept the speed up, left the flaps alone and not messed with the gear until the last minute. The only rule that matters about when to put the gear down is that it has to be down and locked before the wheels touch.

Skip

 

Just curious, if you had a 2,500 foot runway right beneath you and 4,000 ft nine miles away, which would you have chosen at the time? Not making light of anything, just trying to get the neurons flowing on the decision making process.

[Ibra]

47 minutes ago, flyboy0681 said:

Just curious, if you had a 2,500 foot runway right beneath you and 4,000 ft nine miles away, which would you have chosen at the time?

Does not have to be that way: better land on 2500ft look at the damage, if happy then fly to 4000ft base to fix it?

Once I got caught by weather (not yet IR rated) I had two choices a short grass bellow or long ILS runway in 30nm, I actually did both that day but it was C172 (maybe it was a natural choice by then as my flying was mainly collecting gliders from fields after they landout in Cubs/Robins instead of Mooney for touring trips), I would highly respect anyone doing a precautionary landing with power than trying to continue flying when the outcome is in doubt for X reason, I would not hesitate doing exactly the same call again in my M20J putting it in grass or even a field while I can do it safely, but I understand that some would always have more preference for long tarmac, emergency services, red trucks and full ATC... 

If Red was satisfied that his aircraft is well serviceable, he could still fly it from Membury to Blackbushes, but sometimes one trick is enough for the day and some of the fun has to be left for latter 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Ibra

[PTK]

17 hours ago, MikeOH said:

So, criticism you agree with is welcome, but that with which you do not is deemed to be unworthy since it is clearly from those that 'simply lack credibility.'

Got it

No. 
It’s not at all about with what or who I or anyone else agrees or disagrees. It’s about learning through reasoning and careful deliberation, constructive criticism and discussion. Exactly what those with a serious credibility deficit want to shut down! The word is “demagogues.”

[PT20J]

11 hours ago, flyboy0681 said:

Just curious, if you had a 2,500 foot runway right beneath you and 4,000 ft nine miles away, which would you have chosen at the time? Not making light of anything, just trying to get the neurons flowing on the decision making process.

I’d have gone for the longer one farther away. We were doing aerobatics at 5000’ AGL so we had some altitude to lose, and since we had a lateral control issue, I wouldn’t have wanted to do any significant maneuvering to line up for a field directly below. The safest option is not always the closest.

Skip

[carusoam]

Long and wide is going to be good...

Landing fast does use up plenty of runway...

If it looks like you are going to run out of runway...

Don’t fear retracting the gear... at any time....
 

Better to maintain control with the gear down if possible... As long as possible...

The remaining energy dissipates quickly as the sheet metal grinds away... 1/10^th of the regular distance or so...

Avoid bumpy surfaces and other things that can lead to a wing strike followed by cartwheels...
 

Extended time flying with a damaged plane in un-known condition... vs. flying to the ideal location...

Tough choices... 

In this case... pilot chooses a great option... to match his skill...

calling the FBO/tower in advance is probably a good idea as well...

FBOs and towers have a plan to follow in these kind of situations...

 

Hi this NxxxxX I’d like to reserve a fire truck and an ambulance... just in case. 
 

PP thoughts only, not a CFI...

Best regards,

-a-

[FloridaMan]

I keep thinking about this video. You could not have handled this emergency more perfectly, including how you handled the gear warning and power settings. 

[FloridaMan]

4.5 million views with a clip of this since yesterday. 
 

 

[kmyfm20s]

Coincidentally my baggage door popped open just as I was rotating after this thread started. Plenty of runway to abort the landing safely. I am back to locking the door regardless if I have backseat passengers. No damage to the door.

[Nick Pilotte]

This incident has garnered some new attention on BT and POA this week. Lots of armchair QB action, some proclaiming Mooney is inferior to Cessna or Bonanza due to the door departing but when really pressed, not a lot of claiming they could have done better.  I’m happy you got it on the ground on a field suitable and you did well.  
 

Lessons I learned:

If something departs and control is compromised, minimize configuration changes, even the gear until absolutely assured field is made. 

Keep a calm head.  Helmet fires kill people.

Aviate, navigate, communicate. You did excellent.

The calmer the pilot, the calmer the passenger.  I’m not showing this video to my wife.

And finally, carry a change of shorts.  The adrenaline dump when you finally calm down is going to be severe. 

[jlunseth]

I have a pretty good idea how the latch could open in flight. The latch on my 231 has always had a lot of friction in it so I have not worried about it coming open, and likewise, the arm that extends when the door opens has always had lots of friction and once I had the door fully opened it would hold it up for me while I load bags, etc.  I got it back from annual a couple of months ago, opened the door and bent down into the luggage compartment to find something, when the door closed on my head.  Ouch. It had been lubed during the annual. The latch felt slicker than normal also. So I have taken to locking it before flight. Another good reason for always locking it before flight is to make sure I am the last person to touch that latch, no one opens it to quick grab something out of the luggage compartment without me knowing and checking the latch (they can’t open it if it is locked).

Someone earlier posted about a fatality in a CJ because of a baggage door opening. A friend of mine decades ago, one of the crew that flew the Atlantic in the Double Eagle II, took off from what is now named Double Eagle airport in ABQ in a piston twin, had the nacelle door open on takeoff, and tried unsuccessfully to make the turn back to the airport. Apparently let someone else close the door. Always do your own stuff.

[Ibra]

On 8/9/2020 at 1:12 PM, Hyett6420 said:

Im also going to go to Charlton Park, it looks amazing.

If you depart on the easterly runway make sure you install “the Mooney sonic boom” kit, comes handy when the wing tips passes along the mansion windows 

[RedSkyFlyer]

[RedSkyFlyer]

Old tail coming off.

Notice the 5 missing rivets and torn weld under the inspection panel. Scary stuff. 

[EricJ]

 

54 minutes ago, RedSkyFlyer said:

Old tail coming off.

Notice the 5 missing rivets and torn weld under the inspection panel. Scary stuff. 

IMG_0105.mov

Glad to see it's getting fixed!

[GeeBee]

Is that a DH.89 Dragon in the background of your video?

 

[carusoam]

GOSUS lives to fly again!

Thanks for sharing the additional details Red Sky!

Best regards,

-a-

 

[RedSkyFlyer]

[Ibra]

17 hours ago, GeeBee said:

Is that a DH.89 Dragon in the background of your video?

Indeed, it's this (restored) one !

http://www.scilloniaairways.co.uk/Scillonia_Airways/Scillonia_Airways_-_Rapide.html

Edited August 25, 2020 by Ibra

[GeeBee]

10 minutes ago, Ibra said:

Indeed, it's this (restored) one !

http://www.scilloniaairways.co.uk/Scillonia_Airways/Scillonia_Airways_-_Rapide.html

Sweet restoration!

 

[RedSkyFlyer]

Message from the engineers 

“We have now inhibited the engine(a few weeks ago) and have now removed the tail.

We have also removed the tailplane skin at the outer end.

What we have found is that in addition to the outer end damage, the distortion that is causing the whole tailplane to sit at a jaunty angle in relation to the fuselage is caused by the stbd attachment point on the tailplane being distorted forwards  ( resulting in the tailplane ending up back on the stbd. side)

We are investigating the possible solution to this distortion, but as you can imagine this area is quite strong, with multiple layers ( all distorted).

I will update once we have worked out the best way forward.”

[RedSkyFlyer]

AAIB Published their findings this week.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f7ed012e90e07740f167109/Mooney_M20K_G-OSUS_11-20.pdf
 

Summary:

The aircraft was in level flight and had been flying for approximately 15 minutes when the baggage door opened and detached. It struck the right tailplane and remained wrapped round its leading edge near its tip. This caused the pilot control difficulties and increased drag. The pilot declared a MAYDAY and made a successful emergency landing at Membury Airfield.

The investigation found the safety clip for the internal emergency operating handle of the baggage door was not correctly installed, so instead of holding the handle closed it held it in a slightly open position. During the flight, it seems most likely that this handle moved sufficiently towards the open position to disengage the shoot bolts from the door frame allowing the door to open.

It could not be determined when the safety clip was incorrectly installed or why it had not been noticed.

[EricJ]

I'm a little puzzled about what a "Derious Incident" is?

 

[neilpilot]

43 minutes ago, EricJ said:

I'm a little puzzled about what a "Derious Incident" is?

 

Isn't it obvious.  Keyboards in the UK, just like their US brethren, position the "D" adjacent to the "S".

[aviatoreb]

2 minutes ago, neilpilot said:

Isn't it obvious.  Keyboards in the UK, just like their US brethren, position the "D" adjacent to the "S".

That maked dende.

[EricJ]

No speel check, apparently.