The Piper Aztec and Scary Pilot Stories
03-29-2011, 06:26 PM
#12
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,281
Originally Posted by Diesel450
I had an examiner tell a story of a guy flying an aztec from the Bahamas to Naples or FLL. Did he preflight and went on his way, when in the patten back in the states tower asked if he was dragging a banner or sign, he has no idea what they are taking about. Upon landing and parking at the FBO, there was a 100 pound Caribbean "tie down" (cement block with a chain attached) still hooked to the rear tiedown. Never knew it was there or felt it. Thank god they are overpowered.
03-30-2011, 08:41 AM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: Sleeping in the black swan’s nest.
Posts: 5,709
Here's one....
I've got a buddy who flies around with his rich friend in the rich guys Barron. So my buddy is bragging to me about what a great pilot the rich guy is. He tells me that they are going from Hayden to Jackson Hole one night. My innocent non flying buddy tells me that the weather was so bad he could barely DRIVE his 4WD truck to the airport because it was snowing so hard. He said the wind was blowing at about 40 to 50 MPH and his wipers and defrost couldn't up with the ice and snow sticking to his windshield.
The rich buddy shows up, lands picks up my friend and flies to Jackson Hole that night.
Here's the really scary part. I talk to the rich guy later and casually bring up that flight. He tells me that his Barron has prop and windshield deice but no wing or tail protection. He tells me that he had come in from Kansas and was having trouble getting to the MEA which is like 17,000 MSL in that area and because of all the ice he was picking up he was unable to get to MEA but had MOCA, instead of turning around and landing in Denver for the night he continued on into high terrain with a load of ice that was building because they had a condo rented in Jackson that next morning and didn't want to loose their deposit.
He also informed me that he had color radar, turned it to the MAP position for terrain avoidance since he couldn't maintain MEA!!!
Here's the best part...I asked him how he deiced at midnight in Hayden? He told me that he didn't need to as the ice on the wings was smooth and airfoil shaped and his windshield was clear so he loaded up and took off in the blizzard for Jackson Hole.
I also found out later that this was Barron number two. He landed Barron number one across a runway and crashed into the infield after shooting a VOR-A approach and didn't realize that the approach wasn't lined up with a runway so he just landed straight ahead across a runway into the ditch.
The good news is he now has a Pilatus PC-12!! I very gently tried to talk to the rich guy about this incident, I mentioned that flying into high rising terrain with a load of ice is never a good idea, and that taking off with any ice or frost on the wings is a potential killer. He informed me that I "just" an airline pilot so I wouldn't know anything about flying "real" airplanes. The rich guy won't talk to me anymore because he told my buddy that he doesn't need or want any advice about flying and I shouldn't have talked down to him the way I did. After all he made his money the hard way. He inherited it, another trust fund baby looking to become a statistic.
My advice to my buddy is to never step foot in airplane with the rich guy again. So far he hasn't heeded my advice, I guess the lure of playing on another guys millionaire dime is worth more than your life. I just hope that when the rich guy biffs it my buddy isn't with him.
I've got a buddy who flies around with his rich friend in the rich guys Barron. So my buddy is bragging to me about what a great pilot the rich guy is. He tells me that they are going from Hayden to Jackson Hole one night. My innocent non flying buddy tells me that the weather was so bad he could barely DRIVE his 4WD truck to the airport because it was snowing so hard. He said the wind was blowing at about 40 to 50 MPH and his wipers and defrost couldn't up with the ice and snow sticking to his windshield.
The rich buddy shows up, lands picks up my friend and flies to Jackson Hole that night.
Here's the really scary part. I talk to the rich guy later and casually bring up that flight. He tells me that his Barron has prop and windshield deice but no wing or tail protection. He tells me that he had come in from Kansas and was having trouble getting to the MEA which is like 17,000 MSL in that area and because of all the ice he was picking up he was unable to get to MEA but had MOCA, instead of turning around and landing in Denver for the night he continued on into high terrain with a load of ice that was building because they had a condo rented in Jackson that next morning and didn't want to loose their deposit.
He also informed me that he had color radar, turned it to the MAP position for terrain avoidance since he couldn't maintain MEA!!!
Here's the best part...I asked him how he deiced at midnight in Hayden? He told me that he didn't need to as the ice on the wings was smooth and airfoil shaped and his windshield was clear so he loaded up and took off in the blizzard for Jackson Hole.
I also found out later that this was Barron number two. He landed Barron number one across a runway and crashed into the infield after shooting a VOR-A approach and didn't realize that the approach wasn't lined up with a runway so he just landed straight ahead across a runway into the ditch.
The good news is he now has a Pilatus PC-12!! I very gently tried to talk to the rich guy about this incident, I mentioned that flying into high rising terrain with a load of ice is never a good idea, and that taking off with any ice or frost on the wings is a potential killer. He informed me that I "just" an airline pilot so I wouldn't know anything about flying "real" airplanes. The rich guy won't talk to me anymore because he told my buddy that he doesn't need or want any advice about flying and I shouldn't have talked down to him the way I did. After all he made his money the hard way. He inherited it, another trust fund baby looking to become a statistic.
My advice to my buddy is to never step foot in airplane with the rich guy again. So far he hasn't heeded my advice, I guess the lure of playing on another guys millionaire dime is worth more than your life. I just hope that when the rich guy biffs it my buddy isn't with him.
03-30-2011, 09:15 AM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2011
Posts: 115
Originally Posted by Airhoss
After all he made his money the hard way. He inherited it, another trust fund baby looking to become a statistic.
Scary story hoss, and I as well hope your friend isn't with him when, not if, he puts it in for good.
Closest I've ever gotten was putting 92.1 gallons into a plane that held 93 usable. 0.9 gallons remaining...roughly three and a half minutes at normal cruise, or a minute and 45 seconds at go around power. Scared the hell out of me after I did it, to this day I've never told my wife how little was remaining. The $0.25 a gallon we saved by stretching it to that field wasn't nearly worth the headaches it could have very easily caused.
03-30-2011, 09:28 AM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: Self employed
Posts: 3,048
Originally Posted by Airhoss
He told me that he didn't need to as the ice on the wings was smooth and airfoil shaped and his windshield was clear so he loaded up and took off in the blizzard for Jackson Hole.
For every incident/accident, there are probably 10 like this, just waiting to be the next statistic.
03-30-2011, 11:49 AM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: 767A (Ret)
Posts: 6,248
Originally Posted by Diesel450
Upon landing and parking at the FBO, there was a 100 pound Caribbean "tie down" (cement block with a chain attached) still hooked to the rear tiedown.
The F/O suggested: "Maybe they forgot to disconnect the tug. Hey S/O, what's the takeoff performance penalty for that?"
