Key Lime Accident
01-22-2015 | 05:08 PM
#41
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,611
Likes: 15
Whew, looks like no loss of life this time thank goodness.
I am thinking the Navajo's crappy fuel setup is part of this one. You have 4 tanks to juggle, and other than looking down at the floor to double check what you select there is no warning if you miss the proper valve position. Turning two tanks off on one side is easy which you learn when the engine quits on that side. That leaves the other side which has two tanks, which usually only one of is set in supply mode. If it's the aux tank it can run dry quite easily.
I am thinking the Navajo's crappy fuel setup is part of this one. You have 4 tanks to juggle, and other than looking down at the floor to double check what you select there is no warning if you miss the proper valve position. Turning two tanks off on one side is easy which you learn when the engine quits on that side. That leaves the other side which has two tanks, which usually only one of is set in supply mode. If it's the aux tank it can run dry quite easily.
I've got 875 hours in those Navajos, including the accident aircraft. Seems pretty stone cold simple: pull the handle all the way up and don't drop it until you hit the stop, then look down. If you're too lazy to look down after you switch, well, I dunno man.
It certainly can be done (heard about someone doing it on final to DEN with a checkairman onboard), but calling it a crappy fuel system is a big stretch.
01-22-2015 | 05:17 PM
#42
Banned
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 0
You have to be a talented kind of stupid to mess up the fuel selection process in a -350. The -310 was more complex. At AMF, some less than intelligent pilots would routinely run tanks dry to get a "real world" idea of what their gauges would say. Sometimes the engine quits and doesn't restart... Could be the case here.
01-22-2015 | 05:30 PM
#43
On Reserve
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: E175 First Officer
I just woke to a text message from a buddy about this crash. Trying to get accountability for our friends who work there (I don't work there but know a few guys who do so as I work outta centennial).
Weather is really bad today, -21C, 2.0 miles visibility, snow and mist. OVC1700. Not sure exactly what the metar was at that time.
Weather is really bad today, -21C, 2.0 miles visibility, snow and mist. OVC1700. Not sure exactly what the metar was at that time.
01-22-2015 | 05:35 PM
#44
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,611
Likes: 15
You have to be a talented kind of stupid to mess up the fuel selection process in a -350. The -310 was more complex. At AMF, some less than intelligent pilots would routinely run tanks dry to get a "real world" idea of what their gauges would say. Sometimes the engine quits and doesn't restart... Could be the case here.
I've heard that the Continentals can be a little more temperamental.
All that said, definitely agree on the "talented kind of stupid."
01-23-2015 | 04:26 AM
#45
Banned
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 0
Ya I agree it can be a non event 99/100 times, I just don't get the point of it. I'm not paying for the fuel, the company is. Why should I care how thin I can run with fuel numbers? AMF SOP had fuel planing numbers that we used, they were conservative, we knew that. But I still scratch my head when guys want to increase their workload by running tanks dry...
01-23-2015 | 05:25 AM
#46
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,738
Likes: 5
From: Sleeping in the black swan’s nest.
01-23-2015 | 06:05 AM
#47
Moderator
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,056
Likes: 0
From: ATP, CFI etc.
Ok, what?
I've got 875 hours in those Navajos, including the accident aircraft. Seems pretty stone cold simple: pull the handle all the way up and don't drop it until you hit the stop, then look down. If you're too lazy to look down after you switch, well, I dunno man.
It certainly can be done (heard about someone doing it on final to DEN with a checkairman onboard), but calling it a crappy fuel system is a big stretch.
I've got 875 hours in those Navajos, including the accident aircraft. Seems pretty stone cold simple: pull the handle all the way up and don't drop it until you hit the stop, then look down. If you're too lazy to look down after you switch, well, I dunno man.
It certainly can be done (heard about someone doing it on final to DEN with a checkairman onboard), but calling it a crappy fuel system is a big stretch.
01-23-2015 | 06:49 AM
#48
Banned
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,919
Likes: 0
NO RAGRETS
01-23-2015 | 07:19 AM
#49
Moderator
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,056
Likes: 0
From: ATP, CFI etc.
01-23-2015 | 07:26 AM
#50
Line Holder
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 406
Likes: 3
From: Dream Job
That pretty much covers all piston engines. So I guess a 152, which only has on and off, is a crappy fuel system too?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
