Most Amazing Story

[jwbruce]

Someone we know putting this on? A little first hand experience maybe.

in the automotive world, I believe they referr to it as 'community service'

[fairchild1934]

I find this story frightening---- not so much from an aerodynamic sense--- but from the point of view that this guy is a mechanic
AND a DAR------- he is the guy the FAA has selected to wisely and expertly tell us if our aircraft are airworthy.
He mentions "in flight adjustments" as though that's something that is an accepted "43-13" thing...…

This makes about as much sense as adjusting the door latch mechanism of a jetliner at 45,000 feet.
(believe it or not I know someone who did something like that--- the door was never seen again-- fortunately it was at low altitude) The door went away-- the man did not ----

Another incident here where a CFI at a BIG TIME part 143 school..... goes to the maintenance hanger --- get a plane key out
of a lock box---- takes the plane out WITH A STUDENT IN IT...… and the plane only has 1 aerolon present. Where the
other one was supposed to be was only the rod end hanging out. He lost his job later that day. Lucky de lived.

I cant really understand how a mechanic and a DAR----- could NOT understand the intent and purpose of the little wire
on the turnbuckle. And-- a finer point---- how did he expect to safely adjust a turnbuckle when he could not see the witness hole ? and I guess he wasn't going to worry about flying it without the safety wire if it had not come apart right then ?
And his main premise for doing this whole thing ? --- that somehow he could not do this adjustment on the ground-- that the
aircraft had to be in flight to achieve the desired result...…. I just want to bury my head in my hands when I consider this is the guy who oversees the work of A+P's and IA's …….. I guess this is a tribute to the all seeing eye of big government....

Just to not be completely negative---- I think its a great idea for everyone to get some practice
flying with any one of the control surfaces inop. Like have you practiced doing an landing approach with no elevator--- using only throttle and flaps---- or trim tab and throttle----
or an approach with no aerolons by leaning your body and shifting the CG ?
T

[Steve Pierce]

I find this story frightening---- not so much from an aerodynamic sense--- but from the point of view that this guy is a mechanic
AND a DAR------- he is the guy the FAA has selected to wisely and expertly tell us if our aircraft are airworthy.
He mentions "in flight adjustments" as though that's something that is an accepted "43-13" thing...…

This makes about as much sense as adjusting the door latch mechanism of a jetliner at 45,000 feet.
(believe it or not I know someone who did something like that--- the door was never seen again-- fortunately it was at low altitude) The door went away-- the man did not ----

Another incident here where a CFI at a BIG TIME part 143 school..... goes to the maintenance hanger --- get a plane key out
of a lock box---- takes the plane out WITH A STUDENT IN IT...… and the plane only has 1 aerolon present. Where the
other one was supposed to be was only the rod end hanging out. He lost his job later that day. Lucky de lived.

I cant really understand how a mechanic and a DAR----- could NOT understand the intent and purpose of the little wire
on the turnbuckle. And-- a finer point---- how did he expect to safely adjust a turnbuckle when he could not see the witness hole ? and I guess he wasn't going to worry about flying it without the safety wire if it had not come apart right then ?
And his main premise for doing this whole thing ? --- that somehow he could not do this adjustment on the ground-- that the
aircraft had to be in flight to achieve the desired result...…. I just want to bury my head in my hands when I consider this is the guy who oversees the work of A+P's and IA's …….. I guess this is a tribute to the all seeing eye of big government....

Just to not be completely negative---- I think its a great idea for everyone to get some practice
flying with any one of the control surfaces inop. Like have you practiced doing an landing approach with no elevator--- using only throttle and flaps---- or trim tab and throttle----
or an approach with no aerolons by leaning your body and shifting the CG ?
T

He is also a technical advisor for the Short Wing Piper Club.

[fairchild1934]

I know that as I get older - I understand that what I dont know is a jupiter sized planet compared to the grain of sand that i do know--- but I just dont know what to say about this storey. Thankfull that it didnt end up with a tragic loss of life and an investigation that could not find any cause. I guess every kind of training can have un-noticed cracks that we as humans can
manufacture a problem that happens to match the crack and fall through. I think the best we can hope for is that when it does happen--- that its not a whopper--- but just part of a "what if" senario road that we dont want to go down.
Sometimes we think we are smarter than our fathers and grandfathers and fail to learn from their wisdom. Cant help but wonder if that near death experience forever changed his point of view ? :-)
T