I Learned About Flying From That: Trust Your Gauges

Sean Watts

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

During an IFR flight, the pilot and his brother experienced a critical oil pressure drop in their new Bonanza A-36, necessitating an urgent, unplanned landing at Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Upon landing, a severe oil leak was discovered, caused by an almost invisible crack in the oil filter adapter, although the engine thankfully retained five quarts of oil.
A local A&P mechanic quickly diagnosed and repaired the issue, allowing the crew to safely continue their journey.
The incident reinforced the importance of trusting instrumentation, not hesitating to land when issues arise, and the invaluable presence of an experienced co-pilot during emergencies.

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I awoke early on a beautiful October Thursday morning. I had been planning to fly from Big Piney, Wyoming, (KBPI) to Meridian, Mississippi, (MEI) to pick up my brother, Darren. I had recently purchased a Bonanza A-36 and Darren was going to take my G-35 V-tail back to Mississippi.

I arrived at the airport about 6 a.m. as I wanted to get an early start on my long cross-country flight. After a thorough preflight of my new airplane I called Flight Service for a weather briefing. I was told everything I wanted to hear by the briefer with one exception, icing conditions between 8,000 feet and 16,000 feet msl along the highest portion of my route. I had planned to fly at 11,500 msl over the mountains at Laramie, Wyoming, and this is exactly where the ice was forecast, so I decided to have a cup of coffee and wait awhile.