In-flight emergencies are rare in the typical personal aircraft; the machines we fly are not all that complicated and theres not much to go wrong. While our primary training covered many contingencies, type-specific knowledge gained through a rental checkout, perusing the POH/AFM and dual instruction from someone with intimate knowledge of the machine-along with the emergency procedures 288
Think Outside The Box
In-flight emergencies are rare in the typical personal aircraft; the machines we fly are not all that complicated and theres not much to go wrong. While our primary training covered many contingencies, type-specific knowledge gained through a rental checkout, perusing the POH/AFM and dual instruction from someone with intimate knowledge of the machine-along with the emergency procedures checklist-should get us through all but the most extraordinary problems. Not everything we might encounter aloft can be anticipated and practiced, however. For instance, we never know how well handle an in-flight emergency until we have one for real.
Key Takeaways:
- A pilot experienced a critical landing gear malfunction that resisted standard emergency procedures, leading to initial acceptance of a gear-up landing on a dark, rainy night.
- The gear successfully deployed after an air traffic controller's persistent questioning prompted the pilot to attempt an unconventional maneuver (unloading drag at a low airspeed).
- Post-incident diagnosis revealed the malfunction was caused by improper pressure washing a month prior, which removed lubrication and caused rust in critical landing gear components.
- The incident highlighted the importance of diligent aircraft maintenance oversight, continuous practice of emergency procedures, maintaining composure, and persisting in troubleshooting, even when feeling defeated.
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