As on all major holidays, July 4, 2015, was a day to take my beloved Grumman Yankee out to stretch her legs and keep my flying skills proficient. Never did I expect that this would be a day of reckoning and facing up to my first inflight mechanical failure in more than 36 years of flying.
I Learned About Flying from That: Learning to Breathe the Hard Way
Key Takeaways:
- On July 4th, the pilot experienced a stuck throttle mid-flight, forcing him to declare an emergency while flying his Grumman Yankee.
- After initially planning to return home, he wisely accepted advice to divert to Van Nuys Airport, where he discovered he could manage engine power using the mixture control for a safe landing.
- He successfully performed an engine-out landing, later learning the throttle was jammed by a broken brass tube inside the carburetor.
- The incident led to reflections on the value of practiced skills, overcoming "get-home-itis," and the importance of taking more time to troubleshoot and remain calm during emergencies.
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