By the fall of 1978 I’d worked for Piper Aircraft in Lakeland, Florida, for three years. I was the assistant chief engineer-technical, which meant I had the people in the structures, aerodynamics, power plants, systems, electrical/avionics and flight-test groups all working for me. At the time, we were working extremely hard to certify the new Piper Cheyenne III. I was, however, also responsible for support of the twin-engine Navajo Chieftain assembled at Lakeland.
ILAFFT: When Paying Attention Pays Off
Key Takeaways:
- During a single-engine cooling climb test in a Piper Navajo Chieftain, the pilot experienced a loss of electrical power due to a failed alternator on the operating engine and a dead battery, preventing a conventional restart of the feathered engine.
- Faced with the prospect of a no-radio, single-engine landing at an uncontrolled airport, the pilot recalled an earlier discussion about feathered propellers unfeathering if a certain airspeed was exceeded.
- The crew successfully applied this knowledge by executing a high-speed dive, which caused the feathered propeller to windmill and allowed the engine to be restarted, restoring electrical power and enabling a normal landing.
- The incident highlighted the critical value of retaining expert technical discussions and led to improved placement of critical warning lights in future aircraft designs, such as the Cheyenne III.
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