How good is your preflight???

[akflyer 1427]

Just got a call from a buddy.  Last night he went out for an evening cruise in his kitfox after he got back from duck hunting with his PA-12.

 

It was a nice sunny evening, but we have had A LOT of rain over the past few weeks.  He decided the kitfox must be feeling lonely and neglected as he had not flown it in a couple weeks so he did the normal walk around preflight, gassed it up and taxied out on the lake to warm it up.  As he started the take off roll he said it felt a little sluggish but he passed that off as he was used to flying the PA12.  He broke water and held it a few feet off the water and built up speed.  Everything felt fine so he pulled back on the stick and all hell broke loose.  The tail dropped straight down and he hit the water tail down from about 10-15' in the air.  He said it was over in seconds!  Once again, the full lotus floats soaked up the hit and he was floating just fine... He taxied back in slow and shaking trying to figure out just what in the hell just happened...

 

He got to shore, looked the outside of the plane over and all seemed normal.. WTH    He did notice some water dripping out of the tail so he pulled the cover off the back of the seat (the one that closes off the area from behind the seat to the turtle deck and about crapped his pants.  There was 3-4" of water in the belly of the plane from the seat back.  The second he pulled the nose up to climb all that water ran to the tail and down she came.

 

On wheels this would normally not be an issue as the water would have run out of the tail, but on floats with the plane sitting level, it collected in the fuse as he does not (or should I say did not) have any drain holes in the fuse.  With that cover on the back of the seat you cant see in that area and its not part of the normal preflight to pull that cover and look back there.

 

He got lucky that he pulled the nose up so quick and it happened down low.  Had he been much higher, the outcome would not have just been a ruined pair of shorts.

 

[Av8r3400 1178]

Another reason to stay away from nose wheels and floats....

 

Seriously though, that is a very good story that should teach us all to expect the unexpected.  I would never think that water would collect in the belly.  I would think that there would be so many places that it would drain.  Brake line openings, inspection plates for the torque tube, the front edge of the fabric under the seat even!

[akflyer 1427]

Larry, as this plane lives on the floats all year around, there should have been belly drains on it like I did mine... There used to be, but due to a repair from another dumb stunt, he never put the drains back in.  There is no opening for the bungees or brake lines etc.  We also sealed up the front of the seat truss etc with insulation bubble foil stuff and aluminum tape to hold the heat in the main cabin and not let it go back into the rest of the fuse.... It was one of those things that by "fixing" one issue, he created additional issues that were not thought of till it damn near bit him in the ass really hard.

 

It also addressed something else I have preached to him for years.. a damn inflatable life vest for water operations.  I dont get in a float plane without mine on.  When the shit hits the fan, and your probably hurt, you may be able to get out of the plane, but your probably not going to be able to make it to shore without a life vest.  I have seen too many people die up here not wearing one!

 

about 10 yrs ago there was a local guy that had started taxing out for take off and the engine quit.  He stepped out on the float to prop it and fell off the float and that was the end of him.  The plane taxied away and he drowned.  Atleast if he would have had a life vest on, the family would have been able to have closure and bury the body.

 

[C5Engineer 1170]

Wow that's a crazy story Leni! I have the sling seat and part of my preflight ritual is to pull the seat back and move the stick in a circle and watch the mixer box. I also pull the flaps on and off. I know it's not possible in all airplanes though. I know John Miller found out during a conditional that his elevator pushrod had nearly worn thru the wall where it slides through one of the supports. After finding all the mystery crap the in the tail of my plane when I upgraded my spring I left the fabric open for about 1" just forward of the C-channel so stuff will fall out. Thanks again for sharing this info!.

[Guest]

Holy Crap!

[Mendlerr 4]

We were just having hanger talk about this at my local airport.  Apparently this can be a big problem in early Piper Cherokees.  The drains are very small and can become clogged very easily.  Nobody ever thinks to check for water.  Good to know, glad everyone is safe.