That pilot really did a great job. From such a low altitude: 1 Got the engine to restart 2 In the event of no re-start, would have landed just fine in the field Very well done. I'm a student pilot and have seen water while sumping a C172. Showed my instructor. She called over a colleague and they spent 10min or so gently rocking the wings while sumping until no more water came out. About 1/3 of a cup came out. After that, they said I was good to go and I enjoyed an uneventful flight. Thank you for your content.
I trained at probably one of the worst Flight schools in Florida for aircraft maintenance back in the early 2000s...Huffman aviation in Venice Florida. Looking back now, I was very blessed, lucky, that I never had an engine issue inflight.
I always rock the wings. Water will sit like mercury globs. Rocking rolls them to the sump drain. We here had a Twin Comanche go down. Had not flown for years, came out of maintenance, double engine failure due water in folds of bladder tanks. Landed in field, 2 on board ok.
One of the cfi’s at my school when I was getting my PPL told me to sump the wings first on a high wing aircraft then the nose because if there is water in the wing tanks it could be sucked down into the tubes to the engine if I sump the nose sump first. Then if I went to sump the wings I might just get fuel instead of finding the water at the bottom. So when I’m flying a high wing, I sump the wings first then the nose sump.
You’ve talked about how important it is to know the POH and AFM of the plane you’re in. I agree so much and it applies here. Not sure what this plane is, but primer is a better choice than pumping the throttle in some engines. And, if there’s a gascolator you gotta sump it.
Yes, he did a great job. In your area, where air is dry and diurnal rate high (large change in temperature from low at night to high midday) pilots are very familiar with draining the water from condensation. Pilots in areas of ample vegetation and thus higher humidity and less diurnal can become complacent. Good analysis of his high altitude orientation engine problem. Mine were half his altitude and six second deals, low altitude orientation. Altitude is time and potential energy for maneuvering. Low altitude orientation is airspeed for maneuvering is life. The muscle memory to maintain altitude can be deadly down low, with or without an engine. And 400 feet of altitude is a lot of potential energy for maneuvering to the best site.
Plenty of freezing conditions at northern latitudes even at low altitude this time of year. Mentour pilot discussion of British Airways Flight 38 incident has interesting discussion of ice/water in Jet fuel. Interestingly that analysis claims that it's fuel slightly below freezing in the "sticky zone" that is most dangerous... GA of course is usually AV gas, and much lower flow rates (but also smaller lines etc), so I don't know how well that information transfers. IIRC Air Disasters also covers that one too but more from the angle of the difficulty of the investigation at the time.
That pilot really did a great job. From such a low altitude:
1 Got the engine to restart
2 In the event of no re-start, would have landed just fine in the field
Very well done.
I'm a student pilot and have seen water while sumping a C172. Showed my instructor. She called over a colleague and they spent 10min or so gently rocking the wings while sumping until no more water came out. About 1/3 of a cup came out. After that, they said I was good to go and I enjoyed an uneventful flight.
Thank you for your content.
I trained at probably one of the worst Flight schools in Florida for aircraft maintenance back in the early 2000s...Huffman aviation in Venice Florida. Looking back now, I was very blessed, lucky, that I never had an engine issue inflight.
He was awesome. I need to up my game...muscle memory type stuff for all checklist emergencies
Awesome job especially as a student pilot.
I always rock the wings. Water will sit like mercury globs. Rocking rolls them to the sump drain. We here had a Twin Comanche go down. Had not flown for years, came out of maintenance, double engine failure due water in folds of bladder tanks. Landed in field, 2 on board ok.
One of the cfi’s at my school when I was getting my PPL told me to sump the wings first on a high wing aircraft then the nose because if there is water in the wing tanks it could be sucked down into the tubes to the engine if I sump the nose sump first. Then if I went to sump the wings I might just get fuel instead of finding the water at the bottom. So when I’m flying a high wing, I sump the wings first then the nose sump.
I was thinking the same. Sump wings. Rock wings. Resump wings. Then gascolator. Repeat after fuel truck drives off.
You’ve talked about how important it is to know the POH and AFM of the plane you’re in. I agree so much and it applies here. Not sure what this plane is, but primer is a better choice than pumping the throttle in some engines. And, if there’s a gascolator you gotta sump it.
Yes, he did a great job. In your area, where air is dry and diurnal rate high (large change in temperature from low at night to high midday) pilots are very familiar with draining the water from condensation. Pilots in areas of ample vegetation and thus higher humidity and less diurnal can become complacent. Good analysis of his high altitude orientation engine problem. Mine were half his altitude and six second deals, low altitude orientation. Altitude is time and potential energy for maneuvering. Low altitude orientation is airspeed for maneuvering is life. The muscle memory to maintain altitude can be deadly down low, with or without an engine. And 400 feet of altitude is a lot of potential energy for maneuvering to the best site.
Plenty of freezing conditions at northern latitudes even at low altitude this time of year. Mentour pilot discussion of British Airways Flight 38 incident has interesting discussion of ice/water in Jet fuel. Interestingly that analysis claims that it's fuel slightly below freezing in the "sticky zone" that is most dangerous... GA of course is usually AV gas, and much lower flow rates (but also smaller lines etc), so I don't know how well that information transfers. IIRC Air Disasters also covers that one too but more from the angle of the difficulty of the investigation at the time.