ETLB Squawk Forums — Archive

Window was opened after a tropical depression Vicky  passed ... A calm early morning sunday of Dec.  20, 2020 sunrise lit showing morning dew on the untouched blades of grass found on 650ft airstrip just like a needle beneath  the crowns of coconut plants surrounded the island of southern Philippines the country where my minimax was borned equip with small 28hp rotax.

The day before, we traveled 7 hours thru rolling and winding roads towed a trailered little homebuilt of almost 20yrs in the making.

And finally,  I'd started the engine for short taxi test headed unto downhill of sloped  airfield a mountain visible about 2 miles out and the opposite is NE facing the ocean where shorelines in 1.3 miles distance from intended take-off point. Field elevation is 252' MSL.

Executed 180 and ready...Take-off was smooth handled by yours truly with conservative taildragger time equivalent to half of 5 gals fuel tank on combined pavement and grass surfaces.
This time airborned,   I'm on the air for the first time in both airplane and airspace!
A minute had passed immediately  I realized there were no other option but to make straight out departure to take the needed emergency field (shoreline) just in case, ASI 50mph. RPM from 6300 reduced to 5800, CHT/EGT on green arc... After 2or3 minutes, I notice CHT pointer deflected a bit to higher reading but still in green arc..but my concerned is obvious.
Time to go back, Phil! I said to myself,, the sun at my right sitting on the horizon beneath the sea on shallow banked turn and maintained level as silhouette infront represent heart of my minimax.  l'm into the opposite facing the mountain outline.. Nowhere airstrip can be found all I can see at approximately   400AGL where a carpet of coco palm rested below...flying time  now 5 minutes CHT in red mark!..  ASI 50 mph I could felt weaker engine power... height AGL diminished...Scanning on an open cockpit minus foggy windshield then a quick glanced on my right field of view fortunately I found a marker on the airstrip location that I considered obstacle during my previous ocular inspection of that airport.. Giant liked coconut type tree but twice taller..immediately put my nose into that direction!!

The video will relay the rest...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WPsFD854Sw8&feature=share

WOW Your survival instinct is honed to a razor's edge.Well done on the landing. Please tell us the rest of the story? Did the engine sustain damage' was the airplane hurt, are you hurt, what will you do next, did you tell your wife??? You have my every sympathy. Over the years on this website I feel that I have come to know you and think of you as a friend.

Geez Phil what a bummer. Nice flying to get her on the ground. The way you had to push that nose over was spectacular although I imagine that would have got the heart rate up. I'm glad you walked away from that and hope that the aircraft is repairable and you get back up there soon.

Cheers, Mick

Sorry Phil, I think I held my breath until the end of the video. Hope you get it flying again soon.

Good save. Been there, done that. look for an induction air leak?

WOW!! Great job on catching the temp problem early, another minute... that terrain looked unforgiving. Deadstick landing on a first test flight! Great pilot skills! I assume first landing in a taildragger and not bouncing up (and no ability to throttle up to recover) great job! Get that engine sorted out and fix the tail (I assume that clunky metallic sound was the horizontal stabilizer hitting the sheet metal end marker and that tipped you on your nose). I've heard that same "clunk" sound...(excursion and runway light post..).  You built it, you can fix it, don't give up.  It looked like it flys nice.

The airstrip located marker  I've described right on the nose of my minimax in this photo.

Quoted from aeronut WOW Your survival instinct is honed to a razor's edge.Well done on the landing. Please tell us the rest of the story? Did the engine sustain damage' was the airplane hurt, are you hurt, what will you do next, did you tell your wife??? You have my every sympathy. Over the years on this website I feel that I have come to know you and think of you as a friend.

Aeronut,  did my first survival instinct tested on MX Sprint II way back late 1990s on a maiden.
I was unscratched but the plane was totalled.
I got full support from family but my wife never gone on an airport ever since I'm flying. Infact,  she never knew I was a pilot until we got engaged.
This incident,  my minimax sustained minor scratch on her spinner when it tipped into deep portion of runway end and happy to have her for life she's part of my family. My son since young is with me every test flights after watching those videos was thinking to take flight lessons because of his interest as a challenge.
Thank you Aeronut for your support.
My best regards,
Phil

Quoted from Mickvds Geez Phil what a bummer. Nice flying to get her on the ground. The way you had to push that nose over was spectacular although I imagine that would have got the heart rate up. I'm glad you walked away from that and hope that the aircraft is repairable and you get back up there soon.

Cheers, Mick

Thanks Mick,
It just happened so fast.. I felt amazed upon touching down I did enjoyed the ride with hard up elevator, hard left rudder that made left wheel to contact first followed by right while full up elevator hand brake and hard right rudder on split second... A moment later I've barp. LOL.
Cheers,
Phil

Quoted from skyblazer Sorry Phil, I think I held my breath until the end of the video. Hope you get it flying again soon.

Hey Skyblazer,
I felt the same as you.. That's why that 8 minute flight was too long for me to comprehend  why I did that maiden. It was a miracle..God loved us and is good. 💝
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Cheers,
Phil

Quoted from Greg Doe Good save. Been there, done that. look for an induction air leak?

Hi Greg,
Yes it was but the hard way all control inputs applied were hard for recovery. Checked those flying wires came to loosed..preflight I heard them in good tune ( bass) post flight checked revealed great stressed no sound at all.
I suspect it might be the seal. Even though I got the engine brandnew but the period counts.
Phil

Quoted from Stilson WOW!! Great job on catching the temp problem early, another minute... that terrain looked unforgiving. Deadstick landing on a first test flight! Great pilot skills! I assume first landing in a taildragger and not bouncing up (and no ability to throttle up to recover) great job! Get that engine sorted out and fix the tail (I assume that clunky metallic sound was the horizontal stabilizer hitting the sheet metal end marker and that tipped you on your nose). I've heard that same "clunk" sound...(excursion and runway light post..).  You built it, you can fix it, don't give up.  It looked like it flys nice.

Stilson,
Thank you. Yes, you are right minimax is nice plane. Very maneuverable.
I loved it.
Regards,
Phil