"Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runway"

thewaffles

Well-Known Member
The flight school/FBO that I fly out of, their newly aquired and only twin had an 'incident' in Crystal River this past week... Maybe he was reaching to retract the flaps, but that plane had manual flaps...

plane_crash.jpg


http://www.citrusdaily.com/crystal-river/pilot-retracts-gear-skids-plan-crystal-river-runway
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

Isn't the first time this has happened, won't be the last.

Heck I had a student who thought he was God's gift to aviation because he did his training at Purdue try to pull this stunt on me. I tell him, "Ok, good landing, let's make it a touch and go" and he says, "Ok" and puts the gear handle up.

I'm not sure what saved us, the squat switch (which I doubt because we were pretty light on the wheels and still moving at a good clip) or the auto gear extension system refusing to let the gear up.

We stopped doing landings at that point, I marched into the chief pilots office and told her I wasn't going to fly with him again.
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

A beech duchess with manual flaps? I thought there was only 1 with manual flaps and that was the prototype. (useless fact I learned while flying that POS for 100+ hours)
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

A beech duchess with manual flaps? I thought there was only 1 with manual flaps and that was the prototype. (useless fact I learned while flying that POS for 100+ hours)


Seminole...
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

ah, I flew that for a few as well...manual flaps. Both junk..same junk but junk. The split windshield is one of the giveaways.
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

I spy with my little eye... a CAMS sticker on the tail perhaps?
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

Cyrstal river is a nice little airport, 1 paved runway, 1 grass runway, and a short walk to dairy queen and some other restaurants.

Heard the diving near there was pretty good also, yet to check that out though.

Oh and this is the reason for the "flaps identified/verified"
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

probably wanted to see if the safety squat works or not.
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

Holy crap - that was CAMS' twin?! They just got that thing! I'm sure Matt is peeeeeeved!
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

The flight school/FBO that I fly out of, their newly aquired and only twin had an 'incident' in Crystal River this past week... Maybe he was reaching to retract the flaps, but that plane had manual flaps...

plane_crash.jpg


http://www.citrusdaily.com/crystal-river/pilot-retracts-gear-skids-plan-crystal-river-runway

I flew a CASA-212 in Alaska with a wise, old pilot. He insisted that the flaps not be touched until clear of the runway. Once across the hold-short line, then you identify the flap handle (with confirmation from him), and then raise the flaps.

The CASA-212? It has fixed gear. Yet this had always been his policy, and worked for him well over a long and storied flying career. He wasn't going to change his ways just because the airplane didn't have retractable gear, plus, as any quality captain should do, he wanted to impart a good habit on me.

I also stress this with every co-pilot I fly with. I even stressed this with the IOE captain I flew with when I was on IOE. If, for operational reasons, the flaps will need to be retracted on the runway, it will be briefed as part of the before landing crew brief in my cockpit.

Stonefly
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

Now that I think about it, I remember seeing those guys leaving St. Pete on that Sunday. I was prepping for a flight to Cedar Key. Interesting was that when we were heading back, I announced my position on CGC's unicom - someone came on and said that 9/27 was closed. Guess I know why now.
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

I also stress this with every co-pilot I fly with. I even stressed this with the IOE captain I flew with when I was on IOE. If, for operational reasons, the flaps will need to be retracted on the runway, it will be briefed as part of the before landing crew brief in my cockpit.

Stonefly

There is no reason to do anything while still on the runway, unless you are doing a touch and go! I hate it when my students start messing with the flaps, transponder, etc before we get off the runway. It is a hard habit to break once they start doing it. We banned touch and goes in complex aircraft to try to prevent these sort of things.

Holy crap - that was CAMS' twin?! They just got that thing! I'm sure Matt is peeeeeeved!

LOL. At my old flight school, we had a guy that bought a C172RG to leaseback to us. The DAY before it got on the line, he decided to take his family up. Apparantly during the preflight, his "2 year old grandson" pulled the gear lever up. He started her up, and went to taxi out, checked the brakes, and that was enough force off of the squat switch to make the gear collapse. Ruined the prop, engine, gear door, and belly skin.
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

Last time I had a fed in the jumpseat he verbally rapped my fingers because I engaged the control lock while on the runway. We're not really supposed to do anything while on the runway.
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

is the runway messed up? i was planning to head down there this week to meet some family. any word on the condition of the main runway?
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

I'm sure the runway is clear by now, but know what you can do?

Check the NOTAMs like you were going to anyway...right?
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

I flew a CASA-212 in Alaska with a wise, old pilot. He insisted that the flaps not be touched until clear of the runway. Once across the hold-short line, then you identify the flap handle (with confirmation from him), and then raise the flaps.

The CASA-212? It has fixed gear. Yet this had always been his policy, and worked for him well over a long and storied flying career. He wasn't going to change his ways just because the airplane didn't have retractable gear, plus, as any quality captain should do, he wanted to impart a good habit on me.



Stonefly

VERY GOOD HABIT! My flight instructor (who trained me on all of my ratings) did the same thing. Once clear of the runway I had to verbally say "Flaps up, these are the flaps," visually and verbally identifying the flap handle before retraction. It was a duchess... I still find myself doing that even in a 172 as an instructor. Very good habit to have IMHO.
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

Looks like a new wing-in-water design with Q-tip props. :sarcasm:
 
Re: "Pilot retracts gear, skids plane on Crystal River runwa

Nice airport, been there once on a weather delay.

The Diary Queen has disco lights and a fog machine, apparently the night time hot stop in Crystal River...
 
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