sucked a valve, emergency landing..

[bluelake]

Well, I can join the ranks of those who have done the "emergency landing" for real thing. Tuesday, I was with a primary student happy go lucky at 2400 RPMS in a C-172N, just tracking ADF courses etc.. etc..

then it happened! Roughness that I would say was atleast 4 times as rough as a bad mag. Is there an ALT-COWL-SHAKE on MS Flight SIm???

Maneuvered for Redding (KRDD), being about 8 miles away, and they pretty much let me do what I wanted. On base, they said they saw smoke and so I shut down the engine for the last bit of the approach. Landed and sat there and watched the oil spew all over the runway...

The funniest thing of all is that, while walking away from the runway, my student said three things:
1) MY wife will make me stop lessons if she hears about this
2) You did a good job
3) During all that, how did you still find the energy to keep teaching me.

I sucked a valve out of the exhaust, but not before making a bad mess of the cylinder. I got the cylinder for a momento from our shop. They said if I get another one, I am fired. I said if I get another one, I QUIT

Bluelake

 

[jtrain609]

Good job handling that. I've had a stuck valve before, but never had an engine eat one entirely.

How did your student react while it was happening?

 

[CaliforniaSurfer]

Well done man!

Surf

 

[EatSleepFly]

Very nice job!

[ QUOTE ]
I got the cylinder for a momento from our shop. They said if I get another one, I am fired. I said if I get another one, I QUIT

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL!

 

[mtsu_av8er]

[ QUOTE ]
I said if I get another one, I QUIT

[/ QUOTE ]


Couldn't blame you there!!! good job, partner!

 

[bluelake]

my student did alright.. even though it was a true emergency, i tried (and I think succesfully) to sort of 'proceduralize' the experience.. he has not been introduced to emergency checklists yet, so I was pretty patient and calm telling him what i was doing and what I was gonna do next. I didnt want the law of primacy to be him remembering his CFI crying and flipping out and reciting prayers and calling mom on the cell phone

I am thinking that the engine coughed out the valve (and the little things like the springs and retainer and all that) right as I was on base.. looking at the complete damage it did inside the cylinder really is a testament to just how tough those cylinders really are! I flew that airplane at about 2200 RPMS for say 4-6 minutes.. thats about 10,000 chances of the valve gouging out the cylinder before its ejection.. and the inside still looked pretty intact.

Anyways, I aint no A&P. Just a pilot, so I was pretty impressed.

 

[DE727UPS]

Do you think you could have kept it flying for a while at 2200rpms? Sounds like you were losing oil...did you see the pressure drop? Just wondering in case it happens in my 172N. I'm guessing you really didn't know what happened until you got on the ground but just wondering how far you think you would have got had an airport not been handy.

 

[ready2fly]

Outstanding job, man!! Way to keep your wits about you.

 

[bluelake]

no change in pressure or temp.... I only lost a quart in the four minutes this all transpired. If one were to assume (and I am not) that the oil was leaving at a uniform rate, then I suppose I coulda flew another 10 minutes or so (we began the lesson with 6 qts.)

Last night I ran across this book, which NOW kinda interests me.

http://www.sacskyranch.com/pubsem.htm

Does anyone have this book? Is it a worthwhile read??

 

[eodfe]

[ QUOTE ]
. I didnt want the law of primacy to be him remembering his CFI crying and flipping out and reciting prayers and calling mom on the cell phone

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL!!!

Great job on handling the emergency!