Worst sound in airplane....nothing!

**Cavman** · 03-22-2018, 10:11 PM

https://m.wimp.com/pilots-engine-fai...fore-crashing/

**Chupaca** · 03-22-2018, 10:43 PM

Must have been a gag on the passenger

if there was one, but he was never in danger in a bi-plane with all the open ground...

**canamjhb** · 03-23-2018, 12:08 AM

This is why the Eisenhower Administration mandated that the interstate highway system have long straight highways. So failed aircraft could land on them. (True story).

**WA5VHU** · 03-23-2018, 12:31 AM

I had that happen to me once. I was a paying passenger in a commercial airliner, a small twin-engine prop plane. We were travelling from DFW airport to College Station, TX. As a passenger I was setting in the co-pilot's seat. When we were at about 1,000 feet on approach to land the pilot hadn't changed from the wing tanks to the main tanks yet and both engines ran out of fuel and quit. The pilot reached across and flipped some switches on the panel in front of me and at about 50 feet above the pasture the engines started back up, we climbed back up to the guide-slope and then landed. Except for some whimpering from the passengers behind me, it was very very quiet in the aircraft...

**PrairieSpyder** · 03-23-2018, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by Cavman

https://m.wimp.com/pilots-engine-fai...fore-crashing/

That wasn't "moments before crashing." He'd already have picked out a landing spot. It's part of the private pilot initial training. He was in a controlled decent toward a road.

Originally Posted by canamjhb

This is why the Eisenhower Administration mandated that the interstate highway system have long straight highways. So failed aircraft could land on them. (True story).

It was mostly so military aircraft could put down anywhere. A certain percentage (don't know the figure) of miles of interstate have to have a mile of straight road without obstruction.

**Bob Denman** · 03-23-2018, 08:09 AM

He definitely had his "Plan-B" all picked out.

**Blue Star** · 03-23-2018, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by PrairieSpyder

It was mostly so military aircraft could put down anywhere. A certain percentage (don't know the figure) of miles of interstate have to have a mile of straight road without obstruction.

I always heard it was one out of every seven, but according to snopes.com it is not true at all.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/la...ope-and-glory/

**SteveLaoyster** · 03-23-2018, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by WA5VHU

I had that happen to me once. I was a paying passenger in a commercial airliner, a small twin-engine prop plane. We were travelling from DFW airport to College Station, TX. As a passenger I was setting in the co-pilot's seat. When we were at about 1,000 feet on approach to land the pilot hadn't changed from the wing tanks to the main tanks yet and both engines ran out of fuel and quit. The pilot reached across and flipped some switches on the panel in front of me and at about 50 feet above the pasture the engines started back up, we climbed back up to the guide-slope and then landed. Except for some whimpering from the passengers behind me, it was very very quiet in the aircraft...

And how many pairs of clean underwear were there afterward?!!

**RinconRyder** · 03-23-2018, 09:06 PM

Got another airplane story.....

It was just after Christmas 1962 and I was flying back to my Radioman 'A' school in San Diego from San Francisco. I usually flew on PSA but they were full so got a ticket on Western Airlines. Aircraft was an Electra 4-engine turbo-prop. In the waiting area it was full of sailors and about an equal number of nuns. The two groups were not mixing understandably.

We all boarded the aircraft and headed down the runway. Anyone who has flown into or out of SFO knows that the runways to the south stop at the water's edge. The aircraft gradually gained speed, lifted off, we observed the breakwater below signaling the end of the runway and then......both engines on my side of the aircraft spooled down and the plane lurched to the left. We were headed in a tight left turn and once again over water. The sailors began cussing. The nuns were dead silent. The pilot (or co-pilot) came on the intercom saying "we've had a bit of a mechanical problem and have to return to the airport".

The aircraft was now crabbing and buffeting badly and we could see the runway off to the left but nothing but water and rocks between. It might have been my imagination but when the pilot put the wheels and flaps down the noise and buffeting increased and I think I heard prayers coming from the nun's side of the aircraft.

We were given the "prepare for hard landing" speech and more prayer emerged. One more hard left turn and we were back on the ground surrounded by fire equipment. A bus pulled up and we deplaned but not back to the terminal. Instead, we were taken to a building away from the main terminal and entered a lounge area which had carts of liquor, soft drinks and snacks. The airline announced it would take about 90 minutes to get a substitute aircraft and in the meantime to relax. Lines formed at the rest rooms.

After a short time a party broke out. Both sailors and more than a couple nuns circled around the carts and the liquor was the first thing gone. Navy blue and black and white habits mixed and you would not have known we thought we were going swimming just 30 minutes before. The carts were refreshed several times (no one asking for ID) and it was a genuine disappointment when the new aircraft arrived. This time, when the wheels left the ground there was silence for a few seconds then cheers broke out. I don't remember much more about the trip because I had had about a half dozen scotch/rocks and had only just reached my 18th birthday.

From that day on when I saw the familiar Western Airline ad on TV (Jim Backus holding a martini and saying "Western Airlines, the ONLY way to fly!" I relived this incident. I don't think I ever flew Western Airlines again.

**RinconRyder** · 03-23-2018, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Cavman

https://m.wimp.com/pilots-engine-fai...fore-crashing/

There is at least one worse sound.....the sound of tree branches hitting the undercarriage.

**Bob Denman** · 03-23-2018, 12:46 PM

At that point: it's all over

...

...Except for the screams!

**JerryB** · 03-23-2018, 01:18 PM

Hi RinconRyder,

Re: There is at least one worse sound.....the sound of tree branches hitting the undercarriage.

Been there, done that:

Airplane Crunch.jpg

And an even worse sound is of crunching metal.

I am living on bonus time,

Jerry Baumchen

**Bob Denman** · 03-23-2018, 01:25 PM

Ouch!!

I don't know how you survived it: I'm glad that you did!

**JerryB** · 03-23-2018, 03:52 PM

Hi Bob,

Re: I don't know how you survived it

Neither do I. It happened on the evening of 17 Sep 67 & I can still see the blades of grass coming up at us.

I absolutely knew that I was dead. All three of us survived; it simply was not our time.

Jerry Baumchen

**Bob Denman** · 03-23-2018, 04:39 PM

I figured out why you survived it:

God didn't want you...

And the Devil was terrified!

No matter: it worked out for the best!

**RinconRyder** · 03-23-2018, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by JerryB

Hi RinconRyder,

Re: There is at least one worse sound.....the sound of tree branches hitting the undercarriage.

Been there, done that:

Airplane Crunch.jpg

And an even worse sound is of crunching metal.

I am living on bonus time,

Jerry Baumchen

Me too....in a Huey. The sound does not last as long in a helo (and helo's do not bounce off tree branches).

**ARtraveler** · 03-23-2018, 02:00 PM

Glad plan "B" worked out.

This was probably a set up to show the process.

**Bob Denman** · 03-23-2018, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by RinconRyder

Me too....in a Huey. The sound does not last as long in a helo (and helo's do not bounce off tree branches).

Helicopters fall a lot better than they glide!

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