Aircraft Engine Failure.


MAD IN NC

Proud Owner/ BOD blah bla
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 14, 2006
4,219
North Carolina
Jeez Chip ..... not the way to start the year off. Glad all is OK.
 

ChipBeck

GT Owner
Staff member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 13, 2006
5,783
Scottsdale, Arizona
Any final word on what failed in the engine?

Not yet, I should find out this week.

Chip
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,211
Las Vegas, NV
Glad it turned out ok. Any final word on what failed in the engine?

I was gong to ask the same question, can't wait to hear the root cause.

I think this is a case of "I'd rather be good then lucky" vs "I'd rather be lucky than good". There is very clearly a skill set here and it sounds like you did everything right. Knowing your machine's capabilities is the key. This time you were truly "part of the machine".

One thing for certain, Chip's life is never boring !!!

Glad everything worked out!
 

THamonGT

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
While Sue and I learned of this mishap shortly after happening I still get COLD Chills when I think about it or hear the story. We know how you live on the edge and enjoy it but please step back a little bit in the future. Your experience and knowledge is impecible as to speed on the ground and in the air. I've even seen you backoff on the ground when things didn't look or feel right and I trust your knowledge and ability. Saying that keep playing safe so we can enjoy more Texas A&M games with Charley. Great story Chip and Tim, thank you for sharing. Wishing a safer 2013. The Lord is always flying with you and Charley. Tomy & Sue
 

tpraceman

THEE GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 20, 2006
2,835
Washington Michigan
Chip my hand is sweating on the mouse. I told you years ago you should have been a writer.
I heard Golf Carts can be fun... Now leave this crazy stuff up to the young guns and check out some hop up kits for a EZ-GO.

Glad your ok I have been saving up for 2 years to visit you and take you to dinner "ALIVE"...I got $86.50 saved and trust me I am driving to AZ not flying.
 

Vince H

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 23, 2012
2,423
Southern California
Incredible display of calm under life threatening circumstances. I am relieved to hear that you and your son came out of it with nothing more than a raised heart rate. Super job.

Vince H
 

steved57

GT Owner
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Mar 29, 2008
1,941
kilgore tx
All I can say is WOW ! What incredible skill and experience it must take to manage an incident like this. I like some of the others mentioned have chills running up my spine from reading your story. So glad all turned out well
 

Shelby#18

GTX1 Owner/Moderator
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Dec 15, 2006
1,623
Nev./So. Cal./Minn.
I'm glad everything worked out for you and Charlie. Excellent results to this story. Engines seem to have something against you lately Chip.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,211
Las Vegas, NV
Chip, I read it again and I am amazed. Karma was certainly with you had you had a few minutes either side, you'd have had to find a road or field. We'd have seen your name in the paper landing your plane on I10.

You the man!!!
 

fjpikul

GT Owner
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Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,704
Belleville, IL
I'm impressed. Since I don't know a thing about flying, at what altitude would you have to bail out at for the chutes to work?
 

2112

Blue/white 06'
Mark II Lifetime
Wow, glad it ended well.........For all of those here in this thread that have had engine failure in an airplane!
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,291
Chip, thanks for sharing and very, very happy to have such a good ending!!
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,727
Avondale, Arizona
Chip - how many cylinders and much horsepower does that 540 cubic inch motor have?

here is a pic of me standing next to a 1986 Cessna Citation II that flew into my airpark the other day. it seats 11 people and has a cruise speed of 460 mph :cool


cessnaandme_zpsb3600eb8.jpg
 
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pe2unia

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Incredible story Chip! I believe if I were in that plane jumping/landing would have been weighing heavy on my mind (Just can't imagine the stress). I think the clean up from me blowing a seal would have been bad as well.:facepalm: Glad to hear things came out as well as it did.
 

Button

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2009
202
Iowa
Chip,
Wow, what a story! Glad you are safe and things worked out the way they did.
 

Thugboat

GT Owner
Jan 20, 2009
851
Humble Texas
Chip,

Wow, Bet Mark @ Falcon is really happy with your flying ability as well. haha Not being a pilot I had no idea that practicing emergencies was such a huge part of learning to fly! Glad it all came out OK. BAD way to see West Texas.

TPRaceman-""I heard Golf Carts can be fun... Now leave this crazy stuff up to the young guns and check out some hop up kits for a EZ-GO."

DO NOT HANG OUT WITH BEN-BBeckert! He has a golf cart with a GSSR1000 Motorcycle engine in it! Had me at 70+mph the other day with lots to spare. I am sure I had some of the same feeling Charley was experiencing.
 

Longhorn

GT Owner
May 22, 2006
128
Houston
Wow! Nice job keeping a cool head through that.

Glad you & your son are OK.

Jess
 

ChipBeck

GT Owner
Staff member
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Feb 13, 2006
5,783
Scottsdale, Arizona
Since I don't know a thing about flying, at what altitude would you have to bail out at for the chutes to work?

Frank,

That depends on the speed and direction the plane is going when you bail out. If the aircraft is traveling horizontally at over 100 MPH then 600 to 700 feet would work. A friend of mine bailed out 3 months ago at 800 feet after a control stick failure with his plane going straight down and he hit the ground before his chute fully opened and didn't survive. The emergency chutes we wear don't have sliders to slow the opening and reduce the opening shock so they open hard and fast. Even with a successful deployment however there is a lot of risk to a untrained non-skydiver bailing out over unknown terrain so jumping would be a last resort.

Chip - How many cylinders and much horsepower does that 540 cubic inch motor have?

Freddy,

The 540 Lycoming is a flat-opposed 6 cylinder, air cooled, engine. Mine was specially built with fuel injection, high compression pistons, and inverted fuel and oil systems so it will run upside down, straight up, straight down, or upright, and it has 330 horsepower. RPM is limited to 2750 to keep the prop tips from going supersonic which would kill their efficiency.

Chip
 

Xcentric

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 9, 2012
5,213
Myakka City, Florida
What happens to a life insurance premium when you add "stunt pilot" to the application form? :lol
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,727
Avondale, Arizona
Frank,

That depends on the speed and direction the plane is going when you bail out. If the aircraft is traveling horizontally at over 100 MPH then 600 to 700 feet would work. A friend of mine bailed out 3 months ago at 800 feet after a control stick failure with his plane going straight down and he hit the ground before his chute fully opened and didn't survive. The emergency chutes we wear don't have sliders to slow the opening and reduce the opening shock so they open hard and fast. Even with a successful deployment however there is a lot of risk to a untrained non-skydiver bailing out over unknown terrain so jumping would be a last resort.



Freddy,

The 540 Lycoming is a flat-opposed 6 cylinder, air cooled, engine. Mine was specially built with fuel injection, high compression pistons, and inverted fuel and oil systems so it will run upside down, straight up, straight down, or upright, and it has 330 horsepower. RPM is limited to 2750 to keep the prop tips from going supersonic which would kill their efficiency.

Chip

that sounds like a pretty tough motor you got there. i bet it makes alot of torque. it will be interesting to see what happend to the motor. in the meantime you will have to do your flying on the ground in your GT :cheers