Thank you Bob. I believe the mishap investigation is complete. The issue now is what corrective action the FAA will require. My take on it is that if we take the collective position that "we don't have a problem, go away and leave us alone" as some here want us to do, then the FAA engineers will make a decision anyway, and it may well be worse than if we provide them with the data they want to make a better decision. My time in the airline buisiness has shown me that the FAA is not the enemy, but often is the referee. They may make a bad call if they can't see the play or misinterpret the rules. It's up to us to make sure they get it right by sharing the data they need. There may well be a policy-driven agenda working behind the scenes, but obstructing their efforts to come up with a fix will not change that. Generally, the FAA responds better to self-disclosure than stonewalling.
For now, I think giving the EOC and Univair some time to prepare a response is prudent, but the tech guy I called at Univair today seemed totally unaware of the issue and could not tell me how many holes are acceptable for attaching the seat pan to the spar cap. If more information is not forthcoming in a few weeks, then I plan on contacting Roger Caldwell by telephone and explaining the situation on my airplane. Dave English Lt Col, USAFR, (Ret) Former HQ 10AF Flight Safety Officer, B-52 and B-1 IP, Current 757/767 Captain (in case anyone cares...) --- In [email protected], Robert Fullenkamp <robertfullenk...@...> wrote: > > Gentlemen, > > I am new to this forum but served in the USAF as an aircraft accident > investigator and the Chief of Flying Safety for 15th Air Force and am a > graduate of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Program at University of > Southern California. I have a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Science. I have > been on the boards of several major accidents including a U-2, B-52D and an > RC-135. > > I urge you not to try and solve the mishap and wait till those who are > charged with the task complete their research and study. Having said all > that, I do believe hitting a seagull at 100 knots would result in a > catastrophic failure of the windscreen and seriously injuring the pilot in > command or trying to avoid the bird may have caused a rapid and full > deflection of the control surfaces resulting in unknown results. > > Fly Safe. > > Robert Fullenkamp > Col USAF (Ret) > > On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 12:10 PM, Caliendo Dan <djcalie...@...> wrote: > > > > > > > Were there witnesses to the accident? It was "manuevering" ; but we don't > > know if that was > > gentle turns, acrobatics, or something in between. I'd feel a whole lot > > better if I knew they > > were exceeding the planes limits and my common sense. > > Dan C > > > > > > On Sep 21, 2009, at 4:50 AM, Hartmut Beil wrote: > > > > > > > > Guys. > > > > The Airworthiness Concern" is based of the Sebring inflight breakup. This > > is a real issue and I don't want to talk this down. > > > > I am rather interested in more data on what unauthorized holes would > > incorporate. As we know, Alons have their seat mounts drilled directly into > > the upper spar cap and at the same time even allow a higher gross weight. > > > > Univair should have the data on this , at least drawings and one could > > conclude a certain structural strength from that. > > > > If holes were drilled unauthorized, there should be a method to determine > > whether these holes are similar to the alon spars or are a danger to the > > aircraft. > > > > At least I would expect a dye check of the affected areas to look for > > cracks. Because I belive there must have been cracks first. The main spar > > does not collapse like this. > > If it would then I would not recommend flying any Alon anymore. > > > > > > More data would allow a more constructive comment. I hope we will get an > > answer from the FAA, especially Mr. Roger Caldwell. > > > > Hartmut > > > > http://www.ercoupe.info > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > To: [email protected] > > From: ercog...@... > > Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:39:05 -0500 > > Subject: Re: [ercoupe-tech] Improper holes in spar cap > > > > > > Hi Ed, > > ...... > > > > But we also must encourage responses to this "Airworthiness Concern > > Sheet". I have been working on a very comprehensive one for several days. > > I will send it both by email and U.S.P.S. Certified Mail, Return Receipt > > requested; and then post it to Tech. That makes it harder for the FAA to > > "lose" or ignore comments (claim they did not get them). Everyone is > > welcome reproduce any portion of it or incorporate any of my thoughts > > expressed herein in their comments with the single exception of the > > following: > > > > Should any of us wish to engage in engineering evaluation, i will share a > > letter dated 10/12/49 from ERCO's Thomas M. Mountjoy, Assistant Chief > > Engineer, addressed to the British Joint Services Mission in Washington, > > D.C. At that time a 415-CD was being officially evaluated in England. > > > > Airplane limit load factors > > > > CAR 04 1260 lb. +4.58 (- not available) > > CAR 03 1400 lb. +3.50 -1.40 > > > > Limit wing load factors > > > > CAR 04 1260 lb. +4.64 -1.75 > > CAR 03 1400 lb. +3.59 -1.32 > > > > Ultimate load factor = 1.5 x limit load factor > > > > And no, I'm not an engineer of any kind either ;<) > > > > Regards, > > > > William R. Bayne > > .____|*-*(o)*-*|____. > > (Copyright 2009) > > > > -- > > > > On Sep 20, 2009, at 08:43, Ed Burkhead wrote: > > > > One thought: It seems to me that holes in the upper spar cap would most > > likely be a problem when pulling negative g's, wouldn't they? Or, during > > extreme vibration (i.e. flutter)? I wouldn't think normal flying loads > > within the normal positive g limits would strain the upper spar cap. > > > > But, then, I'm not an engineer of any kind. > > > > Are there appropriate non-destructive diagnostic means to inspect for > > cracks in the spar cap? Dye penetrant? Portable x-ray? > > > > Do we have any aeronautical engineers here? > > > > Ed > > > > ------------------------------ > > check out the rest of the Windows Live. More than mailWindows Live goes > > way beyond your inbox. More than > > messages<http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/> > > > > > > > > >
