Narrow escape in Shannon

Guest Discussion
1

Taken from The Canadian Press today:

Pilot lands safely in Ireland after transatlantic flight with empty tank
SHANNON, Ireland (CP) - A pilot flying a light aircraft from Labrador landed safely in Ireland late Friday, just seconds before the plane ran out of fuel and sputtered to a halt.

Michael Mulford of the Royal Air Force rescue squad in Kinloss, Scotland, said the landing at Shannon International Airport was being regarded as “a great miracle story at the end of 2004,” as well as a feat of airmanship. “He must have judged it right down to the last turn of the propellor,” he said, noting that the right fuel tank had been leaking during the transatlantic trip.

Caught in heavy rain and snow showers which caused icing on control surfaces, the pilot was forced to descend from 3,900 metres to 1,500 metres during his journey.

Mulford said the pilot, the only person onboard the Cirrus SR22, started experiencing fuel problems halfway through his flight across the Atlantic.

Earlier in the evening, the rescue co-ordination centre was preparing for a possible crash in the Atlantic ocean off Ireland and the aircraft was described as being “in the ultimate of difficult circumstances.”

A Nimrod search and rescue aircraft, equipped for a sea rescue, followed the troubled plane into Shannon International Airport.

A spokesman for the airport said after the landing the exhausted man had come off the aircraft and been taken for a hotel to rest.

“He was sweating. It’s only natural coming across like that,” said Paul Phelan.

A spokesman at the agency that represents Cirrus in the United Kingdom said he wasn’t sure of the identity of the pilot, or his nationality.

Nick Tarratt also said the aircraft was a “brand new airplane” made in Duluth, Minn., being ferried from the United States to the Netherlands.

© The Canadian Press, 2004

2

Anybody determine what was the source of the fuel leak on this plane…was it a ferry tank installation?

3

Aero News Network, that paragon of journalistic professionalism, couldn’t get in contact with the pilot so yesterday they just went ahead and published every scrap of rumor and speculation out there. You’d think they’d try a bit harder to get the straight scoop before rushing to press.

4

No idea, but I just had a fuel leak in my brand new SR22. I sumped fuel before taking a short flight. Upon returning I noticed (blue streaks and smears) fuel under the wing and dripping on the wheel fairing. It was still dripping. Sumping again stopped the leak. Then I had a big cleanup job. I obviously didn’t notice a leak before flying but I presume if I would have monitored the sump point for a few seconds after sumping that I would have discovered this, unless it started while in the air. It unclear to me if it was user error or if there is some issue with the sump point. I will certainly be keeping an eye on it from this moment forward and I learned a valuable lesson. I suppose for a very long flight (i.e. cross the atlantic) even a relatively minor fuel leak could become an issue!?

5

In reply to:

Aero News Network, that paragon of journalistic professionalism, couldn’t get in contact with the pilot so yesterday they just went ahead and published every scrap of rumor and speculation out there. You’d think they’d try a bit harder to get the straight scoop before rushing to press.

I read their report - can’t say I agree with your cricism, considering that the reporter disclosed early in the piece, and very clearly, the fact that they couldn’t reach the pilot and that he was describing “the facts of the flight as they have been reported to us.” This is similar to initial reports of many kinds of accidents or events, by giants in the news industry, where I’ve often read/heard disclaimers such as “rumors are that…” or “early indications are…”.

The story unfolded on New Year’s eve - so ANN waited 10 days before publishing - I could be wrong, but my guess is that they were trying to contact the pilot. Regardless, personally I wouldn’t describe that as “rushing to press”. Even so, had the report not contained the disclaimer, I think you’d have a legitimate beef.

  • Mike.
6

I see that ANN’s own cyber-stalker, Joe Mazza, is at it againÂ… there were NO rumors or speculationÂ… only reports based on phone interviews (over an hour’s worth), wire service reports, and info from Cirrus personnel. Our most recent story was provided as a result of numerous requests for more info on the matter and we did just that, provided more info, and qualified the means by by which we reported it.

By the way, Joe, while your hatred of yours truly is well-documented, you wasted some of your venom on this one. I didn’t write the story. A truly gifted writer, Kevin O’Brien, did. He did a good job of summarizing what was known at the time. You owe him an apology.

Regardless of Mazza’s errant and unsubstantiated rantings, we stand by the story.

Jim

7

Fred:

I would suggest that you get the fuel drain fitting replaced. When I picked up my SR22, it was leaking at the factory. They tinkered with it and got it to stop leaking, but then it started up again. Once the fitting was replaced, it stopped leaking entirely.

The fittings are just a spring loaded device with a rubber seal. If everything is not just perfect in them they will leak. If your SC is lucky enough to have one of those stainless steel tank and vacuum pump devices to remove the fuel you are in luck. The other option is to remove the fitting and quickly insert a new one in the hole before too much fuel drains out. In either event, get it replaced.

BTW, apparently you caught yours soon enough to remove the stain. If the fuel sits on the top of the ferring for a period of time is is permanently blue and nothing will remove it. Do a search on “fuel stain” and you will find a lot of advice on removing the stain.

8

Just a tip for those with misbehaving fuel drains.

The littel rubber o-ring and seat are very vulnerable to the littlest bit of debris. Newer aircraft with a little sliver of loose PRC sealant or otherwise can cause exactly such a leak. If you have such a problem make for a really good sumping (I’m talking gallons, with lots of wing sloshing) to clear out as much debris as possible.

Also, if you ever have occasion to remove the valve, a dab of Fuel Selector Valve grease on the o-ring and the shaft of the valve can help keep it seating reliably.

9

Good points all, except IMHO a mature publication would wait until they got the story straight, or not publish at all.

10

kinda like CBS—if you can’t get the story straight then don’t run it—sound like a reasonable expectation—but, as Paul Harvey says, —we all know, “The Rest Of The Story”.

11

In reply to:

Good points all, except IMHO a mature publication would wait until they got the story straight, or not publish at all.

The key word in "aero-news-network is NEWS! As in “new”.

Perhaps they should wait for the full governmental investigation to be completed? We’d hear about it in, oh, say a couple of years?

From what I read, the author provided what seems to be a fairly complete picture compiled from a variety of sources and showed a good understanding of the fuel system… among other things.

Besides, the ANN author CLEARLY stated at the beginning that this was an early compilation from various sources and that they would follow up with any more information as it became available.

Do YOU have anything to factually refute anything that the author wrote? A spelling mistake even?

Why didn’t you criticize CP (a “real” news wire service) for their obvious inaccuracy (and demonstration of a fundamental lack of understanding of flight issues) when they said the aircraft experienced icing on the “control surfaces”? I’ve yet to hear of an aircraft surviving in-flight icing that was so severe that it went all the way back to icing of its “control surfaces”.

Frankly, I’d say that this particular ANN article was about as complete and forthright as any journalistic timely news work I’ve seen in a long LONG time.

Perhaps in your Pulitzer Prize awarding judgement you could point to a more complete, more accurate or otherwise superior news article from ANY source on this incident?

12

I apologize to Mr. Campbell and his publication.

13

Wow, Joe. Good on you! That post made my day.

Cheers
Rick

14

If the fuel sits on the top of the ferring for a period of time is is permanently blue and nothing will remove it. Do a search on “fuel stain” and you will find a lot of advice on removing the stain.<<

In my experience, leaky sumps are so common, I’ve about decided to just paint my wheelpants blue!

15

In reply to:

…The other option is to remove the fitting and quickly insert a new one in the hole before too much fuel drains out.

Ask Walt Atkinson about that method!

I seem to recall helping him with jsut that process on his Beech 18 at Brent Blue’s party at OSH last summer!

Hey Doc Atkinson! Did your patients mind the gasoline smell all up and down your arm or are they used to it from the 2 stroke weekend blender?

16

Thanks! I noticed a few drops from one of the sump points on my other wing the other day. I plan to have my SC take a look at them. Luckily I have a authorized SC at my home base.

17

In reply to:

If the fuel sits on the top of the ferring for a period of time is is permanently blue and nothing will remove it. Do a search on “fuel stain” and you will find a lot of advice on removing the stain.<<
In my experience, leaky sumps are so common, I’ve about decided to just paint my wheelpants blue!

In my experience, leaky sumps are an occasional nuisance, easily fixed. I’ve had one on each of my two Cirrus airplanes, both “teething” problems, both taken care of by a Service Center quickly, painlessly and under warranty.

A search of comments about leaking sump drains on the Member Discussion forum confirms the “occasional nuisance” nature of the problem.

  • Mike.