FOKM on Glassy Water
Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:43 am
On Friday July 15 at approx 1227 pm I was about to do solo touch and
goes at Eagle Lake,AB. (5 km SE Strathmore) The water was glassy, my
descent rate was too high for glassy water, and my location on the lake
was several hundred meters from shore. Approach speed was slightly lower
than I wanted and elevation above the water was indeterminate so I
decided to go around and firewalled the throttle. I thought I was
between 10 and 20 feet above the water or thereabouts and the nose was
still down a bit as I had not entered a flare.
As soon as the throttle was firewalled the left float struck the water
and being in a slight nose down attitude not ready for striking the
water, the left nosewheel cavity grabbed visciously and swung the
aircraft 90 degrees to the direction of flight. Bad luck so far!
In any aircraft but the Rebel and perhaps any but FOKM this would
immediately result in the forward (right) wing digging in and the
aircraft capsizing to the right.
Incredible as this sounds, she did not capsize but stayed upright and
floating. On touching down it stayed pretty much level, skidding
violently to the right until it came to a halt within I'm guessing about
30 meters. With slightly better skill, I beached the aircraft at the
nearest location which just happened to be the home of a retired AME
from Petro Canada.
We inspected the aircraft together and tethered it to shore while my
hand started shaking when I realized how close I had come to a complete
write-off potentially including self.
Damages appear to be:
1. Right float tail submerged and apparently the flow of water over the
top of the float was sufficiently forceful to bend it down and kink it
aft of the step. About 1 inch of bend down and a couple of kinks in the
ribs in the storage compartment just forward of the wheelwell. This
float will be repairable and is judged to be flyable at the moment. The
direction of force on the rear of the float seems somewhat counter
intuitive initially and the only way I can rationalize it is that the
flow over the top was pretty extreme. It still doesn't really wash for
me because the flow under the bottom should have been just as extreme.
2. The thimbles in the x-wires at the front of the floats were flattened
out by the tension exerted, leaving the x-wires slightly slack. No
damage apparent and the other x-wires remained tight.
3. I believe it is fus70, the lower part of the cowling in the FWF area
kinked at the forward hardpoint and resulting in canting the firewall
about an inch backwards at the bottm right. This can be forced and
braced forward for the short flight home from inside the aircraft. This
movement also kinked the upper corner wrap slightly which will
straighten and can be reinforced from inside later. These corners at the
hard points did not have the extra corner wrap which some have added. It
is not at all clear what would have failed if such were present.
4. The rivits on the right door post inside, attaching the panel to the
post sheared as did the top two on the left. Minor kinks occurred at the
bend corners at the top of the panel.
5. A small amount of kink at the right rear hard point visible from
outside the plane and easily repaired.
6. The rear 5 feet of the left inside spray rail was bent down about an
inch by the force of water it was lifting up onto the bottom surface of
the left wing. This doubless made a material contribution to the plane
staying upright.
I reported it as an accident to the TSB, and advised the insurer (COPA)
after hours and have not heard from them yet. I will probably be looking
for some help to fix it up as I did not build the aircraft.
On Saturday we pulled the plane up on land and put it on its wheels with
consideration of flying it home (20 minute flight) off a paved road just
out front of the AME's home. It is still sitting there while I sleep on
this a bit.
There will doubtless be many questions occur to members of the group and
in the interest of safety etc I will be glad to respond to them. As is
obvious by now my bad luck to a sudden turn as well as the aircraft.
Anyone who has seen the aircraft and understands the accident is close
to incredulous at the outcome. So am I! Dr. Wayne's work has certainly
been tested and found to be impressive indeed.
--
Garry Wright
R-068 C-FOKM Amphib
403 931 1573
wrightdg@davincibb.net
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goes at Eagle Lake,AB. (5 km SE Strathmore) The water was glassy, my
descent rate was too high for glassy water, and my location on the lake
was several hundred meters from shore. Approach speed was slightly lower
than I wanted and elevation above the water was indeterminate so I
decided to go around and firewalled the throttle. I thought I was
between 10 and 20 feet above the water or thereabouts and the nose was
still down a bit as I had not entered a flare.
As soon as the throttle was firewalled the left float struck the water
and being in a slight nose down attitude not ready for striking the
water, the left nosewheel cavity grabbed visciously and swung the
aircraft 90 degrees to the direction of flight. Bad luck so far!
In any aircraft but the Rebel and perhaps any but FOKM this would
immediately result in the forward (right) wing digging in and the
aircraft capsizing to the right.
Incredible as this sounds, she did not capsize but stayed upright and
floating. On touching down it stayed pretty much level, skidding
violently to the right until it came to a halt within I'm guessing about
30 meters. With slightly better skill, I beached the aircraft at the
nearest location which just happened to be the home of a retired AME
from Petro Canada.
We inspected the aircraft together and tethered it to shore while my
hand started shaking when I realized how close I had come to a complete
write-off potentially including self.
Damages appear to be:
1. Right float tail submerged and apparently the flow of water over the
top of the float was sufficiently forceful to bend it down and kink it
aft of the step. About 1 inch of bend down and a couple of kinks in the
ribs in the storage compartment just forward of the wheelwell. This
float will be repairable and is judged to be flyable at the moment. The
direction of force on the rear of the float seems somewhat counter
intuitive initially and the only way I can rationalize it is that the
flow over the top was pretty extreme. It still doesn't really wash for
me because the flow under the bottom should have been just as extreme.
2. The thimbles in the x-wires at the front of the floats were flattened
out by the tension exerted, leaving the x-wires slightly slack. No
damage apparent and the other x-wires remained tight.
3. I believe it is fus70, the lower part of the cowling in the FWF area
kinked at the forward hardpoint and resulting in canting the firewall
about an inch backwards at the bottm right. This can be forced and
braced forward for the short flight home from inside the aircraft. This
movement also kinked the upper corner wrap slightly which will
straighten and can be reinforced from inside later. These corners at the
hard points did not have the extra corner wrap which some have added. It
is not at all clear what would have failed if such were present.
4. The rivits on the right door post inside, attaching the panel to the
post sheared as did the top two on the left. Minor kinks occurred at the
bend corners at the top of the panel.
5. A small amount of kink at the right rear hard point visible from
outside the plane and easily repaired.
6. The rear 5 feet of the left inside spray rail was bent down about an
inch by the force of water it was lifting up onto the bottom surface of
the left wing. This doubless made a material contribution to the plane
staying upright.
I reported it as an accident to the TSB, and advised the insurer (COPA)
after hours and have not heard from them yet. I will probably be looking
for some help to fix it up as I did not build the aircraft.
On Saturday we pulled the plane up on land and put it on its wheels with
consideration of flying it home (20 minute flight) off a paved road just
out front of the AME's home. It is still sitting there while I sleep on
this a bit.
There will doubtless be many questions occur to members of the group and
in the interest of safety etc I will be glad to respond to them. As is
obvious by now my bad luck to a sudden turn as well as the aircraft.
Anyone who has seen the aircraft and understands the accident is close
to incredulous at the outcome. So am I! Dr. Wayne's work has certainly
been tested and found to be impressive indeed.
--
Garry Wright
R-068 C-FOKM Amphib
403 931 1573
wrightdg@davincibb.net
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