USN Approach Magazine - April 1994

[ChuckMK23]

Found this little gem as I move into new condo - with your's truly in BZ section. I had the distinct privilege of meeting with CNATRA himself, and flying a fam flight with him to recreate the incident (not fun, really) he bought the beer at the Whiting O'club after!

 

[HuggyU2]

I'd give you a BZ... but I'll have to get it approved through AF channels!!

Seriously though, well done!! And good history.

 

[Griz882]

Very cool @ChuckMK23! Did the SNA stay composed or just hold on screaming?

 

[Randy Daytona]

Found this little gem as I move into new condo - with your's truly in BZ section. I had the distinct privilege of meeting with CNATRA himself, and flying a fam flight with him to recreate the incident (not fun, really) he bought the beer at the Whiting O'club after!

View attachment 16635

Cool. Always be ready for that simulated engine failure to become real if the little C20 doesn't wind back up.

Not sure if you give simulated engine failures enroute to the field anymore, I know they got rid of instrument autorotations a while back as well. With any luck, the syllabus is changing to get rid of stuff like NDB approaches and instead concentrate on ILS and GPS (both LNAV and WAAS LPV) approaches as well as simulated TACAN approaches to the ship.

 

[squorch2]

Simulated engine failures became much more tightly controlled after an SNA lost his life during one.

 

[Flash]

Found this little gem as I move into new condo - with your's truly in BZ section. I had the distinct privilege of meeting with CNATRA himself, and flying a fam flight with him to recreate the incident (not fun, really) he bought the beer at the Whiting O'club after!

View attachment 16635

Is the 57 that small or are you just a big dude?

 

[Gatordev]

Is the 57 that small or are you just a big dude?

Yes. Keep in mind, they're generally flying with two studs to and from the OLFs, so coming from NDZ with as much gas as the bird can take (which doesn't always mean it's full), and 3 people (one of them being Chuck), it's pretty much at weight (3200# if I'm remembering correctly).

 

[Randy Daytona]

Yes. Keep in mind, they're generally flying with two studs to and from the OLFs, so coming from NDZ with as much gas as the bird can take (which doesn't always mean it's full), and 3 people (one of them being Chuck), it's pretty much at weight (3200# if I'm remembering correctly).

3,200 lbs is correct. If memory serves, there is a STC on the 206B to go to 3,350 lbs but involves stronger crosstubes, thus when you have a hard landing the expensive frame bends instead of the cheap crosstubes. Navy, correctly, decided the juice wasn't worth the squeeze.

 

[squorch2]

Ah, the days of MGW (and then some) takeoffs...

 

[Randy Daytona]

Ah, the days of MGW (and then some) takeoffs...

View attachment 16649

Did they ever decide to start pulling the fuel boost circuit breakers before beginning the 2 minute cooldown or do they leave them in the whole time during the shutdown?

 

[squorch2]

Left them in. New type of batteries means low voltage starts are rare.

 

[Gatordev]

What was max fuel? 91 gallons? I was trying to remember earlier. And how quaint, having to measure your fuel in gallons and not pounds. Barbaric.

 

[DanMa1156]

No more sim engine failures away from the fields - also because there were getting to be too many "slow to spool" incidents. Current NATOPS says 3200# is max GW, but 3350 with external cargo operations.

 

[squorch2]

What was max fuel? 91 gallons? I was trying to remember earlier. And how quaint, having to measure your fuel in gallons and not pounds. Barbaric.

Yup, 91. Which is to say that's when fuel starts sloshing out of the tank.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Very cool @ChuckMK23! Did the SNA stay composed or just hold on screaming?

The SNA up front was surprisingly collected - I remember turning to him and asking "that twist grip is full open right" - since there is a visible mark on the pilot/students side. I had the surprising forsight to have the SNA verify Ng/TOT as well - which helped in the safety investigation afterwards.

The poor student in the back had no idea what the hell was going on - next thing he knew we were plowing rows in a peanut field.

The aircraft was completely unscathed save for the broken fuel control. Its a testament to the Bell 206 rather than my pilot skills (and I am not being modest) - as you all know its an relatively forgiving airplane and on top of that, the full touchdown autorotation was a maneuver I practiced and demonstrated daily.