drjcustis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2016
- Messages
- 129
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I wanted to start a thread to begin talking about my most recent experience.
I took off from 0R1 in South Alabama on a clear and beautiful night. Climbing quickly to 5500, the plane was flying great. I leveled off and configured for cruise flight. About 5 minutes in, I noticed the EGTs on cylinder one dropped. The JPI 700 was set to Normalize view, I switched that and enriched the mixture and immediately the readings returned to normal.
I continued the flight but noticed the EGTs had some minor fluctuations, about 5-10 degrees on each cylinder. I had no explanation for those readings.
In retrospect, the plane had a minor vibration. That vibration did not register to me while flying.
About 20 minutes later I noticed that the autopilot was not tracking the GPS correctly. I was consistently a few degrees left of course. I switched to Heading mode and initially, the autopilot tracked the heading bug correctly but then that worsened.
By now, I'm in contact with KBHM approach control and being vectored. I decided to disconnect the autopilot and hand fly the plane. Suddenly I'm in a 30 degree left banking turn. Strong right aileron input and the plane is level.
I called approach and told them of my problem with the plane and asked for direct into KBHM's runway 36 (I was being vectored to 24 and was almost directly south of the airport and about 10-12 miles out). Control declared the emergency. I made a straight in approach and landed with near complete right aileron input (winds were calm).
Fire trucks followed me to a normal taxi to the FBO.
Post flight inspection was surprising but I'd like to discuss the decisions and thoughts up to this point.
Thanks.
I took off from 0R1 in South Alabama on a clear and beautiful night. Climbing quickly to 5500, the plane was flying great. I leveled off and configured for cruise flight. About 5 minutes in, I noticed the EGTs on cylinder one dropped. The JPI 700 was set to Normalize view, I switched that and enriched the mixture and immediately the readings returned to normal.
I continued the flight but noticed the EGTs had some minor fluctuations, about 5-10 degrees on each cylinder. I had no explanation for those readings.
In retrospect, the plane had a minor vibration. That vibration did not register to me while flying.
About 20 minutes later I noticed that the autopilot was not tracking the GPS correctly. I was consistently a few degrees left of course. I switched to Heading mode and initially, the autopilot tracked the heading bug correctly but then that worsened.
By now, I'm in contact with KBHM approach control and being vectored. I decided to disconnect the autopilot and hand fly the plane. Suddenly I'm in a 30 degree left banking turn. Strong right aileron input and the plane is level.
I called approach and told them of my problem with the plane and asked for direct into KBHM's runway 36 (I was being vectored to 24 and was almost directly south of the airport and about 10-12 miles out). Control declared the emergency. I made a straight in approach and landed with near complete right aileron input (winds were calm).
Fire trucks followed me to a normal taxi to the FBO.
Post flight inspection was surprising but I'd like to discuss the decisions and thoughts up to this point.
Thanks.
