A big thank you to PE

[RiteFlyer]

I just wanted to say thanks to all at PE. I just passed the V1 test (thanks controller- should have gotten your name!). I have been tweaking my sim to get things just right, and to make it as realistic as possible so I haven’t had much time to actually fly with PE. Training on the desktop just wasn’t doing it for me so I built a sim out of a C172 fuselage. PE is an invaluable training aid and really makes a HUGE difference in training and immersion.

The biggest reason I want to thank everyone at PE is that you are really helping me get “back on the horse” after I survived what should have been a fatal crash earlier this year. I was a copilot-seat passenger aboard a high-performance pressurized twin on an instrument flight that ended up in an approach-turn stall at minimums. We impacted terrain at 130+ kias (yes it’s a hot airplane) and the airplane was totaled. We should have rolled and impacted inverted, but I suppose the good Lord decided it wasn’t our time.

I’m a real world student pilot (C152) at a towered field but I haven’t flown myself since the crash, though I have ridden along on two local flights in C182s in good weather. PE is just what I need and I can’t wait to get back in the saddle for real. You guys rock.

Scott (RiteFlyer)

[Keith Smith]

Scott, thanks for posting that. That's an amazing story! I hope your recovery continues to go well, and that we can help you get back on the aviation horse.

Kevin Meyers was your controller for the V-1 rating (I'm processing the test result as we speak).

[RiteFlyer]

Thanks, Keith. Looking forward to lots of sim time. Kevin, thanks for the quick V1 test, and thanks for throwing in the “idents”-- I didn’t have that one mapped to a physical button so I had to try to use my wireless miniboard touchpad to hit it while keeping level. That’ll teach me!

My kind of recycling program...

cessna_sim.JPG (57.37 KiB) Viewed 5453 times

[Kevin_atc]

and thanks for throwing in the “idents”

It was a pleasure controlling you this afternoon. The several "idents" were due to the fact that I had some real-world pilots checking out the control facility and radar scope and they were curious as to what an "ident" looked like from the controllers' point of view. Simply put, when you hit the "ident" button, your datatag will flash on a controller's scope.

We look forward to getting you through all of the ratings here on PE and I'm glad you're here with us today.

[Daddy O]

Yep, a simulator is my favorite place to practice ifr approaches at minimum, and its just as scary in a sim for some reason.

[RiteFlyer]

Yes it is, and I don't plan on shooting any real-world approaches down to minimums, but later on just in case I need to, I will be practicing many on X-Plane and PE. I've seen first hand how quickly things can go bad, but am a firm believer in simulation as a training tool.

[Sabre]

I've seen first hand how quickly things can go bad...

RiteFlyer, if you don't mind and when you have time, could you share what and how it happened in more details from the moment you got into that seat, or you noticed something went wrong on?

Yes, I subscribe to the thanks to PE, the service gives me loads of fun and motivation.

Cheers,
Sabre.

[RiteFlyer]

RiteFlyer, if you don't mind and when you have time, could you share what and how it happened in more details from the moment you got into that seat, or you noticed something went wrong on?

Yes, I subscribe to the thanks to PE, the service gives me loads of fun and motivation.

Cheers,
Sabre.

Sabre,

To quickly summarize without too many details (the pilot is a friend of mine) we left IFR to 10,000 ft above the overcast (my first IFR flight in IMC) and it was great to be “on top” for the first time. ATC guided our descent and eventually let us go when we were close. We broke out at minimums just left of runway alignment. We were not in a position to land, so I assumed we would initiate a missed approach. The pilot instead made a left circle-to-land, and we were still ducking in and out of the low overcast, “scud-running.” As we came to the approach end threshold again, I suppose the pilot had a case of “get-there-itis” and made a steep turn to final. The airplane stalled and we plummeted.

I remember looking at the yokes-- they were both to the right stops and we were still rolling left. I remember having to look UP at the runway. I noticed that there was a field that was made up of perfectly straight, newly plowed rows that were perpendicular to the runway. The pilot shoved both throttles fully forward and I heard both Lycoming engines roaring, though I knew at this point there was no way we could overpower the stall in time--(the down side of knowing too much) I remember thinking that my two boys will be upset when they hear I’ve been killed in a crash...

I knew if we impacted at that crazy angle we would cartwheel and disintegrate. As the ground filled the windscreen quickly, I called out for some help from Above, and I suppose the propwash from those six blades created enough airflow over the rudder and/or the ailerons to get us rolling back to an almost-level attitude just before we hit. We impacted the field to the right of the runway at an estimated 130 kts, slightly nose-low and left-wing-low. I cannot describe the impact. We slid laterally for a football field or two, then spun around to a stop facing the direction of our initial approach.

Master off, and we climbed out. Obviously all gear were collapsed, the left main gear folded up into the wing, rupturing the fuel tank. Avgas poured into the moist soil, and I remember thinking that it will surely kill the new green sprouts that were poking through the tops of the rows. Strange what your mind thinks of at inopportune times. I remember looking at the runway under the dark gray mist as emergency vehicles roared up, and being thankful that we didn’t hit there as we surely would have been a fireball.


SO... Lessons learned: If you’re not sure you can make an approach, DON’T TRY. GO MISSED. If you don’t HAVE to get there-- DON’T. Get out of there and go somewhere else and have an adventure.

Safely.

[Keith Smith]

That was chilling. I'm so glad you posted it as it may well save the life of one or more readers (including me) one day.

Was was especially chilling was that it made me think of this video, and I apologize in advance for making a "me too" post, but I think this is completely relevant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaVs2fDaClU

Watch it from the 5 min mark, and listen to the comments at the 6 min mark. It's crazy how similar the situation was, and how I could've ended up in precisely the same boat.

That was my first time circling at those kind of altitudes and distances. It's actually a shame that circling isn't given more weight during the IFR training.

[RiteFlyer]

I had goosebumps watching that vid. If anything good came out of my experience, I would love for it to be that others learn from it as I have. Yeah, you could probably make that approach -- the ceiling will surely lift before you get there...

...or will it?