REFLECTOR: Flight control and door opening on lift off

[RBrim]

Terry,

That is from the write-up I did for the Velocity Views years ago.  This is the scenario that happened to me shortly after lift-off.

Ultimately I ended up in a 60 degree bank, with the plane stalling and my nose up (I was still trying to climb out) – essentially in a spiral.  I realized I had 2 seconds before I was going to crash in this guy’s roof that was rapidly looking like my destination.  I was probably a hundred feet above his house.  I threw the nose down at his house and just before I hit, I got enough speed and kicked the opposite rudder and it came out of the spiral and leveled out.  I then turned the other direction after getting blocked on putting it down on the strip by someone taxing out and that’s when I found out I could turn into the door and the plane would bank without starting an uncontrolled roll.  Definitely a very scary ride.  That’s when I resolved to never have a door that could bit me again like that if I forgot to ensure it was locked.

 

Rodney Brim, 

Performance Solutions Technology, LLC

Ph. (707) 487-3000 | Skype. rbatpst
Blog -  www.ManagePro.com/Blog

 

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Terry Miles
Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 4:48 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: REFLECTOR: Flight control and door opening on lift off

 

 

 

Hi,

I found this in my stuff on door opening.  

Any comments?

It sounds like what happened to Al was that he was in high speed and the door just ripped right off.  What if it happens on lift off or shortly after? 

Terry

Door Open in Flight (Always turn into the door)

I had a near fatal encounter with the door opening and not coming off.  I sent in some suggestions to the factory, which should be part of all your emergency procedures.  I have since re-hinged my doors from the front, and they open quite nicely in flight without creating any problems - although I can't close them once they are open until I'm back on the ground ;)

 

Bottom Line:  If the door pops all the way open and doesn't tear off,  (which mine didn't, in my case it was the co-pilot door and it swung all the way up and I couldn't reach it) you will be in an emergency. 

1. The aircraft will be moderately directionally unstable - you now have a dorsal fin of sorts in the middle of the aircraft and the plane wants to wander around that center - its still quite flyable.

 

2. The curved door is a spin waiting to happen.  As soon as you turn away from the door, the plane will begin an involuntary roll away from the door, and drag will increase quickly.  You will be in what would be a stall-spin configuration in a conventional plane.  Speed will be dropping like a rock, as will the plane, and you're best efforts to stop the spin and return to straight and level will result in a bank exceeding 60 degrees.  In my case I was departing the airport at 200 feet agl.  At this altitude, once you initiate a roll, you will have less than 5 seconds to get it right or meet your Maker.

3. Don't turn away from an open door in a Velocity.  Turn into it, you'll pin it against the fuselage and stabilize it against the air frame.  You'll have tremendous drag, but its flyable.  I have 325 hp and I could maintain altitude at full power.

 

4. With all the drag, the plane is going to feel like the gear is hanging out.  In all the noise and confusion, charts flying around, you won't be able to hear through your headset -  remember that the gear isn't down (I didn't) but don't drop it until you've made the field, because it obviously will create even more drag.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Rodney Brim, 

 

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