(eventually tracked down to probably carb ice in the climb because I was leaning a little for best power and in retrospect shouldn't have)
G,
Why do you say you shouldn't have? Why would leaning for best power increase your likelyhood of carb ice?
dp
Hello!
I have not declared an emergency so far, although I could have several times. It simply didn't cross my mind to do it, because all were situations that I had been trained for and I never felt that there was "grave an imminent danger" as the textbook says. Told ATC about or problem, they instantly knew what to do and did what needed to be done.
Three engine failures in piston twins, two total electrical failures - one of them in a single, the other in a twin, a prop-deice failure in moderate to severe icing (that was the nastiest one of them all) and a decompression in the jet.
Never declared an official emergency.
Once simply declared I was going to land at a military airport due to bad weather, ATC didn't blink and advised where the thunderstorms were sitting around the field and to land after the cable.
Another time, rough running engine some ten minutes after take off from Sofia, Bulgaria and I requested a return priority landing. Upon landing the tiny Cessna was followed by 20 little yellow cars and two gigantic fire engines. Issue due to bad fuel.
Once... cracked cylinder head at about 250 feet on departure from shoreham... few flames bellowed around the cowling while the cyclinder failed... pants became soiled; and the tower certainly didn't need the radio to hear my mayday call.
G,
Why do you say you shouldn't have? Why would leaning for best power increase your likelyhood of carb ice?
dp
Not quite.
What we decided almost certainly happened is that leaning at low level when it probably wasn't really beneficial, combined with likely a little bit of carb ice (flying ~90%RH but lowish TWC) that normally I'd not have noticed, was giving me the starts of a lean cut.
After I'd thought it through, I did basically the same trip in the same conditions, but fully rich, and had no problem.
G
Thanks G.
I was starting to think that there was something important about carb icing that I'd totally missed ;)
I never felt that there was "grave an imminent danger" as the textbook says
I consider a Pan necessary if you are not going to follow normal ATC/Conventions etc. I witnessed (and heard the radio) a Sonerai engine failure in the circuit at an airfield with no air traffic service. The pilot said he was coming in, and asked a C152 to get off the runway. With no indication of an emergency, the instructor told the student to take-off. The landing Sonerai overtook the Cessna, and passed it as it took off.
[edited to fix text formatting]
Some years ago I was caught out by very unforcast and very severe weather whilst quite near to Luton. So in the interests of prolonging life I called Luton and asked for vectors to the runway because of imminent danger (in my view) from a TS. Vectors duly given and at the time I was about 15 minutes from the threshold. When asked how much fuel was on board I stated quite correctly I had in excess of 1 1/2 hours. Duly landed and met by a "follow me" vehicle. I had in those days been a frequent visitor to Luton which was before Easy Jet went there. I left about 1 hour later after the storm had passed through. No great drama of course BUT on reading the CAA SRG reports some months later all I can say is that the report filed by Luton was just so far from the truth as to be laughable. According to them - They diverted in-bounds, I delared a fuel emergency etc etc. I decided to take this up with SRG and was advised to simply forget the whole thing because they would! Moral is - do not believe all you read, not even in official publications.
in the interests of prolonging life I called Luton and asked for vectors to the runway because of imminent danger (in my view) from a TS
Of course you have to do what you think is right. Did they charge you? I guess not. Did you consider Panshanger which is 2 or 3 nm just out of interest?
Yes they did charge me, and it was a substantial amount. In view of the speed with which the storm appeared to be moving Luton was nearest and considered my best option. I just think the report they sent to CAA was such a travesty of the facts. Sadly there seems to be little one could do about such things or indeed bother about it. Just another "hit" against GA by the commercial boys!
