Emergency: Broken throttle cable

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 10/16/2019 at 16:16 • Filed to: wingspan, Planelopnik

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While flying with his wife and two young children , this pilot experienced a broken throttle cable which, by design, made the engine run at full power. With no way to throttle back, the pilot kept his head and worked with ATC and his wife  to troubleshoot the situation and perform a safe engine cutout landing. Excellent teamwork by all, and their relief as they rolled to a stop is palpable. Rule Number One: Fly the plane.

vicali > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 16:29

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A friend of mine is going through his license process..

me;

ttyymmnn > vicali 10/16/2019 at 16:30

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Have him watch this. It’s good.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 16:31

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Given the choice, I’d rather have all the power than no power.

ttyymmnn > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/16/2019 at 16:35

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Which is why the default position for a broken throttle is full power. The alternative, when you’re flying at 5,000 feet, is less desirable. 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 16:37

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We should make this the default for cars too.  Hold on tight!

ttyymmnn > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/16/2019 at 16:38

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Sorry, officer, my throttle cable broke. No, really! It’s a safety feature. 

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 16:38

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“ Are you, uh, is he in flight?”

“Yes, he is in flight”

“Uh-oh”

ttyymmnn > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: 10/16/2019 at 16:41

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Not what you want to hear. Similarly, I got a really bad case of impetigo on my face many years ago. I went to the ER, and the first thing the young intern said when he looked at me was, “Oh my god.” Thanks, doc. 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 16:41

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Imagine a hellcat driver...

I am pretty sure if I got max power in my Kia/Truck, I could get where I needed to go without incident 

ttyymmnn > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/16/2019 at 16:47

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You say “Hellcat driver” and this is the first thing that comes to my mind:

That’s Alexander Vraciu, certified badass.

This is him after shooting down six Japanese aircraft in eight minutes using only 360 rounds of ammunition during the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, also known as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.

vicali > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 16:50

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sent- it.

McMike > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/16/2019 at 16:53

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Toyota did.  

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 17:06

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The doctor scene from Idiocracy is really resonating with me at the moment.

On topic too. His first wife is a pilot. :D

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 17:10

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I would pay $10 to see a transcript of what her text messages said.

ttyymmnn > McMike 10/16/2019 at 17:10

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That, and I also wondered why she handed him the phone so he could dial the mechanic’s  number when he was busy flying the broken plane.

Chris Clarke > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 18:02

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This wasn’t mentioned in the video, but its very easy to reduce engine speed using the mixture con tr ol.... like so easy its basically a non-event??

ttyymmnn > Chris Clarke 10/16/2019 at 18:08

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There is a guy in the YT comments who points out how this really should have been a non-event. Maybe that guy has more hours, maybe he’s right, but it’s also easy to Monday morning quarterback this, especially if you’re not flying your family. It’s probably also the first serious problem this pilot has had to face on his own in the cockpit. 

wafflesnfalafel > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 18:24

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I had a throttle cable break once, at sea level, in a 1977 VW Kombi van.  Probably not quite as exciting.

ttyymmnn > wafflesnfalafel 10/16/2019 at 18:28

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Yeah, a lot less distance to fall. Probably didn’t stick wide open, either.

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 19:04

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I wasn’t paying that close attention, but I thought she handed it to him so he could unlock it and hand it back. 

Chris Clarke > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 19:19

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Here’s the thing and i’m not one to armchair fly these kind of things. But i wonder if its actually what he did. Its still a serious event, and there are obviously details he left out or are unkn own, but... He never shows the view with the engine cut off or the gear being extended . And between him, the mechanic, and others on the ground, t hey must have figured this out. The video is considerably vague on the actual landing.

ttyymmnn > McMike 10/16/2019 at 19:54

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Couldn’t he just tell her the password. Hell, my wife and I have the same password on our phones. 

ttyymmnn > Chris Clarke 10/16/2019 at 19:57

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Too many details and it fails to be an Instagram moment. 

WilliamsSW > Chris Clarke 10/16/2019 at 20:29

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To some degree yes, adjusting the   mixture will change RPM, but if the engine is running at 2500 rpm, you aren’t going to get it below maybe 21 00 rpm before it gets rough and eventually dies.

Back in the very early days of aviation, some engines ( mostly rotary) did * not* have a throttle. You reduced power via a blip switch that cut the spark. Release it and you got spark and power. You could do similar but with the mixture ( safer and easier than turning the mags on and off). I admittedly didn’t watch the video but assume he did that and eventually pulled it to idle cutoff for a dead stick landing  

McMike > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 21:05

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Mrs McMike and I don’t share passwords on anything.

Even if he wanted to tell her over the com , the kids were also in the cabin. They had headsets too. Never give your kids the passcode. :)

Cash Rewards > ttyymmnn 10/16/2019 at 21:43

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I was once potentially exposed to a very deadly virus in a research setting. Turns out I wasn’t, but  you trigger the safety protocols. I was sent to umd hospital in Baltimore, on MLK Avenue. Walked in to triage, gave my name, and they sent me immediately back. Didn't even sit. People were literally bleeding from head wounds in the waiting room and I sent straight through. Did not help my panic.

ttyymmnn > Cash Rewards 10/16/2019 at 22:03

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And that’s why I’ll never work in a lab. I’ve seen Resident Evil.

Cash Rewards > ttyymmnn 10/17/2019 at 00:04

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That was a fun meeting, the first time through. We assumed it would be the standard (and appropriate) respect the animals talk. No, it was “B virus is lethal in over 80% of untreated cases, and there is no way to prove an animal is not infected, so assume every one is. Here’s your card to keep on you in case you’re found unresponsive.” What the hell? It was basically primate herpes, but things go real bad real fast when it crosses the species barrier. I was stupid and careless and nicked a finger. Untill the tests come back clean (2 weeks) , SOP is dump antivirals in  to be safe. I took a week’s worth of valtrex every day. That was a fun prescription to get filled.

ttyymmnn > Cash Rewards 10/17/2019 at 00:33

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That’s some andromeda strain shit there. I’ve seen the movie where the guy rips his suit. Don’t be that guy!