Incident Nov 29, N180RS Autogyro

Kinetic

Active Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2021
Messages
142
Location
California
Certified Cavalon 915is, N180RS, Lost lane A during takeoff R29, Petaluma Municipal Airport, California.

Lanes A and B are electric fuel pumps.
Lanes A and B passed run ups.
Fuel Pump 2 was activated prior to takeoff (part of my checklist)
Near end of runway, Lane A light went on and stayed on throughout aborted practice/tour flight.
Engine continued to run smoothly.
Advised traffic of possible engine problem and went into closed pattern back to R29.
Landed safely.
Turned off engine after clear of runway, restarted ran rough, turned engine off and pushed it back to the hangar.
Am becoming a test pilot.
 
Was this checked?

 
Was generally aware of that. The mechanics recommendation, as I recall, was to replace the fuel pump at the annual, which is next week for me. I don't have the actual discussion in writing, but that is my memory, based on the serial numbers and ROTAX recommendations as told to me. Another Cavalon, a bit older model that one of my friends owns, did have one of its fuel pumps replaced because the pump was within the serial number series needing immediate replacement.
 
Was generally aware of that. The mechanics recommendation, as I recall, was to replace the fuel pump at the annual, which is next week for me. I don't have the actual discussion in writing, but that is my memory, based on the serial numbers and ROTAX recommendations as told to me. Another Cavalon, a bit older model that one of my friends owns, did have one of its fuel pumps replaced because the pump was within the serial number series needing immediate replacement.
So, is your fuel pump assembly serial nunber within the ones prescribed by the Service Buletin for replacement BEFORE NEXT FLIGHT ???
 
The last flight prior to the incident was, by me, just before lunch today.
I had half a chicken sandwich for lunch with water - my dog ate the rest.
I had about 10 hours of sleep last night and was wearing my polarized vision adjusted glasses.
Weather was VFR.

Additional recent flights in November 2022 were: November 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 15, 19 , 22, 25, and 27th.
You can verify those dates, as well as times, flight paths, heights, and speeds on flightaware.com.
You can, on your own, get all my flights before November 2022 if you want earlier flights on flightaware.com.

Add: my gyro is stored in a hangar. Fuel on takeoff was 22 gallons.
 
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My understanding is that sometime next week I should receive an update.

Peter, I doubt I will go backwards at this point to get the serial number, reread the advisory, and independently confirm if the advisory was complied with. It is pretty obvious to me that mechanics need to comply with the Rotax advisories, and my understanding was they did, and so I will leave it at that. If I was my own mechanic I would also comply with the Rotax advisories.

I'm more interested to determine what failed, getting it fixed, having my annual completed, and getting back into the air.

The system did work as designed in that the gyro kept flying smoothly with Lane B electric fuel pump (assuming the primary fuel pump failed, until I learn more ). I am glad I turned on Pump 2 as per my checklist.
 
My understanding is that sometime next week I should receive an update.

Peter, I doubt I will go backwards at this point to get the serial number, reread the advisory, and independently confirm if the advisory was complied with. It is pretty obvious to me that mechanics need to comply with the Rotax advisories, and my understanding was they did, and so I will leave it at that. If I was my own mechanic I would also comply with the Rotax advisories.

I'm more interested to determine what failed, getting it fixed, having my annual completed, and getting back into the air.

The system did work as designed in that the gyro kept flying smoothly with Lane B electric fuel pump (assuming the primary fuel pump failed, until I learn more ). I am glad I turned on Pump 2 as per my checklist.
Most A&P mechanics would make a log book entry of the serial numbers of the pumps to show compliance with the ASB.

Part of your annual condition inspection will be bringing your log books up to date and showing compliance with the service bulletin.

You as the operator of the aircraft are responsible for this compliance.

§ 91.403 General.

(a) The owner or operator of an aircraft is primarily responsible for maintaining that aircraft in an airworthy condition, including compliance with part 39 of this chapter.

(b) No person may perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations on an aircraft other than as prescribed in this subpart and other applicable regulations, including part 43 of this chapter.

(c) No person may operate an aircraft for which a manufacturer's maintenance manual or instructions for continued airworthiness has been issued that contains an airworthiness limitations section unless the mandatory replacement times, inspection intervals, and related procedures specified in that section or alternative inspection intervals and related procedures set forth in an operations specification approved by the Administrator under part 121 or 135 of this chapter or in accordance with an inspection program approved under § 91.409(e) have been complied with.

(d) A person must not alter an aircraft based on a supplemental type certificate unless the owner or operator of the aircraft is the holder of the supplemental type certificate, or has written permission from the holder.
 
Thanks for the information. I will make use of all of it in due course.
Back to my current painting for now.
 
My understanding is that my gyro should be returned to service very soon, so I should be back up in the air next week. Not only is the Lane A issue being addressed, but I am also having my annual done. ( No, I don't yet have an understanding of the issue)

Am getting some drawings and some paintings done meantime.

Received a personal email, from a member, warning me that the FAA reads the forum emails regarding my check ride comments. I just assumed this was true from the beginning and I stand by all my previous posts. I never post anything anywhere I don't stand by.

I have made a solid effort to get my check ride and stand by my check ride comments. Yes, there are some providers willing to come to Ca, but limiting conditions have always been attached by all the providers I have talked to and no I won't provide a list of the providers I have talked with and their specific limiting conditions.

In general, I have been told: 1) won't come out to CA just to give me a check ride, 2) are busy and don't want to travel, 3) are not Cavalon qualified.

My personal limitations are that I want my check ride done at my location, or within a reasonable flying distance, and in my Cavalon. I have been told by one of the providers to hold onto my personal limitations and don't compromise. Exceeding ones personal limitations is an unsafe habit.

Regardless, I will continue to fly and get sign offs until a provider becomes available based on their limiting conditions. Safety is my top priority and that means flying regularly, among other things.
 
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In general, I have been told: 1) won't come out to CA just to give me a check ride, 2) are busy and don't want to travel, 3) are not Cavalon qualified.

My personal limitations are that I want my check ride done at my location, or within a reasonable flying distance, and in my Cavalon. I have been told by one of the providers to hold onto my personal limitations and don't compromise. Exceeding ones personal limitations is an unsafe habit.

Regardless, I will continue to fly and get sign offs until a provider becomes available based on their limiting conditions. Safety is my top priority and that means flying regularly, among other things.
I find great value in sticking to my personal aviation limits.

At the time I was learning to fly a gyroplane there were no active gyroplane CFIs in California with the nearest one five hundred miles away in Buckeye, Arizona.

To fly to an airport that I had not flown to with my flight instructor I needed to get my cross country plan approved and then the morning of the flight I needed to have it approved again.

My flight instructor was also getting cranky about my third ninety day solo sign off.

I failed my first private pilot, rotorcraft, gyroplane practical test pointing out a particular weakness in my piloting skills.

I missed my first check point on the cross country part of the test.

I flew with my flight instructor to correct the weaknesses that allowed me to miss the check point and took the test a second time and passed my check ride in Buckeye, Arizona.

Having a pilot certificate opened up the world for me and I place great value on the privileges the certificate allows.

I feel I am a better pilot today because of the process and did not feel diminished for my failure.
 
Most of my personal aviation limits were firmed up after going to far and stepping things back a bit.
I suspect the great pilots whose names we all know pushed themselves past their supposed limits continuously.
The difference is to imagine the hazards ahead of time and try to stack the odds in your favor in case something goes wrong.

If we do not keep pushing, then no one would ever progress beyond the PTS standards.
 
Certified Cavalon 915is, N180RS, Lost lane A during takeoff R29, Petaluma Municipal Airport, California.

Lanes A and B are electric fuel pumps.
Lanes A and B passed run ups.
Fuel Pump 2 was activated prior to takeoff (part of my checklist)
Near end of runway, Lane A light went on and stayed on throughout aborted practice/tour flight.
Engine continued to run smoothly.
Advised traffic of possible engine problem and went into closed pattern back to R29.
Landed safely.
Turned off engine after clear of runway, restarted ran rough, turned engine off and pushed it back to the hangar.
Am becoming a test pilot.
My certified Cavalon 915is just did the exact same thing just a fews days ago. It is a 2019 model with 163 total hours.
The engine will still run on Lane A with B off, but will not idle without stopping. it runs like it is not hitting on one or two cylinders.
I installed the latest upgraded fuel pump assembly from Rotax about a year ago and had no more problems with it about 90 hours since.
Before that I had two pump replacements, each failure occurred while on the ground. the pumps got to where they would not run after the engine
was at operating temp. (you can always listen to the buzz) After installing the latest upgraded one I have on now, I put a piece of insulation between the pumps and the hot oil tank. also raised the oil take as far as possible as required in the SB. It seemed to me that heat had alot to do with the premature failure.
Both fuel pumps have and still are working properly even after the continuous yellow light on Lane A failure. I have tried to check all harness
connections but light is still on. Just wandering if I had a fuel injector go bad. my next step is to load onto a trailer and take to a Rotax
dealer about 70 miles away. He will have the correct diagnostic equipment from Rotax to plug into the ECM and check codes for failure.
I believe this will be the fastest and cheapest way to get to the root of the of the problem and replace the defective part if thats
what it happens to be. Just replacing suspected parts any other way can get very expensive.
i will be very interested as to what you fine out about your situation!
 
I will definitely update you as soon as I get the information. Thanks very much for your comments, but sorry you are suffering a similar issue.
 
First Attempt In Learning! ...best ever acronym for FAIL!
Those of us here who have followed Vance's amazing & very determined journey to overcome real challenges to 1 -fly rotorcraft and THEN 2 - (against all odds & opinions) become a highly respected gyro-CFI! ....absolutely appreciate the ups & downs of achieving his level of success!
 
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