scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Today i maidened my second eflite t34 , i love my original but this new one i have constructed with a hacker power system, i was over the moon earlier to have a break in the weather so opened the back door and walked over to my strip, pre flight check and she rose into the sky after 6 minutes it was so cold my thumbs where stiff so i decided its time to come down, thats when i noticed a few bystanders at the edge of the farm, a man came over and asked if i could do a loop for his son (i also fly cap 3D) . i said no problem even though my thumbs where unbearable to move, so i gained sufficient height, nose down a tad then as i climbeb over the top , backed the power off a tad to bring her round in a nice smooth scale like manner , then whoops my thumb slips and hits the power switch, booommmm!!! Lesson learned today is always listen to youre head, heart and experience. It happens to us all ( though most always blame the aircraft) , i put my hands up straight away and admited that horrible pilot error, anyways back to the man and his son, his son turned to his dad and said can we go now planes are rubbish! So instead of my single glass of port tonight with my feet up staring at my new friend, its the bottle haha Edited By scott finnie on 13/11/2012 15:50:17 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Haycox Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 It's been a few months since I lost my E-flite Extra 300 due to pilot error but still find it necessary to go to the pub every week to help me get over it Nev. Edited By Racing Snake on 13/11/2012 16:05:00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Posted by Racing Snake on 13/11/2012 16:01:16: A few months ago I lost my E-flite Extra 300 due to pilot error but still find it necessary to go to the pub every week to help me get over it Nev. Yeah maybe i'll go with you're idea , suppose it could take months to get over her :$ Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Haycox Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Is it repairable? it looks like it may well be. My Extra ended up in a bag Nev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowerman Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Been there, lots of times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 The front end damage is well...., litered across our field and in it, im surprised at how well the wings coped since it was a nasty thump, i'll hide it at the back of the workshop for a week then will have a closer look at it, i'm sure it will be re-born again , there was a flycam eco onboard but i cant find it so might have some interesting footage of the crash too, the bottom field where it came down is marshland , fingers crossed RS, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 also so much for my nylon bolts breaking in an event of hard landing haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Harris Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 It happens but I think it is more of a relief knowing that it was a dumb thumb moment. The worrying thing for me is when I have no idea what caused the crash. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 I agree Richard, ive had a few of them too and one in january where i believed it was my radio but it came back clean from HH , still never got to the bottom of it Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Haycox Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 My Extra just feel from the sky, I blamed myself but I'm still not sure as to the true cause, I suspect brown out. Do you think I should have the radio (DX8) checked at HH? I have'nt used it radio since. Nev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom T Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Posted by scott finnie on 13/11/2012 15:49:55: anyways back to the man and his son, his son turned to his dad and said can we go now planes are rubbish! Clearly doesn't know whats right for him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Posted by Racing Snake on 13/11/2012 17:06:11: My Extra just feel from the sky, I blamed myself but I'm still not sure as to the true cause, I suspect brown out. Do you think I should have the radio (DX8) checked at HH? I have'nt used it radio since. Nev. Nev if it means you'll use the radio again then it's probably worth sending it back. Mind you the words "brown out" refer to the receiver voltage going so low that the receiver can't continue to function. So sending the transmitter back isn't going to help with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 9 Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Posted by Racing Snake on 04/09/2012 11:05:35: I took the Extra up for only its second and last flight yesterday. After performing a range check and that all control surfaces were good, I took off. After just one circuit and flying straight and level I glanced down to find my elevator trim switch, when I looked back up she appeared to have rolled to the right and gone into a nose dive. I tried everthing to save her but she didn't respond to anything I did, it all happened so quick. I don't think fail-safe kicked in as she went in under power, infact I believe she throttled up without command, can this happen with an ESC (Eflite 60amp)? or did I just imagin it !!! Because she was so badly damaged, including battery fire, I couldn't determine what if anything had failed, but I found nothing obvious, the radio still works as does all servos, the motor looks ok but have yet to test it, the ESC is to damaged to test. I don't think I was flying slow enough for her to stall so I'm left wondering if she failed me or I failed her, any thoughs? Nev. I dont think the above sounds like a brown out. Edited By Phil B on 13/11/2012 17:41:03 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 The moral there I'm afraid is never take your eyes off the model - not even for an instant. Really you should be able to find your trim switches without looking - if you can't then you need to practice until you can! You can practice sitting watching the telly! If you really have to look at the Tx (and it should only be in extremis) then lift it up so that you can see it and the model behind it at the same time. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Racing Snake i'd send it back to HH , they checked mine over within 2 weeks and it was back with a test report Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 I always consider that admitting to pilot error is a major step to becoming a better pilot. I wonder what percentage of accidents are really due to anything else? The only 100% radio equipment fault I've had that comes to mind was when the aileron stick quadrant failed, locking the aileron stick over to one side when flying my rather feisty Christen Eagle. 100% not my fault. Not a shred of doubt that it was just bad luck. Couldn't possibly have been my fault. Except that a couple of weeks before, I'd noticed a hairline crack in the plastic... Edited By Martin Harris on 13/11/2012 19:01:23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Posted by Tom T on 13/11/2012 17:12:11: Posted by scott finnie on 13/11/2012 15:49:55: anyways back to the man and his son, his son turned to his dad and said can we go now planes are rubbish! Clearly doesn't know whats right for him! Tom the youngster and his dad really annoyed me, both grinnin away at how i'd just wrecked my aircraft, they where off within a flash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Posted by Martin Harris on 13/11/2012 19:00:31: I always consider that admitting to pilot error is a major step to becoming a better pilot. I wonder what percentage of accidents are really due to anything else? The only 100% radio equipment fault I've had that comes to mind was when the aileron stick quadrant failed, locking the aileron stick over to one side when flying my rather feisty Christen Eagle. 100% not my fault. Not a shred of doubt that it was just bad luck. Couldn't possibly have been my fault. Except that a couple of weeks before, I'd noticed a hairline crack in the plastic... Edited By Martin Harris on 13/11/2012 19:01:23 Martin , I remember years ago when i got my first computer radio futaba t9cap and i'd been having a touchy feely of the buttons and rates (not understanding most of them) then destroyed my spitfire in the process, i argued for years it wasnt my fault . Sadly sometimes we fly another aircraft then forget to change the settings over to fly the next (i mainly fly dx10t now) then whoops you find you forgot to reverse that servo and crash! not many have it to admit a simple error. I feel its better to put youre hands up and get the heat off youre chest than hold onto it, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott finnie Posted November 13, 2012 Author Share Posted November 13, 2012 Racing Snake, send both you're tx and youre rx even if the latter has been damaged in the crash, its amazing what they can diagnose and if it comes back its not youre fault id bet they'll replace everything all at there cost, HH look after most of there customers with the greatest care. One of my first Eflite Apprentices i flew last year , the battery compartement fell out mid flight, amazingly it glided on a few hundred yards and land with only a few rashes, HH replaced the whole aircraft and allowed me to keep the original too, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Flying last year i was flying my late dads 20 year old Cessna. She had a strong tip stall and would bite if you threw her around. While doing some approches I overshot the runway. I powered up and banked left while climbing. The Cessna very slowly rolled over and went nose in. It felt like I had not control but it was my fault I had stalled it. The radio and equipment in that plane now fly my P40 without any issues. It takes a lot for a pilot to admit it was his mistake . We can blame the radio and in some cases it is but in most crashes are pilot error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Years ago I was bringing my Detroit Custom Cruiser into a landing. I had the throttle stick back as far as it would go but needed to reduce the revs still further so I reached over with my thumb for the throttle trim, keeping my eyes on the model at the same time. Suddenly the model went into a series of erratic gyrations and ended up in the upper branches of a tree. I had done what Scott had done. I had over-reached and switch off the transmitter. On the Sanwa Conquest, the transmitter is in the middle of the transmitter. On every other transmitter I've subsequently used it has been on the bottom right. It cost me £20 to hire a tree surgeon to rescue the model which was repairable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouncebounce crunch Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Don't be ridiculous Scott. That is for your clubmates to decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Brown 3 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 You lot are beginning to put me off, have i realy got all this to come? best to be positive i think as i believe everything should be experienced at least once. (hope mine are few) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 In my flying career all crashes were caused by pilot error. Every single time I go out, I take few bags in case aircraft needs to get back home in a little different way. It is not nice feeling, but crashes are the part of the hobby. Good thing tho - it happens even to the best pilots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangental Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Ooh! So many to choose from. Let me see now. Yes, stood and watched with siezed brain cogs as my prize Acrowot flew purposefully into the upper branches of a tall tree, I know it was 45ft up as I had to climb and pull up, remount and climb my 10ft ladder 4 times. Standing procariously on a dubious branch I was poking it with an extended broom when a little boy threw up a metal toy with knitting yarn attached, hooked over the Acrowot and pulled it down. Suddenly realising where I was and what I was doing I froze. It took 3 hours and a fire crew to get me down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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