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Famous Last Words
- Thread starter Nickodell
- Start date
skywords
Donation Time
oops
I'll share a story my dear ol Dad tells of his days flying for TWA. I hope I don't screw it up Dad.
He flew the pacific as a captain on Boeing 707 freighters and troop transport duty during Nam. It was one of those late night stop overs at the bustling island of Guam. During the engine start of the number four engine they spooled it up but to no avail. It was then that he noticed that the ignitor breaker was poped or pulled. Before he could say anything more the flight engineer reached up and said I'll get it!and pushed it in. The fire ball could be seen half way around the world. My Dad said all he could see was the natives running as fast as they could away from the aircraft.
So that's my entry:
I'LL GET IT!
I'll share a story my dear ol Dad tells of his days flying for TWA. I hope I don't screw it up Dad.
He flew the pacific as a captain on Boeing 707 freighters and troop transport duty during Nam. It was one of those late night stop overs at the bustling island of Guam. During the engine start of the number four engine they spooled it up but to no avail. It was then that he noticed that the ignitor breaker was poped or pulled. Before he could say anything more the flight engineer reached up and said I'll get it!and pushed it in. The fire ball could be seen half way around the world. My Dad said all he could see was the natives running as fast as they could away from the aircraft.
So that's my entry:
I'LL GET IT!
Nickodell
Donation Time
Rick: Your amusing anecdote about your dad, and Jan's phrase, reminds me of one I witnessed. I was sitting in a deck-chair on a nice spring afternoon in 1993, watching the maintenance crew pre-flighting our Victors for a night-flying exercise, when we heard pandemonium from one dispersal.
One of the jobs of the engine fitters was to inspect the air intakes for the turbines to see if any debris, bird's nests etc. had got in since the last flight, despite the baffles that were always fitted immediatley after landing and parking. To do this he had to slide down the wing-root air intakes, a distance of some 8 feet with a 15 degree down-slope, and not a job for the claustrophobic. To ensure that nobody could start the engines while he was there, the AEO's panel contained removable engine-start and ignitor circuit breakers, and standard practice before entering the intakes was to remove the breakers and stow them in a pouch. Everyone involved in servicing the plane knew not to replace breakers unless you were the one who had removed them!
Anyhow, while the poor schlub was inspecting the first-stage compressor fan blades, another fitter, who had accidentally entered the wrong aircraft to do the same job, saw the breakers were out and probably said something like "duh, wonder why these are out? Guess I'll just put them back." Which he did, and then pressed the test button for the ignitors.
Poor fitter #1, hearing the loud CRACK! CRACK! a few feet in front of him, indicating an engine start, exited the air intake like a cork out of a bottle and then fell some 10 feet onto the concrete, the other fitter having conveniently moved the access platform.
The pandemonium was due to fitter #1 chasing fitter #2 across the airfield, wielding a long wrench. I am told that #1's hair turned white overnight, but can't confirm it.
So I guess this one would be "I wonder why these are out. I'll just put them back."
One of the jobs of the engine fitters was to inspect the air intakes for the turbines to see if any debris, bird's nests etc. had got in since the last flight, despite the baffles that were always fitted immediatley after landing and parking. To do this he had to slide down the wing-root air intakes, a distance of some 8 feet with a 15 degree down-slope, and not a job for the claustrophobic. To ensure that nobody could start the engines while he was there, the AEO's panel contained removable engine-start and ignitor circuit breakers, and standard practice before entering the intakes was to remove the breakers and stow them in a pouch. Everyone involved in servicing the plane knew not to replace breakers unless you were the one who had removed them!
Anyhow, while the poor schlub was inspecting the first-stage compressor fan blades, another fitter, who had accidentally entered the wrong aircraft to do the same job, saw the breakers were out and probably said something like "duh, wonder why these are out? Guess I'll just put them back." Which he did, and then pressed the test button for the ignitors.
Poor fitter #1, hearing the loud CRACK! CRACK! a few feet in front of him, indicating an engine start, exited the air intake like a cork out of a bottle and then fell some 10 feet onto the concrete, the other fitter having conveniently moved the access platform.
The pandemonium was due to fitter #1 chasing fitter #2 across the airfield, wielding a long wrench. I am told that #1's hair turned white overnight, but can't confirm it.
So I guess this one would be "I wonder why these are out. I'll just put them back."
weaselkeeper
Silver Level Sponsor
More famous last words.
The three most dangerous words a man can say to his mad ex-wife...... "Go ahead, shoot!"
Another warning of airplane talk.
I was launching an RF-4C one beautiful day on the flightline and the pilot remembered everything on engine start except the ignition part . #2 spooled up like normal under external air, but didn't lite. About that time, excess fuel started running out and as I was backing away from the jet, I said "Don't hit the Ign....." that's all I got out of my mouth before I hear "Oh" from the front seat and then the fireball...... The backseaters eyes got really big as he ground egressed the aircraft (needlessly). Unfortunatly, in doing so, the egress guys had to come put the seat back together before we could fly it later that same day.
One day, tell you how one of our pilots got the name "Torch".
The three most dangerous words a man can say to his mad ex-wife...... "Go ahead, shoot!"
Another warning of airplane talk.
I was launching an RF-4C one beautiful day on the flightline and the pilot remembered everything on engine start except the ignition part . #2 spooled up like normal under external air, but didn't lite. About that time, excess fuel started running out and as I was backing away from the jet, I said "Don't hit the Ign....." that's all I got out of my mouth before I hear "Oh" from the front seat and then the fireball...... The backseaters eyes got really big as he ground egressed the aircraft (needlessly). Unfortunatly, in doing so, the egress guys had to come put the seat back together before we could fly it later that same day.
One day, tell you how one of our pilots got the name "Torch".
Pumpkin
Donation Time
fire fire!
Along time ago and a land far away, I was inspecting a back section of a T-33 At the Portland Air Base, They(during an alert) had told me to check out the cone and the last ring of blades on the engine prior to check out.. Whilst in the hole,,say exaust tube here". I felt the climbing around and hearing talking around the air craft,, NOW insert STUPID pilots" didn't look or do a walk around, sat down in the seat and started the fire. I skooted out real quick, and land on the ramp just as fire was following me out.
As I made my way calmly to the pair of PILOTS of low grade lewtentants, barely shaveable and told them how to GET THE HE<<< OUT OF MY Air Craft!! Then they proceeded to say how they could make my life hard, if I said any thing.. I was on the ladder at the cockpit, and had my hand down on the main handle "Color RED " for fast egress. And calmly ask them to get out befor I let them out..
Some how I never made much grade in the Air Force... BUt I still wonder if I would have pulled up.
Another AirForce thing, Pilots walk around,,, F-102 fully loaded for a round robin to New Mexico training shoot, the pilot starts the walk around with the forms and a hard bound booklet ,,required to look and see .. He puts th eforms and allin the INTAKE,, nuff said" At the ramp and rolling start cracks after burner,, sucks in the forms and all." Nannner Engine change and ,,,biggy smiles from me..
Ah jeezs, how did I get on this subject,,???
Chuck
Along time ago and a land far away, I was inspecting a back section of a T-33 At the Portland Air Base, They(during an alert) had told me to check out the cone and the last ring of blades on the engine prior to check out.. Whilst in the hole,,say exaust tube here". I felt the climbing around and hearing talking around the air craft,, NOW insert STUPID pilots" didn't look or do a walk around, sat down in the seat and started the fire. I skooted out real quick, and land on the ramp just as fire was following me out.
As I made my way calmly to the pair of PILOTS of low grade lewtentants, barely shaveable and told them how to GET THE HE<<< OUT OF MY Air Craft!! Then they proceeded to say how they could make my life hard, if I said any thing.. I was on the ladder at the cockpit, and had my hand down on the main handle "Color RED " for fast egress. And calmly ask them to get out befor I let them out..
Some how I never made much grade in the Air Force... BUt I still wonder if I would have pulled up.
Another AirForce thing, Pilots walk around,,, F-102 fully loaded for a round robin to New Mexico training shoot, the pilot starts the walk around with the forms and a hard bound booklet ,,required to look and see .. He puts th eforms and allin the INTAKE,, nuff said" At the ramp and rolling start cracks after burner,, sucks in the forms and all." Nannner Engine change and ,,,biggy smiles from me..
Ah jeezs, how did I get on this subject,,???
Chuck
Nickodell
Donation Time
There's been a few fatalities on the ground caused by accidental firing of an ejector seat. In the Victor (and most other Brit. aircraft) it was/is fired by pulling down a D-shaped ring that both set off the ejector charge and also provided a face-shield to prevent having your cheeks ripped off at 600 mph.
Unfortunately, that ring was in exactly the place where you would automatically reach up to pull yourself out of the seat. On landing, unless you were on fire NOBODY left their seats until the armorer came on board and inserted the safety pins in the pilots' seats.
The worst tragedy occurred, unbelievably, during an "Open Day" (when the public are allowed onto RAF airfields) at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. Civilians, including kids, were allowed to sit in the pilot's seat of a Vulcan in the hangar for a couple of minutes while a serviceman explained the controls. Suddenly the ejector seat fired, and propelled a little kid through the canopy to his death. It was speculated later that someone had removed the safety pin and its large Dayglow metal tab as a souvenir, leaving the seat activated. Obviously the kid reached up to that inviting hoop to pull himself out of the seat.
It's one of those "why didn't they" things that seem so bloody obvious after the event. Why didn't they just remove the charge from the mechanism?
Unfortunately, that ring was in exactly the place where you would automatically reach up to pull yourself out of the seat. On landing, unless you were on fire NOBODY left their seats until the armorer came on board and inserted the safety pins in the pilots' seats.
The worst tragedy occurred, unbelievably, during an "Open Day" (when the public are allowed onto RAF airfields) at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. Civilians, including kids, were allowed to sit in the pilot's seat of a Vulcan in the hangar for a couple of minutes while a serviceman explained the controls. Suddenly the ejector seat fired, and propelled a little kid through the canopy to his death. It was speculated later that someone had removed the safety pin and its large Dayglow metal tab as a souvenir, leaving the seat activated. Obviously the kid reached up to that inviting hoop to pull himself out of the seat.
It's one of those "why didn't they" things that seem so bloody obvious after the event. Why didn't they just remove the charge from the mechanism?
skywords
Donation Time
That's as sad a story as can be told and even more so when a child losses his or her's life. Like walking into a propeller of a running aircraft. No one ever knows the why. The owner of an engine shop I worked at was on carriers in WWII and watched several men just turn around and step into the whirling blades of Hellcats and the like during warm up. The deck would be full of spinning props. A friend of mine's wife was talking to him thru the window of a C-150 while it was idling and she turned around and walk right into the prop. She lived after having her arm reattached. Brain farts and airplanes don't mix.
How very sad and traject the loss of Canada's Snow Bird pilot in Montana.
How very sad and traject the loss of Canada's Snow Bird pilot in Montana.
Chuck Ingram
Donation Time
Yes it was a targic happening.He was to be married next month.His fiance is desevated.
The Snow Birds have lost a few pilots but they carry on.They also wanted the air show to go on as scheduled.
We have seen them quite a few times here in Winnipeg.I wouldn't even drive that close to another car like they fly almost touching at times.
We Canucks salute them at this sad time.
Jeff Scoville
Donation Time
"Let's freshen up the Sunbeam right quick!"
4 years later..............
4 years later..............
weaselkeeper
Silver Level Sponsor
"I you don't try that, you don't have a hair on your @*+.
Nickodell
Donation Time
On your palm?
Nickodell
Donation Time
B737 overshoot crash some years ago, don't remember where. Nobody killed:
20.05:12 Copilot: "We're not going to make it, John."
20.05:15 Pilot: "Just watch my style."
20.05:31 Copilot: "John, we're too high and too hot"
20.05:36 Pilot: "Plenty of room"
20.05:51 (Sound of main gear tires on runway)
20.05:54 Pilot: Reverse thrust!
20.05:59-06:07 (Sound of engines spooling up)
20.06:12 Copilot: we're not going to make it!"
20.06:16 Pilot: "Jesus ..."
20.06:29-43 (Sounds of impact)
20.07:17 Copilot: "Oh great, John. I told you!"
20.05:12 Copilot: "We're not going to make it, John."
20.05:15 Pilot: "Just watch my style."
20.05:31 Copilot: "John, we're too high and too hot"
20.05:36 Pilot: "Plenty of room"
20.05:51 (Sound of main gear tires on runway)
20.05:54 Pilot: Reverse thrust!
20.05:59-06:07 (Sound of engines spooling up)
20.06:12 Copilot: we're not going to make it!"
20.06:16 Pilot: "Jesus ..."
20.06:29-43 (Sounds of impact)
20.07:17 Copilot: "Oh great, John. I told you!"
weaselkeeper
Silver Level Sponsor
Am I dying or is this my birthday?
Lady Nancy Astor, d. 1964
They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist. . . .
Killed in battle during US Civil War.
~~ General John Sedgwick, Union Commander, d. 1864
Don't worry, it's not loaded
It's not the voltage, it's the amps that get you
Lady Nancy Astor, d. 1964
They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist. . . .
Killed in battle during US Civil War.
~~ General John Sedgwick, Union Commander, d. 1864
Don't worry, it's not loaded
It's not the voltage, it's the amps that get you