Chris Hansen

This story reminded me . . . of me! I was once changing the transmission fluid and oil at the same time on my Honda Pilot. As I'm pouring fluid into the tranny, my then 11-year old son, who was watching, said "How come that last one you put in was brown instead of red?". Luckily he noticed, and I was able to flush everything out by draining, filling, draining, filling. I've put a 100k miles on it since, so I guess no serious harm done!

Shore928

You said airplane and swallowed a valve?I hope it happened on the ground.

Jerry Feather

No, Actually I was about 1500 feet above the ground flying in an all out speed race for the national chanpionship in the Navion Society at the convention in St Joe, MO. I was in the lead and close to the finish line, but being gained on by a couple of other planes. I think it was going to be very close at the end or that I was going to be about second or third.

I had set a national speed record for my class of Navion in the qualifing race flown earlier the same day, and I think it has not been broken since. I can't remember the speed, but it is close to 200m mph.

When the valve gave way I correctly and immediately diagnosed it and then turned a 180 heading back toward the St Joe airport. The engine was running rough, but still making power. My Loran C told me that there was an airport about a mile and a half back to my left. I looked over my shoulder and saw a little town up on some foot hills, so I flew over there, but found that there was no airport. I headed back out into the river flat area we had been racing in and then realized that the airport was an abandoned airport out there. My Loran had not picked up that I had made a 180 so the airport was actually a mile and a half back to my right, not left. Actually I was probably just about right over it at that moment.

I had a thought to fly back to St Joe, but just about then the engine got rougher for a moment. I think that was when the head of the valve got folded over and poked a hole throught the piston then got jammed into the exhaust port.

When we found the airport, I made a left hand approach and landed. I called some of my buddies in the race and by then they had finished, so a couple of them landed and helped me tie the airplane down and took me and my two passsenger back to St Joe.

Getting it fixed is another story.

It was fixed by the next tuesday and we flew it home. I flew if for about another 150 hours over the next two or three years, but the oil consumption went ovet the limit, so I parked it. I'm still gathering the parts needed to rebuild it.

Jerry Feather

Jerry Feather

No, Actually I was about 1500 feet above the ground flying in an all out speed race for the national chanpionship in the Navion Society at the convention in St Joe, MO. I was in the lead and close to the finish line, but being gained on by a couple of other planes. I think it was going to be very close at the end or that I was going to be about second or third.

I had set a national speed record for my class of Navion in the qualifing race flown earlier the same day, and I think it has not been broken since. I can't remember the speed, but it is close to 200m mph.

When the valve gave way I correctly and immediately diagnosed it and then turned a 180 heading back toward the St Joe airport. The engine was running rough, but still making power. My Loran C told me that there was an airport about a mile and a half back to my left. I looked over my shoulder and saw a little town up on some foot hills, so I flew over there, but found that there was no airport. I headed back out into the river flat area we had been racing in and then realized that the airport was an abandoned airport out there. My Loran had not picked up that I had made a 180 so the airport was actually a mile and a half back to my right, not left. Actually I was probably just about right over it at that moment.

I had a thought to fly back to St Joe, but just about then the engine got rougher for a moment. I think that was when the head of the valve got folded over and poked a hole throught the piston then got jammed into the exhaust port.

When we found the airport, I made a left hand approach and landed. I called some of my buddies in the race and by then they had finished, so a couple of them landed and helped me tie the airplane down and took me and my two passsenger back to St Joe.

Getting it fixed is another story.

It was fixed by the next tuesday and we flew it home. I flew if for about another 150 hours over the next two or three years, but the oil consumption went ovet the limit, so I parked it. I'm still gathering the parts needed to rebuild it.

Jerry Feather

BC

Airplanes - they sound great, but when something breaks, you still have to land! In a car, all you have to do is coast to the side.

robot808

Um, have you seen Greg's hair? He likely uses a different amount of shampoo as you.

Jerry Feather

You may have difficulty getting one up in the air, but they always come dowm.

Jerry Feather