Turn That Master Off For a Forced Approach

[pelmet]

A good example here of how the sparks created when the wing tip was ripped off on landing led to a fire. Fortunately, no injuries. Turning the master off is one of the most important things you can do in an off airport landing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZqHHUs ... =emb_title

The pilot talks about this soon after the 10:00 minute mark which is a good place to start.....

https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/in ... d/13584512

[cncpc]

Yep. You may have a survivable impact and be lost to a spark somewhere in all that wiring the master isolates from the battery. Some of which run right by the fuel tanks.

[PilotDAR]

Yes, I agree, turn off the master before surface contact, and after assuring that everything which operates electrically has finished being where you want it to be. The Cardinal RG I used to love to rent was run out of gas by an instructor. While setting up for the impending forced landing, he ran the checklist a bit too quickly, extending the flaps and gear, then switching off the master. The only thing more damaging to an RG than a gear up landing, is a landing with the gear partly extended.

So, yes, after the gear and flaps are where you want them, and you don't need electricity for anything else, then switch off the master.

[GoinVertical]

What are the thoughts on cracking the door prior to impact?

I remember during my PPL I was taught by one instructor to unlatch the door prior to touchdown, in the event that the airframe bends and stops the door from opening. I never heard it again from anyone else.

On one hand you don't want your door jammed/crimped/bent shut, locking you in. On the other hand the door could aid in transferring load from in front of the door to the airframe behind and help the fuselage from buckling so much and you with it.

Anyone else ever hear of this?

[digits_]

What are the thoughts on cracking the door prior to impact?

I remember during my PPL I was taught by one instructor to unlatch the door prior to touchdown, in the event that the airframe bends and stops the door from opening. I never heard it again from anyone else.

On one hand you don't want your door jammed/crimped/bent shut, locking you in. On the other hand the door could aid in transferring load from in front of the door to the airframe behind and help the fuselage from buckling so much and you with it.

Anyone else ever hear of this?

Depends a bit on the plane you fly. In a C152/C172/Cxxx I would open the door. If you have a sliding canopy that is the only protection for your head, I'd leave it closed. Couldn't find a reference in any POH soo far.

[photofly]

Some pilots probably ought to crack the door open for on-airport landings too

[iflyforpie]

What are the thoughts on cracking the door prior to impact?

I remember during my PPL I was taught by one instructor to unlatch the door prior to touchdown, in the event that the airframe bends and stops the door from opening. I never heard it again from anyone else.

On one hand you don't want your door jammed/crimped/bent shut, locking you in. On the other hand the door could aid in transferring load from in front of the door to the airframe behind and help the fuselage from buckling so much and you with it.

Anyone else ever hear of this?

Depends a bit on the plane you fly. In a C152/C172/Cxxx I would open the door. If you have a sliding canopy that is the only protection for your head, I'd leave it closed. Couldn't find a reference in any POH soo far.

Hopefully you have more than that to protect your head. Most planes with canopies have some kind of roll bar, and a closed canopy in an overturned aircraft is a good way to die.

[PilotDAR]

I would not open a door prior to a forced landing, unless the flight manual directed that action. It is less common that a Cessna or Piper door jams such that you cannot force it open. As evidence, a friend stopped his 150 in 8", at 200G (that's what the coroner told us based on his injuries). Both doors of his C 150M opened with ease to extract him. If you cannot open a 100 Cessna door, consider kicking out the windshield - there's surprisingly little preventing it being pushed out at the top.

[cncpc]

I would not open a door prior to a forced landing, unless the flight manual directed that action. It is less common that a Cessna or Piper door jams such that you cannot force it open. As evidence, a friend stopped his 150 in 8", at 200G (that's what the coroner told us based on his injuries). Both doors of his C 150M opened with ease to extract him. If you cannot open a 100 Cessna door, consider kicking out the windshield - there's surprisingly little preventing it being pushed out at the top.

What is the argument for keeping a door closed? Certainly when you are going down in water, you want those doors open. At least in non-pressurized.

[PilotDAR]

Having the door(s) closed prevents some bad things entering the cabin before you're ready (perhaps including fire), and will maintain the structure as the manufacturer intended (unless they state to open doors). I'm not saying that crashing with the doors open is a terrible (well, more terrible than simply crashing at all), but I'd rather be as secure as possible during the sudden stop, and work it out after that. It's not absolute, it's my considered preference...

[pelmet]

Perhaps another one of those things where an action(opening the door in this case) turns out to be beneficial in some cases and detrimental in others.

[photofly]

I saw the wreck of a 172 a while back at a small airport; long landing, too fast, and the aircraft exited the far end of the runway, and hit trees. Both doors jammed solid. The occupants had to (as PilotDAR suggests) kick their way through the windshield, and I imagine they were lucky not to have been too injured to be able to do that, and that no fire started with them trapped inside. (As it was a “regular” landing the fuel and master would have remained “on”.)

Also recall that on the 172 series with the doors latched from the inside they cannot be opened from the outside. The baggage compartment can, if it has been left unlocked, but not all would-be rescuers will know that, or be willing to enter the cabin of a damaged aircraft that way.

To each their own, but I’m in the “open the doors before touchdown” school. If the not-very-rigid door is needed in an impact to brace the very rigid airframe (which regardless, is strong enough on its own to be permitted to be flown doors-off) then I feel the door will be jammed. And I wouldn’t want to have to exit through the windshield in the even of having broken limbs.

And, by the way, the 172 POH Emergency procedures instruct the pilot to unlatch the door before touchdown.

[PilotDAR]

And, by the way, the 172 POH Emergency procedures instruct the pilot to unlatch the door before touchdown.

And there you are, Cessna intends it. I agree that for the Cessna doors that totally lock to the outside from the inside when latched, it would be helpful to rescuers to have the door unlatched when they arrive.

[JasonE]

When I had my forced landing, I was quick to ready the aircraft for landing long before my turn to final. Only issue was I had to turn the master back on to drop the gear. Seeing the 3 green come on with a very suitable field within easy distance was certainly reassuring!

[2R]

Saw a Curtis 46 stuck in the soft soil of 08 in YRL years ago . After it had an engine issue and Wallowed back to earth .

It was flying gasoline . One of the pilots was a big guy and jumped out of the plane he told me he sank up to his knees in the soft ground. The other pilot who had not jumped out yet was about to switch the master off , the stuck guy unable to run away from the fumes was screaming not to switch it of as he could smell gasoline and thought it better to leave the power on rather than risk a spark from switching off the master .
It happened so fast the we’re lucky to land straight ahead with the ball centered and not turning.
Forced landing at night . If you do not like what you see at night when you turn on the landing light in a forced landing , turn it off

[pelmet]

Saw a Curtis 46 stuck in the soft soil of 08 in YRL years ago . After it had an engine issue and Wallowed back to earth .

It was flying gasoline . One of the pilots was a big guy and jumped out of the plane he told me he sank up to his knees in the soft ground. The other pilot who had not jumped out yet was about to switch the master off , the stuck guy unable to run away from the fumes was screaming not to switch it of as he could smell gasoline and thought it better to leave the power on rather than risk a spark from switching off the master .

Kind of like when you get the smell of gas in house/building. Do NOT touch any light switches. Make sure no one else does and get out right away before any explosion can happen.