IMC stall

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grounded
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IMC stall

Post by grounded »

So it started out just like any other day, with a couple of VFR trips out to a couple smaller communities. No legs longer than 15 minutes, easy stuff. I was about 400 hours into my career, and had just gotten a PPC on a light twin. The weather was okay, with some scattered snowshowers passing through. The trip over to pick up my passengers was uneventful, with just a few of the showers causing deviations. Well when I got there the passengers (who were on their way to go drinking, and had already started) weren't there, and I ended up waiting around for a while for them.
In the plane I was flying, the right seat is occupied by a passenger. With that in mind, once we were airborne they started chanting 'fly low fly low', because they were used to getting the scenic tour from our pilots. Little did they know, we had to fly low because the weather had gone south. The scattered snow showers had become steady snow, and the ceiling was ragged between two and three hundred feet. Still okay, I know the area and can still find my way back home.
Well, I got turned back a couple miles from the airport by some lower stuff, and decided to go try the 'company arrival'. This involved threading the needle between a couple hills, and then making a turn for the airport when the NDB shows a swing to a particular heading. Did I mention the airport was also on a hill, and you had to climb to land when the weather was really bad? Well, this plan was going well, right up until I had to make the turn for the airport. I had started the turn, and went into a snow shower and was instantly in solid IMC. The last thing I saw before that was a rather large hill a lot less than a mile in front of me, and I was only about halfway up the hill in my climb. Oh SHIT!! Max power, gear up and flaps up and climb. I was climbing like my life depended on it, thinking I'll just get to a safe altitude and figure out what to do when I get there. What's that noise? Sounds a little like the stall horn.... quick glance down at the airspeed and WOW! That's way too slow, lower the nose or you're going to stall this thing! Too late!!
As I'm pushing the nose down a little(as I still wasn't clear of the hills) the wing breaks and the nose lowers itself! I'm now falling in solid IMC trying to decide power to idle or full power when I come out the ragged bottom and all I see is the road to the airport and the lake I'm about to crash into. It's early November so the water will be good and cold. I decide on max power and start bringing up the nose a little at a time, setting the stall horn off, checking forward a little, setting the horn off, checking forward. Well, now it's flying again, and I wrap it up into a hell of a turn to stay out of the trees, and head for a hill free area. I'm on the radio talking to our dispatcher telling her that I'm taking them back to their home, when she tells me that the weather at the airport has improved. I come back toward my base, and the showers had cleared up enough to fly a straight in from about 4 miles out. I let the now very quiet passengers out and find that my knees are too weak to get myself out of the plane. I pretend to do the logbook until I feel better.


Editted because that was one huuge paragraph.
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Lommer
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Post by Lommer »

Wow. Great story, and educational too. Thanks for posting it.
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wan2fly99
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Post by wan2fly99 »

I would be chnging my underwears

Iguess when things start to go wrong they keep going,

Good job on thinking what to do and did not go brain dead
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futboler14
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Re: IMC stall

Post by futboler14 »

Good job, glad the wx improved.

Do you think the wx back at their home where you picked them up was shitty to? I find it relativly nerve racking when I don't have an "out" as they say.
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tripleseven
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Re: IMC stall

Post by tripleseven »

Sounds like the Beaverlodge approach into YBE.
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CelBatrin
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Re: IMC stall

Post by CelBatrin »

Some heavy drinking would definitely be in order after that! What was the Plane?
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I'll just sneak through here... they'll never see me if I stay low.
Sulako
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Re: IMC stall

Post by Sulako »

Ahh, the beaverlodge 1 arrival into Uranium City was one of my fav's too :) I preferred it in good weather, but I'm particular that way :D
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GoinNowhereFast
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Re: IMC stall

Post by GoinNowhereFast »

Going "VFR" because the weather is below IFR approach minimums. Always makes me laugh.
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