Hummel Bird

[Tom-D]

About a week ago a young man brought a Hummel Bird to 76S this is a home built that he has spent the last two years building. Every night last week he has been tweeking and taxi testing the bird. Friday he got the DAR to sign off on the Airworthiness certificate. He was elated yesterday when I talked to him. he put off the first flight until this morning,

0630 this morning it was beautiful, CAVU 65 degrees and very calm, Prefect for a test flight. He calls his wife and some friends to come out and watch the take off. we wait until they arrive.

0730 every one is on hand, Preflight was perfect, start up was routine, taxi out was as predicted, every thing was a go for flight. taxing to the 25 end of the runway was a high speed tailup ground roll controlable test , went well tail sat back down OK and he stayed on the 25 foot wide hard stuff. little wobbly but thats OK it is the first time .

0745 top of the hill ready to go.

we at the bottom of the runway hear the engine come up on power and see the aircraft start its roll, it swerves right, then over corrects, swerves left and leaves the runway, and slides into the dirverdion ditch, up on it nose, hangs a second and then slames the tail back down..

we see Jerry jump out of the Hummel and we all start running up to see how he is, His wife calls 911, as we arrive at the aircraft I see the Sheriff on the field at the west end.

Jerry is visably shaken, but uninjured, I secure the fuel and mags, and shut off the master. by now the sheriff has arrived, he parks on the runway and jumps out, seeing all the folks around he orders us to get away from the aircraft and calls the EMT team. (this rolls the Fire company).

Thats when I blew my stack, I shouted at the sheriff to tell the fire crew to stay off the runway we had incoming traffic and pointed to the aircraft on down wind, and said that aircraft is fuel critical.

I said get your car off the runway get it beyond the lights, and stay in it until we get the run way clear, He started to say some thing, But I cut him short and told him he was more of a hazzard than we had before he arrived. he got in his car and moved it. I announced on 122.8 that we would have the runway open in 5 minutes, the guy on the downwind said he would hold east of the airport.

Now we had 7 fire trucks holding in the parking lot on the west end of the field, a sheriff's car on the side of the runway at the 2000' marker, and us walking the Hummel down to the halfway turn around, as we got the bird off the runway, I announced on 122.8 that the runway is open.

two aircraft land and taxi down to the gas pumps, we then walk the Hummel down to the hangar, and put it away.

Then the sheriff says he needs the EMT team to evaluate the pilot, Jerry walks over to the EMT truck. and they fill out a bunch of forms.

I ask who is in charge of the fire crew? no one knew, every one seemed to have their own truck and was there to help. I then asked the fire folks to remove the trucks from the airport as they were not needed.

As they started to leave the tanker truck, (like we needed 8000 gal of water)
turned toward the runway, just as a C-182 was on close final to 07, the 182 waved off and went around.

That is when the fire crew captain arrived. he saw what happened and he blew a gasket, (he is a pilot) he starts shouting and yelling at the fire crew.

I started to walk away, and the sheriff says he would like to talk to me. ( I'm thinking what now) He says "be sure to report this accident to the FAA".

I just said yeah right.

This evening Jerry and I inspected his Hummel, it is totaled, the fuselage is bent just behind the cockpit, both wings are loose, but the half VW engine is OK it had a wooden prop, and was at Idle when it went up.

I really feel sorry for him, but he has a second project at home and will build one from the two.

This is number three at 76S in less than a year.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Thank God your friend is fine; I don't think I could watch a first flight of a homebuilt. So many first flights are in the ntsb db, and they make me so sad. Here is one from last week, a fatal first flight for a Hummelbird.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20050726X01099&key=1
If not for this I would love to get involved in homebuilts. Seems to me the eaa recognized this problem and started a mentor type program years ago with a pilot-airplane checklist to help reduce the first-flight crashes.

 

[Carol]

Glad to hear your friend is okay. What a zoo at that little airport with all those vehicles around. Good thing you were there to make things safe for the landing aircraft.

 

[bbchien]

Glad to hear your friend is okay. What a zoo at that little airport with all those vehicles around. Good thing you were there to make things safe for the landing aircraft.

:-( Sometimes the lay folks just make stuff worse. They just do.

 

[Tom-D]

well monday night we get to hold training at the fire station. we will see what becomes of that.

Anyone have suggestions on what to teach?

 

[bbchien]

well monday night we get to hold training at the fire station. we will see what becomes of that.

Anyone have suggestions on what to teach?

After removing all humans, noting the postion of all controls IN WRITING before moving ANYTHING. A Photograph inside is GOOD (Wichita spam can).

Teaching the Fire guys where the fuel tanks are and where to look to determine if fuel is leaking/dripping anyplace not obvious. Where the battery is at and what a master switch looks like.

Runway awareness as you gave the fire guy.

Crowd control. Just like young eagles. There's always some guy who gets where he shouldn't be and causes endangerment.

Enforcement of NO SMOKING at the scene. It's amazing what you get to see.

CPR and EMT skills.

Oh, and a late addition: The use of 122.8 (or .7- whatever is in use at your home field).

 

[inav8r]

well monday night we get to hold training at the fire station. we will see what becomes of that.

Anyone have suggestions on what to teach?

How to open doors / windows (from both inside and out) in the most common GA aircraft. You'd be suprised at how many people don't know how to open them correctly. Also maybe how to unlatch the seatbelts.

 

[inav8r]

Oh, another suggestion might be ELT operations (121.5, etc).

 

[Tom-D]

Very good every one, thanks I'm taking notes.

 

[AdamZ]

One thing I might add with regard to your training program. Before critiquing the responders performance at the airport, thank them for their efforts. I could be reading this all wrong, if I am I apologize. It seems however that folks are coming down hard on the responders here. True they may have caused some real issues on the runway but lets not forget their actions were in an attempt to help or save your friend. From the photos it looks like this is a small town probably with an all volunteer Fire Co. I'd bet that they don't have to respond to all that many plane crashes. ( Thankfully) So in short, a few initial words of thanks before the training may make them 100% more receptive to the valuable lessons that you have to teach.
BTW I am very happy that your friend is OK. From an emotional perspective I cannot imagine what it feels like to have so much hard work go down the tubes in a matter of minutes. Hopefully the fact that he walked away is all the salve he will need.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

remind them some have 2000psi oxygen tanks on board too

 

[AdamZ]

Dave why the 2000psi O2 tanks?

 

[poadeleted20]

Here is one from last week, a fatal first flight for a Hummelbird.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20050726X01099&key=1

As I knew the pilot involved in this, I'll first say that the investigation has just barely started. However, this flight was supposed to be a high-speed taxi test in a plane the 80-year-old pilot had built pretty much himself, and he had very limited tailwheel experience.

 

[DeeG]

TD,

So glad to hear that your friend is OK. And I cringe at the actions by the deputy. Unfortunately, most LE guys have no clue what to do in an airplane crash. They don't understand that it is almost exactly like, but totally different than, a car crash. The runway to them is just like a city street. They don't realize that planes can't just come to a nice stop next to the patrol car, or cautiously pass by on the grass. I am very lucky in that the majority of my guys (and gals) have a clue when it comes to airport operations. A couple of the deputies have flight experience (fixed wing and helo, both civilian and military) and I think 2 of them have a few hours of flight time in a log book.

I think it's great that you are going to have an 'education day' for them. Will some of the deputies show up? THAT would be very helpful as well. Expecially if you have a couple different planes for them to gawk at. So they can see the differences in various high wing, low wing, retract, tail wheel, fabric, fiberglass, etc. Well, maybe not, they might just get confused. I used to love when the BUR fire guys came by the hangar. They ALWAYS asked questions, and were very interested in learning about the planes. "Oh, you mean the emergency exit goes IN the plane?" Trying to explain the rudimentary basics of pressurization, and that the doors would pop out like corks if it were the other way around..... And "Why is there an axe under the pilots seat?" "For people who insist on SMOKING in my airplane!".

 

[Tom-D]

One thing I might add with regard to your training program. Before critiquing the responders performance at the airport, thank them for their efforts. I could be reading this all wrong, if I am I apologize. It seems however that folks are coming down hard on the responders here. True they may have caused some real issues on the runway but lets not forget their actions were in an attempt to help or save your friend. From the photos it looks like this is a small town probably with an all volunteer Fire Co. I'd bet that they don't have to respond to all that many plane crashes. ( Thankfully) So in short, a few initial words of thanks before the training may make them 100% more receptive to the valuable lessons that you have to teach.
BTW I am very happy that your friend is OK. From an emotional perspective I cannot imagine what it feels like to have so much hard work go down the tubes in a matter of minutes. Hopefully the fact that he walked away is all the salve he will need.

I understand your consern, we are greatful for their dedication to duty. and that is the first note I have.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

About a week ago a young man brought a Hummel Bird to 76S this is a home built that he has spent the last two years building. Every night last week he has been tweeking and taxi testing the bird. Friday he got the DAR to sign off on the Airworthiness certificate. He was elated yesterday when I talked to him. he put off the first flight until this morning,

0630 this morning it was beautiful, CAVU 65 degrees and very calm, Prefect for a test flight. He calls his wife and some friends to come out and watch the take off. we wait until they arrive.

0730 every one is on hand, Preflight was perfect, start up was routine, taxi out was as predicted, every thing was a go for flight. taxing to the 25 end of the runway was a high speed tailup ground roll controlable test , went well tail sat back down OK and he stayed on the 25 foot wide hard stuff. little wobbly but thats OK it is the first time .

0745 top of the hill ready to go.

we at the bottom of the runway hear the engine come up on power and see the aircraft start its roll, it swerves right, then over corrects, swerves left and leaves the runway, and slides into the dirverdion ditch, up on it nose, hangs a second and then slames the tail back down..

we see Jerry jump out of the Hummel and we all start running up to see how he is, His wife calls 911, as we arrive at the aircraft I see the Sheriff on the field at the west end.

Jerry is visably shaken, but uninjured, I secure the fuel and mags, and shut off the master. by now the sheriff has arrived, he parks on the runway and jumps out, seeing all the folks around he orders us to get away from the aircraft and calls the EMT team. (this rolls the Fire company).

Thats when I blew my stack, I shouted at the sheriff to tell the fire crew to stay off the runway we had incoming traffic and pointed to the aircraft on down wind, and said that aircraft is fuel critical.

I said get your car off the runway get it beyond the lights, and stay in it until we get the run way clear, He started to say some thing, But I cut him short and told him he was more of a hazzard than we had before he arrived. he got in his car and moved it. I announced on 122.8 that we would have the runway open in 5 minutes, the guy on the downwind said he would hold east of the airport.

Now we had 7 fire trucks holding in the parking lot on the west end of the field, a sheriff's car on the side of the runway at the 2000' marker, and us walking the Hummel down to the halfway turn around, as we got the bird off the runway, I announced on 122.8 that the runway is open.

two aircraft land and taxi down to the gas pumps, we then walk the Hummel down to the hangar, and put it away.

Then the sheriff says he needs the EMT team to evaluate the pilot, Jerry walks over to the EMT truck. and they fill out a bunch of forms.

I ask who is in charge of the fire crew? no one knew, every one seemed to have their own truck and was there to help. I then asked the fire folks to remove the trucks from the airport as they were not needed.

As they started to leave the tanker truck, (like we needed 8000 gal of water)
turned toward the runway, just as a C-182 was on close final to 07, the 182 waved off and went around.

That is when the fire crew captain arrived. he saw what happened and he blew a gasket, (he is a pilot) he starts shouting and yelling at the fire crew.

I started to walk away, and the sheriff says he would like to talk to me. ( I'm thinking what now) He says "be sure to report this accident to the FAA".

I just said yeah right.

This evening Jerry and I inspected his Hummel, it is totaled, the fuselage is bent just behind the cockpit, both wings are loose, but the half VW engine is OK it had a wooden prop, and was at Idle when it went up.

I really feel sorry for him, but he has a second project at home and will build one from the two.

This is number three at 76S in less than a year.

Glad your friend is OK...
There's a lot to be said for initial flight testing on a real long, real wide runway.

 

[sere]

I would add the proper way to approach the aircraft with equipment. Example if they put there emergencey equipment downwind and close to the aircraft they could get a hot foot themselves. Then what about fabric aircraft that are ground looped. Walking across a wing will sure not win you a friend. Of course keeping clear of the runway in case someone has to land no matter what. But then all of us should not be that short on fuel cut as we know that is still does happen. Also what type of firefighting equipment is required to fight various types of aircraft fires. An example of a Lear or King on fire and putting water on it will only make the problem worse. They need foam. On my Tri-Pacer which is fabric water is ok. If I may add if you have a large Class C airport or a Air Force Bace in the general area you may also want them to come and do a follow on type of training. There is guideline that they have for all of these. It sounds like you need to have training for police, fire and EMS and airport personnel. Good luck.

 

[bbchien]

Dave why the 2000psi O2 tanks?

Strapped in non OEM oxygen systems, as well as factory ones....

 

[fgcason]

This is kind of silly but it's something people tend to miss.

People are trained from day one that doors are the only entrances to vehicles. Airplane windows are plexiglass. Not car windshield glass with the plastic anti shatter layer in the middle. It usually doesn't take much effort to break plexiglass especially if you have a tool handy and that hole is usually big enough to pull someone out if it's really necessary.

I mention this because of this crash:
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X23418&key=1
As I recall, witnesses said they couldn't try to get anyone out. I don't recall if the lack of assistance was fire related or just because the one door was jammed or blocked by fire. If something like that is a jammed door, use a baseball bat or just kick out the window and do what's necessary.