Take Off Accident

[larsenwv]

I am a new PPC pilot with 12 hours logged time. On my last takeoff, I ran into a tree, did more than $1000 damage to my PPC, and broke my foot. I loved my 12 hours of flying and this accident notwithstanding, am eager to start flying again once my PPC (and foot) recover. But I need some advice from more experienced PPC pilots to help me improve my takeoffs. I knew my skills in that area were lacking and was planning to fly to a larger field to work on takeoffs when I had the accident. Ironically, I think my efforts to be safe are part of what is making me unsafe. I have read Frederick Scheffel's manual which emphasized the importance of getting a LOC, before takeoff, checking to make sure that Lines are clear, all cells Open, and the chute Centered. My problem is that I get off course in my takeoff run as I try to confirm the LOC. So here is my question. Do you always take care to get a LOC as Sheffel suggests before take off? (It strikes me as being a very good idea to do so.) Do you have a routine you go through to check things out? What is your sequence of checks and how long does it normally take you? How long is your normal take off run? On a related point, the one problem I have when I land is that the cart tends to drift off to one side when I let go of the steering handle to pull down the chute with the steering lines. (By the way, this is my first post. I am trying to put it in the accident database. Please accept my appologies if it ends up in the wrong place.)

[tonyray]

I am a new PPC pilot with 12 hours logged time. On my last takeoff, I ran into a tree, did more than $1000 damage to my PPC, and broke my foot. I loved my 12 hours of flying and this accident notwithstanding, am eager to start flying again once my PPC (and foot) recover. But I need some advice from more experienced PPC pilots to help me improve my takeoffs. I knew my skills in that area were lacking and was planning to fly to a larger field to work on takeoffs when I had the accident. Ironically, I think my efforts to be safe are part of what is making me unsafe. I have read Frederick Scheffel's manual which emphasized the importance of getting a LOC, before takeoff, checking to make sure that Lines are clear, all cells Open, and the chute Centered. My problem is that I get off course in my takeoff run as I try to confirm the LOC. So here is my question. Do you always take care to get a LOC as Sheffel suggests before take off? (It strikes me as being a very good idea to do so.) Do you have a routine you go through to check things out? What is your sequence of checks and how long does it normally take you? How long is your normal take off run? On a related point, the one problem I have when I land is that the cart tends to drift off to one side when I let go of the steering handle to pull down the chute with the steering lines. (By the way, this is my first post. I am trying to put it in the accident database. Please accept my appologies if it ends up in the wrong place.)

I will offer a few thoughts. Continue to ALWAYS be CERTAIN of LOC no matter how long it takes or how much runway you are using. If you think you are running short on runway, shut it down, abort, and try again, DO NOT take off anyway. If you go ahead and leave the ground without being sure about everything, and you happen to have any tangled line, or even worse a "line-over" or chute cells not opened yet, you have big problems.

I'll tell you what MY method was for the exact same situation when I first started. I started, and continue to this day, to take an extraordinary long time with my chute layout. Very tedious. I have flown with other folks that were ready and waiting and I just told them, "go ahead on, I'll be up there shortly".

Anyway, it has worked for me. I'm not too far from 100 hours, and to this day, I have NEVER had an aborted takeoff! And simply put, it's because I have never had an occasion where I needed to abort. Add to that I have never put a scratch on myself OR my machine. I do not mean that to sound like some sort of bragging whatsoever, I'm just trying to say I make absolutely certain everything is A-OK when I throttle-up to begin to kite the chute.

I know this is not a huge amount of help to your question, but I know there are some on here with much more experience that can offer some very valuable advise.

[indoruwet]

Do you have a fairly large mirror somewhere on the front so you can see the chute at the same as when you are looking forward and keep track where you are going.

My mirror is one of those humongous *side rear view* truck mirrors that are convex. I can see the whole chute very clearly and thus can keep my eye on what is in front of me.

Like Tony, I take my time to lay out the chute. Only once had a lock-up, which was really weird. The trike going backwards, is strange to say the least.

[Dennis Bowers]

Larsonwv, be patient and always always be sure that chute is overhead before 'pourin' the coals to it'. Otherwise you risk augering it in and that may be harder to recover from than hitting a tree. Although I would'nt want to do either. When I first started, I felt like I'd be safer once I got off the ground and I took off on several occassions when I should have shut it down. I got away with them by the skin of my teeth. Experience gave way to familiarity with how my chute reacted during that initial throttle burst and takeoff roll. It also took away the nervousness I always felt with the chute inflated and my cart on the ground. Experience will also train your eyes to make quick glances ahead and overhead during your takeoff rolls. When I first started, I ran off the end of the runway or off to the side of it more times than I care to mention, into 1-2' high pasture grass. But do to bull-headedness kept plowing ahead with the thought "I'll be darned if I'm gonna abort". Don;t do as I did. Experience will shorten and straighten your takeoff rolls. Upon landing I still occassionally get off to the side of the runway, but speed is minimal and I'm focused on collapsing the chute so as not to have it come down on top of a hot engine exhaust. That would be more expensive than having a little straw in my zipper. Hope you recover soon. We want you to enjoy this activity. Be patient with all this. Experience will improve your techinque and it all will work out within a few more hours of flying time for you. DB

[ralphmarlow@suddenlink.net]

dont know your situation of how you hit the tree but does it bother you that you might run into it. In other words look where you want to go, don't look at the tree, if you do you'll go right toward it. Do you know about windshadow and that sort of stuff? I don't suppose you could cut the tree down???
Ralph

[iflyarascal]

What is Windshadow ??? I'ved been flying for years and haven't heard that term before.
Dave

[ralphmarlow@suddenlink.net]

windshadow: If youre flying along in some wind and fly behind a building or a big tree they block the wind and all of a sudden you are not feeling the effect of the wind anymore, at least for a few seconds. This can really cause problems when youre not expecting it.
Ralph

[indoruwet]

What is Windshadow ??? I'ved been flying for years and haven't heard that term before.
Dave
Maybe *rotor* rings a bell ? If it is spelled that way ??
Also pretty evident on the leeway of mountains.

[ralphmarlow@suddenlink.net]

It is best to stay out in front of objects such as mountains but you can go over the backside if you have enough altitude but if you have an engine out you could find yourself in trouble. Dennis Pagin has a good book on weather Understanding the Sky Amazon.com 25 bucks

Ralph

[Cloudhopper]

Larsenwv, Sorry about your accident, dont give up. If youll accept some advise from a fellow rookie;
Take off and land from the largest fields you can find. With as few obstacles as possible. Its better to have it and not need it ,than need it and not have it.

[iflyarascal]

Thanks Ralph,

I know what your talking about , just wasn't familiar with that terminology.
Dave

[jerseyflyer13]

Hi,

You didn't mention the brand you are flying. I happen to fly a powrachute and they have self centering steering. This really helps with keeping the aircraft going in a straight line and takes some of the worry out when taking off and landing, especially when you have to take your hands off the steering for some reason. I know the predator from Hughes has self centering and I have seen it done on buckeyes. Sometimes all you have to do is add some springs to both sides of the front fork and it helps keep you pointed straight.

Hope this helps

Jerseyflyer

[ralphmarlow@suddenlink.net]

Have you checked the front steering for wear? Some are pretty fragile and don't recommend turning the direction of the front wheel unless you are moving. There is a lot of torque until the wheel starts to roll.
Ralph

[kilowatt]

Ralph,

The condition you may be referring to may be known as "mechanical turbulance".

Regards,

Kilowatt

[larsenwv]

My PPC is a Buckeye Dream Machine, 2003, I thinks. We are going to
tighten up the steering a little so that it will track straight more consistently. In response ot other questions/comments, in the past my attention wasn't fixed on that small tree during take off runs--but I may have to fight to keep from watching it from now on. I expect I will will be able to do it. There was no rotor or blocking of the wind. While I was taking off from what is normally downwind from a house, there was no wind that day and I veered toward the house and hit the tree not far behind it. I do take lots of time to make sure the chute is set up right and I don't think that was an issue in this case. I should probably add that I might have avoided the accident if I had shut down earlier once I saw I was off course instead of trying to steer back onto course with the steering bar. To improve my control on take off runs I had done quite a bit of touch-taxi-and-go and thought I had learned that while the steering wasn't of much use as speed picked up, the PPC could be guided by the steering bars. But in this take off run it didn't work. Maybe there was still too much weight on the front wheel or maybe I didn't push hard enough on the steering bar. I have asked the person doing the repairs to install a mirror like the one indoruwet mentioned above. But while that will help me know when the chute is up and ready to check, I have read that the final inspection shouldn't be done via mirror and I plan to follow that advice.

[ralphmarlow@suddenlink.net]

look at this website and scroll down to the topic of windshadow
http://stpxml.sourceforge.net/skygod/Airmanship/airmanship.html

Ralph

PS How well your steering bars work depends on speed. they dont respond well when the speed is low. unlike an airplane you have to steer with BOTH the bars and front wheel while on the ground. limit your corrections to a minimum when landing or taking off.

[maurice]

I will offer a few thoughts. Continue to ALWAYS be CERTAIN of LOC no matter how long it takes or how much runway you are using. If you think you are running short on runway, shut it down, abort, and try again, DO NOT take off anyway. If you go ahead and leave the ground without being sure about everything, and you happen to have any tangled line, or even worse a "line-over" or chute cells not opened yet, you have big problems.

I'll tell you what MY method was for the exact same situation when I first started. I started, and continue to this day, to take an extraordinary long time with my chute layout. Very tedious. I have flown with other folks that were ready and waiting and I just told them, "go ahead on, I'll be up there shortly".

Anyway, it has worked for me. I'm not too far from 100 hours, and to this day, I have NEVER had an aborted takeoff! And simply put, it's because I have never had an occasion where I needed to abort. Add to that I have never put a scratch on myself OR my machine. I do not mean that to sound like some sort of bragging whatsoever, I'm just trying to say I make absolutely certain everything is A-OK when I throttle-up to begin to kite the chute.

I know this is not a huge amount of help to your question, but I know there are some on here with much more experience that can offer some very valuable advise.

I appreciated the advise. thanks

Maurice

[mignazito]

For whatever it's worth, let me suggest this old idea from GA flying.

NEVER FIX YOUR ATTENTION ON ANY SINGLE ITEM FOR MORE THAN 3 SECONDS.

Obviously you need to keep an eye on a lot of things when flying. If you fix your gaze and atttention on one item too long, something else gets out of control. Like running off the runway.Instrument pilots get really good at this, but every pilot needs to learn the skill of "scanning". In 3 seconds or less you can get the information you need on any item. e.g. I'm running off to the side of the runway, so steer to the opposite side a bit. Scan for say wing overhead, centered, etc. look back down runway, OK?, not OK? more steering input etc. But keep an eye on all necessary issues coming back to see if any corrective action has helped on some item needing correction.

You should really keep up a scan all the time when you are flying.

Obviously when taking off, staying on the runway is an important item as are a few others like wing OK, centered, inflated fully, no tangles, etc. So you set up a routine scan for the takeoff run. Alter it once airborne for say altitude, flight path, engine instruments, traffic, pattern etc.

The advise about a very careful layout is excellent. Never rush this step as it can prevent a lot of problems. Have a routine for this and be religious about it. Use a checklist if it will help.

In 300 hours I have only aborted a couple of takeoffs. Nothing is absolute, but being extra careful is never a bad idea. There is no such thing as an emergency takeoff. Take all the time you need to prepare for it.

Marty

[cloud9]

Marty,
:) Nice to hear someone mention that they have had to abort a takeoff.
My goodness, I have almost 200 hours flying more than 250+ takeoffs and have at least 8 or 9 aborted takeoffs.:D So what! I think its a good thing to abort a takeoff. Yes, once when its was in the 90+degrees I aborted 2 times before getting off the ground (what a relief once in the air) short flying time, but, I'll take it.:) :p
I just think we should be proud of our aborted takeoffs!
Love you guys and girls who go up in these things! Have a nice day, Richard:)

[mignazito]

There is no shame in using good judgement. There is no pressing emergency in a takeoff. Unless you are running from the law, but a PPC would not be much good for that anyway. The first line of defense is good preflight planning. Weather check, preflight inspection, layout, wind speed and direction? etc. Most of the time that will do, but now and then you need to make a launch decision right at the brink. Nothing to be ashamed of at all. I have aborted a take off or two in airplanes too. I have over 500 hours in airplanes and PPCs.

Marty

[larsenwv]

The $1,000 repair ended up costing me $2,000. I now have the aircraft back, and I think I have pinned down what my problem was. I have a partner who hooks up the chute correctly and then doesn't take it off until time for inspection. This works well because our hanger is next to the runway and it helps insure that the chute is connected properly when we fly. But in my case, it meant that I skipped an important step in my training--practicing ground handling without the chute connected. I probably had only about 4 minutes of ground handling (from takeoffes and T&Gs) when I crashed on takeoff. I hadn't really got the knack of steering with the front wheel. Once we got the PPG back--before reconnecting the chute--I spent and hour driving up and down the runway, developing my ability to steer, to look up where the wing would be, then quickly back to the ground track, to fix on a point our ahead to stay oriented in the ground run. The lesson to me is this. Frederick Scheffel recommends that one get comfortable with ground steering before taking to the air. Don't skip that step, as I did. It proved to be an expensive lesson in more ways than one.

[tkelly1250]

Sorry to hear about your lesson! You learned a lot though. Don't give up. I take off out of a very small field. Get the hang of quickly looking up to make sure your end cells are inflating and no crossed lines... and let the chute center itself. I do not worry about the LOC as the chute will center itself if inflating correctly. Also, the most important thing on this forum was the statement DO NOT TAKE OFF UNLESS YOU ARE READY! Set a marker on the field that safely will be your go-no go point. Lay something down (not something though that will cause damage if you hit it!) or get a can of marker paint and stripe trhe field before takeoff. If your chute doesn't look right or you are not gaining controlled lift by that point -- ABORT!! There aren't any heroes in the flying business... only dead people that thought they would be! Tim

[mikermudd]

I've only taken off once that I should have aborted.. It is much easier to lay out the chute again than make repairs after a hard landing.