EMERGENCY: Engine failure in the mountains. Longmont (KLMO) to Aspen (KASE)
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- Опубліковано 11 лип 2024
- Fly with us to Aspen, Colorado on a beautiful November day. I describe how and where to cross the Continental Divide on our westward journey including go/no-go parameters for winds aloft. En route we pick up VFR flight following from Denver Center and witness every pilot’s worst nightmare: complete engine failure over unforgiving terrain. Mooney N4328H crash lands in the mountains near Salida, Colorado.
After offering assistance with Search and Rescue efforts, we continue onto Aspen where I describe the typical approach procedures on an abnormally quiet afternoon. Our flight terminates in a normal (but beautiful) landing on runway 33.
Video Content:
00:00 - Intro and Takeoff
3:36 - Climb-out and engine cooling
5:17 - Crossing Rollins Pass
14:40 - Mooney Emergency!
20:52 - Flying over Eagle Airport
24:50 - Aspen Approach and Landing
![ОРБАН приехал к ПУТИНУ и "отчитался" о поездке в Киев 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_0ukDovOWq8/mqdefault.jpg)
My dad, Paul Doxey of St. George, UT, was the pilot of the Mooney that went down that day. It was so crazy to hear his voice on the radio. "God help us" sent chills through my body. It truly was a miracle that he and my mom (the passenger) found a clear and smooth place to land and that they had no injuries. The plane was completely fine too. They finally got it out of the cow pasture near Salida with a helicopter yesterday. It turns out that the cause of the engine failure was a loose magneto that fell out mid-flight.
@Andrea Alba I’m glad you found the video and reached out. After the incident I tried to determine what happened but came up dry. I edited out the silence after your dads last radio call. That was the worst part for me - especially when the controller asked Frontier to monitor for an ELT. My heart sank.
Thank you for the follow-up and please give my best to your Dad.
So glad he and your mom landed safely! Great video, Christian. It was nice to hear you immediately throw your own plans out the window to assist with search and rescue.
I had an engine failure in a 1961 money m20b when the magneto came loose during a cross country flight due to an improper repair made before the plane came into my hands. Someone decided to reuse a used lock washer with no safety wire. I walked away from the accident however the plane required engine rebuild and landing gear repair. The money is amazingly robust as I had to put it down in uneven desert terrain near Casper Wyoming and only the nose gear collapsed.
What great team work! Glad it was a success. :-)
I'm so pleased to hear they came out just fine, and to get your follow-up. Thanks!
I have listened to a lot of airborne pilots give real time commentary but this individual is outstanding.
Thanks Flycatchful. That means a lot!
Loving your videos and looking forward to many more! Great commentary, great information, clear speech, and great plane! Subscribed.
The one thumbs down was a Cessna 150 pilot. Great vid!
And now his flying club jumped in to support him. 😂. (From a 150 rider)
Enjoying your videos. Please keep them coming. Have always been a big Mooney fan. So relieved to know the pilot and wife of the other Mooney landed safely.
Hey, I'm flying a M20J in the Toronto area. I have been loving your videos, keep them coming!!
Loved the flight and hearing your explanations. Thanks phor sharing.
Thanks Troy. Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video! Glad to hear that other Mooney made it down safely. The approach to Aspen looks beautiful, bucket list for sure. And a super smooth landing to boot 👍
Thanks Fall Line Japan!
Thank you much, great stuff!
'74 M20C w/ Rajay Turbo bought NEW. 45 yrs same plane.
Pete
Appreciate your sharing your experiences. New pilot and just purchased a 79 M20k. Planning on getting over to the Rockies and exploring their beauty and this helps!
DAmmmm . Rajay Turbo Mooney.. Nice...
Excellent video keep them coming.
Thanks Marcus. I've posted a couple new videos since this one. Hope you continue to enjoy the content
Appreciate your sharing these experiences with us. New pilot and a new to me plane, 79 M20K. Looking forward to traveling around to many of the places you show. It helps a lot to hear your mountain flying experience!
Thanks Crash Works. Hope you're enjoying your K model... i'm a little jealous.
Fellow Mooney pilot... Great video!
Fantastic adventure, thanks for sharing fellow PIlot.
You bet. Thanks for watching Noel.
Great videos. I've watched a few before purchasing my M20F and it really helped with what to expect when I flew it the first time.
Thanks Lawrence, I rarely fly with people in the backseat, but when I do... I wish I had an 'F. Glad the videos helped!
Nice flying, subscribed!
Great video! Great flying !
Thank you Wagner!
I could listen to this all day. Thank you :)
Glad you enjoy it!
WOW...miss my mooney... Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Hi mate from Australia, just found your channel & i watched a few vlog's and i like what i see so thanks you for sharing your trips in the venerable mooney. looking forward to more great content. cheers and keep it blue side up
Thanks Equal to the Task Aviation, I can't believe my videos made it all the way Down Under!
Loved the video..very informational..thanks🤟🏽♥️
You’re welcome 😊
Nicely done Christian. There is a need for videos like yours to inform other pilots on proper mountain flying in the Colorado Rockies. As a fellow pilot based nearby at FNL, I can say your advice was perfectly aligned with best practices as I have learned them. I look forward to more. Safe flying.
Thanks Jim. Glad you enjoyed them. Give me a shout if you ever see me flying around and I’ll try to keep these videos coming.
Great video. Simple explanations of complex thoughts... proves you know both your plane and your flight skills. Very cool of ATC Center (obviously had their hands full) to thank you and update you before the handoff . And yeah, I don’t think I have ever seen Aspen that vacant...
Thanks Jeffery. It was a great example of everyone looking out for one another. Glad you liked the video.
I have a '63 M20-C and watching your videos of flying over the Rockies is inspiring! I have flown all across the country from Maine to California, but crossing Colorado has always scared me!
Glad I could help Chet. While I don't recommend flying in the mountains without the proper training, the M20C is a very capable mountain flyer.
Nicely done!
Thanks Robert!
I live in Longmont, this is great information to have
Glad it was helpful William!
Love your channel. Very scary with the other Mooney. I used to live in Denver and I flew my M20S all over the same places you do. I’m now in the flatlands in Texas with an M20R (Mooney N750DB). I look forward to more of your posts.
Thanks Donald. Happy to welcome a fellow Mooney flier to the channel. Those were some tense minutes. I was really happy to hear the pilot landed safely.
You should come back when you get a chance. You're videos are inspiring. I have a mooney M20F I hope to do some of the same stuff.
Most underrated aviation channel on UA-cam. Please remember us when you’re famous.
Ha, thank you Lee. That's very nice of you to say
Excellent!
Yikes, that area is insane busy! You should see what it looks like on a radar scope every days west of I25 from FNL south to BJC. Just a mess! Great video and I gotta say thanks for these. Very helpful with my mountain flying checkout coming soon from APA. I’ll be very excited to explore all those places you have shown us in your videos. Thanks for all of your helpful tips.
Aaron, it's my pleasure. Thanks for all YOU do. I've had nothing but wonderful interactions with all the Denver controllers. I really appreciate the support.
Great video. You have a natural aire.
Thank you!
Really interesting. Not a pilot but greatly enjoy your videos.
Thanks Cory. You're not a pilot "yet". Who knows... :)
Excellent video! First time I crossed the Rockies was in a 172! We went north from the Denver area and crossed near the border south of Laramie. It looks a lot simpler in the Mooney!
The Mooney is undoubtedly better than a 172 for crossing the rocks. That said, if you watch the winds, and leave some weight behind, a 172 is more than capable.
Great videos! My day job is a jet pilot but I’m Just getting back into a single. I have access to a M20K 252 and loving it so far. I’m learning a lot from your videos! I live up in EGE so let me know if you stop in sometime! Hope to see you around. Fly safe!
Thanks BJ Love. I fly over EGE a ton and land there every once in a while. Great airport. The M20K is a fantastic ship... I might be a little jealous. Would love to meet up and fly together sometime.
I did my primary training at Jeffco (now Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport). This was fun to watch as so much was familiar, especially flying along the foothills and around Boulder.
Thanks G. You’ll probably like my “IFR to Colorado Springs” video as well. There are lots of familiar sights for you in that one.
Awesome glide back to the airport.. Mooneys are well known for their gliding ability, almost rival many gliders 👍🏼
Thanks David!
One of the most popular gliders, an ASW-27 has a 48:1 glide ratio. Almost 5X the Mooney.
From 10,000AGL it can glide 79 miles.
Great videos, Man. The upwind leg and the departure legs are two different things tho 😉
Yeah I know...
Really enjoyed this vid. I fly out of Boulder, spend a lot of time doing laps at Longmont n grew up in Colorado, excellent to see this route preformed by someone who knows what they r doing. Thx for the professional narration. Would have been great if you had a belly or wing cam rolling when u crossed over the divide!
Thanks Joe, In many of my subsequent videos I run a multi-camera setup. Check out my Leadville or Wildfire videos for good views of the Continental Divide: ua-cam.com/video/XgqCNXXbL4M/v-deo.html
Great video. I would put my trust in you to get me there and back.
Ha, thank you Rocky!
Was just in Leadville! Daughter lives there..... I've seen pilots do the simulated flights to prepare to handle Aspen field! I hear it's one of the trickiest in the country....God speed
'Love the Johnson Bar !!! (older Mooney's have a large bar to manually raise and lower the gear.) My first flight at age 16 was in a '68 Mooney. 20 years later I took up flying.
Thanks Dan, I love it as well. It's about as fool-proof as they come.
I just got a JPI put on my Arrow II, I have most of my time in Lycoming powered Arrows, none with anything but the Piper EGT. My mechanic was shocked how cool my engine runs. At peak EGT, (1550-1600), CHT was only 325-335 at 87-95 MPH IAS.
That was intense!
It definitely had me flustered.
Great mountain flying content. I fly out of KBJC and am going to look at a Mooney M20G this week. I would love to fly my wife to Aspen in it after watching your videos. It will have to be a 20kt kind of day for her to go. Keep up the great content.
Sorry for the slow response... Did you ever get the M20G? Curious to hear how it's working out?
Man and a Mooney I ended up going with a Piper Cherokee 140 with a converted 180hp engine. Keep an ear out for 7055R as I fly right by Longmont to our practice area.
Interesting. Subscribed! Would like to see what your plan is for departing. Circling climb above the field to ridge height?
Thanks Jim. I just responded to your other comment. My recommendation is to always depart "down valley" to the NW. Fly that route until you're above 13k ft. For me, that's usually around LINDZ. Then depart the area on course.
Yes, praying to God to help you should do the trick! Invisible Sky Gods never let you down.
I lean my Mooney in the climb by pulling the mixture until I see the EGTs respond and begin to rise on the JPI/EDM. Once they deflect I push it back slightly to keep things cool having developed the feel for how much to add back. This technique is fast and effective in maintaining the balance between good power & a cool engine.
Thanks for the tips John. I actually do the same. On hot days, I have to leave the mixture pretty rich to keep my CHT’s under 400. That’s why you saw me full-rich until about 10k feet. While that may seem like a lot, it was really only about 5 minutes and 4,000 ft. of climbing.
Great informative video! Lot’s to learn! Does your Mooney have a Turbo?
It doesn't M, but I think you know that now after watching my Leaning video. Thanks for the compliment.
Hey Man! Just found your channel. Hopefully you keep pushing out videos!
Thanks Drew, welcome aboard! I’ll try to keep them coming.
I was flying N42404 before it moved back to CA. I used the same find lift approach and crossed at FOOOT for flights into the mountains. Say hi to Mark in N657J or Alex in N8156S.
Yep, FOOOT, and PENEY are my go-to's for flight planning a Rollins Pass crossing. I'll keep an eye out for Mark and Alex. Thanks iceman!
Glad I found this video. I'll be flying my M600 into KASE in a few weeks and this was a good primer. I'll no doubt be coming in from the east IFR, but if I get the visual, I'll know what to do. Thanks for taking the time to post this (3 years ago).
Thanks for the video. Can you provide the waypoints used in your flight plan. I can’t make this work at 12,500 MSL. What am I missing.
The route is approximately "KLMO FOOOT RLG LINDZ KASE". If you have access to ForeFlight, turn off all your other map layers and turn on the "Hazard Advisor". Other than crossing the Divide at FOOOT, you could fly the whole thing at 9,500 ft.
Nice upload - thanks. I'm not familiar with your aircraft type, nor layout. I wondered what the 3 green lights (behind your gear lever) are ? Sometimes the middle one flashes & sometimes the right one is red (e.g. @ 32:15). I must confess I jumped through parts of the flight - clearly all is well, I was just a little distracted by a green light being red.....
Good question Graeme. That's actually an Appareo Stratus which is mounted under my panel (my ADS-B in solution). The three lights you see are status indicators for GPS, Battery, and ADS-B-in signal (as read from left to right).
@@ManandaMooney That would have been niggling away at me had I not found been so kind as to reply ! Looking forward to watching more of your adventures. Thanks !
Very informative video. I'm flying Toronto to Flagstaff in a couple weeks, let me know if your available to meet up for a flight. I'll bring my Nikon Z6 and we could share the footage!
@Pilot_Plane-Coffee that sounds like a pretty epic x-country. Let me know when you’re passing through. I’m typically around on the weekends.
Enjoyed your video very much. I own a 69 M20C with 78 J model engine so I call it my "C/J". Did I hear correctly on your audio that you nicknamed your airplane "Marge"?
Thanks Harold. Yep she's named "Marj" after my grandmother.
@@ManandaMooney Cool. I named mine Marvin K. in honor of Dr. Seuss.
I'm a pilot living in Longmont, but waaaay out of currency and proficiency. It's great to see your trips up into the mountains from LMO. I'm curious about your gear indication lights. The right main was showing red on your approach into Aspen. Is that an abnormality? Also, what a relief that the forced landing was successful for the other pilot!
Keen eye. That’s actually an Appareo Stratus (ADSB receiver), not a gear indicator. As you fly lower in the mountains you’ll struggle to receive ADSB-in signals - as indicated by those changing lights.
@@ManandaMooney ahh, thanks for the clarification. I haven't really flown since the pre-ADSB days, but will be getting back into it soon. Good to know!
Did I hear you say that a 10:1 ratio is that for every 1000' alt you will glide 10 000'?
😳😳 That's one slick glide ratio 😉🤣
Yeah, a good rule of thumb in the Mooney: for every 1000 ft AGL, you can glide 2 miles.
What yoke mount do you use for your ipad
Hey Robert, I use an X-naut with a RAM mount
Awesome video but I'd like to add not all Mooney airplanes run hot. The 200hp+ models don't. The problem is too much opening in the front and not enough at the bottom.
I need to get some mountain training around Denver. Do you have suggestions?
I like your layout better than mine though. I'd like to add digital backup and autopilot for IMC. You've got a sweet setup.
Tim, Every year the Colorado Pilots Association hosts a couple mountain flying courses - coloradopilots.org/. I highly recommend those. Unfortunately, they were canceled this year due to COVID-19.
Man and a Mooney I was actually go into ask you about those. I have family in Fort Collins so I figured I would come up and take a course.
What A Nightmare - It's so great to hear that they literally walked away from this. Statistically they broke the rules; the Grim Reaper lost this time. I love to hear stories like that.
Thanks Eric, what a nightmare indeed. You can see I was visibly shaken in the video - even after I learned they made it down safely.
Can you recommend a good flight school to learn mountain flying around that area?
I can't recommend a specific flight school but I will say the Colorado Pilots Association is a great resource: www.coloradopilots.org/ They host a Mountain Flying ground school twice a year but I think both were canceled this past year due to COVID. Check out the description of this video for more references: ua-cam.com/video/DeTkEmoLCdU/v-deo.html
I've crossed Rollins Pass many times. My personal planning limit is 30 knots of wind. That is to say, if more than 30 kts wind is forecast at 12,000 feet, I won't go. With that said, I have crossed Rollins pass at 13,000 feet and winds gusting as high as 47 knots with little more than light chop. As passes go, it is one of the most tame out there. On average, 25 knots of winds out of the Southwest is typical when crossing Rollins Pass.
I’ve found the same Jim. If you can get up to around 14k there’s usually some laminar flow there. Don’t approach the pass below 12k in that type of wind. You’ll be in for an unpleasant ride.
I will trade SEL glide characteristics for MEL that glides like a brick. Guy is lucky for sure. Nice video
Thanks MrJustin. There are definite pros/cons to twin engine flying. If a PIC is committed to reoccurring training, I'd say a twin is typically safer. Loss of both engines... put me in a single any day.
When did he do an engine run-up, checking temps, pressure, mags ,etc? Not just before take-off when I always have?
Be thankful I didn't include all that as it would have been even more footage for you to blissfully skip over. You're so quick to judge the content of my video without even reading the description or actually watching it. Let me guess, you watched the first 12 seconds and then you skipped to the end to see a fiery crash? Thanks for pointing out what a safe pilot you are... checklist complete.
Ron D'Eau Clair sounds like he has a little Pilot envy! Love the Videos! I have flown the same plane for 35 years, 1963 M20C.
How much concern do you have flying a single over the terrain you fly?
There’s always concern. A good pilot is always weighing risk/reward and planning multiple contingencies. You’ll find the routes I fly in the mountains are often over roads and lower terrain. I do what I can to lower risk wherever possible.
Ever hike over to do Hanging Valley Wall?
Mark, Sure have. Snowmass might just be my favorite resort in Colorado. For some quick-laps try AMF and Gowdy's. Ride up Cirque about 300 yards and then bail to the left. You can also hike to from top of Sheer Bliss/Big Burn.
On your descent try pulling prop back to 2200rpm and that will help keep cylinders from cooling to quickly, Works on my Bonanza
Thanks George, I'll give that a shot
👍
4:05 I imagine overheating the engine will effect performance as well.
Absolutely, especially in the long run. Overheating can lead to oil leaks, damaged cylinders, etc.
If you've ever really had one you know your first instinct is to stand straight up & look down over the nose😁
Hahah I'm sure it is. While I hope to never have one, it's always in the back of my mind...
My friend Ralph died in his Moony. He had a real bad case of gotta get there and flew through some extreme icing conditions in NM in November 2013.
Sorry to hear that Michael. That's why IMC in the mountains is a no-go for me. You have a very limited operating window. My service ceiling is right around 18k ft. Many of the MEAs over our mountains are 14-16k ft. That gives me 2-4k feet to play with. That’s not enough to safely escape an icing encounter.
No need to start every transmission with "longmont" you do it only once on your initial contact. Thereafter just use your callsign. They know you are on their frequency and on that frequency you can only call one identity: Longmont.
Joop, That’s TERRIBLE advice. Longmont is a non-towered airport and traffic should start and end transmissions with “Longmont”. I’ll admit, I occasionally shorten my calls but only after I’ve established my place in the pattern. I can only hope you’re referring to towered airport communications with that recommendation.
Man and a Mooney sorry I did not know Longmont is a non towered airfield.
Oxygen running at 12,500 feet?
Yes, I crossed the Divide at over 14K feet, so I turned on O2. Oxygen is cheap and I feel more alert when I use it. I probably could have taken it off once I dropped back down to 12.5K but got a little distracted by the emergency.
Man and a Mooney Thanks for the response. I like the videos. I am purchasing a Mooney now and I am torn. Between the 1969C and 231 with MB engine in it. I live on east coast and a lot of flying done bellow 10k. But I’m afraid C would be barely moving in these higher density alltiudes when I go to visit family in Arizona.
@@Outlaw0770 Those are two very different machines, at two very different price-points. One could conceivably own three M20C’s for the price of one M20K. True, the K performs better, but not 3 times better. You really need to ask yourself what is your mission profile?
If you typically fly with only 1-2 people, the C will do just fine - even at high density altitudes. If you plan to fill the seats, both you and your passengers will be much happier with a K.
PS. That MB engine pretty much turns that 231 into a 252. Let me know if you get it, I’d love to go for a ride.
Man and a Mooney. Absolutely it would be my pleasure. I’ll keep you posted.
If you look at the long term effects of even mild hypoxia on things like neural plasticity in your brain you might be using it below 10,000.
You were not "Upwind" on 11 - you were on the "Departure" end of 11.
Ahhh the “Departure” vs “Upwind” argument. I will start by saying: you are absolutely correct. The problem is, “Departure” is a relatively young expression (less than 5 years or so) and there are many pilots out there who still subscribe to the “Upwind” phraseology. I find I use both. Not intentionally, but accidentally. Check out my Block Island video for my use of “Departure”. That said, I will make a conscious effort to use “Departure Leg” if you will extend a graceful understanding to pilots who sometimes use one, or both of these phrases. If for nothing else, your own safety in the pattern.
Hi, is it possible to get in touch with you via email?
Sure, you can email me @ manandamooney@gmail.com
I hate busy uncontrolled fields. Too many idiots
I've landed a Lear jet there on flight simulator. LOL
That’s basically the same thing ;)
Absolutely hate busy uncontrolled fields. A product of class C training and home field.
It’s not usually that busy. The beautiful weather had everyone out and about. Would have been nice to have a tower that day.
And for a $150k recovery fee, he can get his plane back.
Actually, he already has it back - and for far less than $150k. If you’re interested here’s a video of the recovery: ua-cam.com/video/WIQru6OF2uA/v-deo.html
@@ManandaMooney Very impressive. Thank God for insurance and his luck.
WHERE was the engine failure? It was NOT in the video.
Ron, the Mooney Emergency is at 14:40. Sorry you weren't able to see me crash as it appears that's what you were looking for here. I encourage you to read the video description next time.
Engine/engine cylinder “shock” cooling is an Old Wives Tale.
Tom, I’ve heard arguments from both sides. Since I pay the bills, I do what I can to minimize wear and tear wherever possible.
Well if you really want to save costs, don’t run CHT up to 400 dF. That will do far more damage than “shock” cooling. Seek out and read John Deakin’s columns.
Nice video but I think your engine leaning ideas are antiquated. there's no fear of detonation probably after climbing through two to three thousand feet. Fuel only cools the engine at extreme amounts of fuel otherwise it actually makes it burn hotter so the way to cool an engine is to lean to rough and then in enrichening just enough to make the roughness go away.
Cyrus, thanks for the input. Call me antiquated but I’ll stick with the recommendations in the POH, Lycoming Service Manual, and nearly every article I’ve read on the subject. I only lean below 75% power. My ‘C loves to run hot on climb out and running rich seems to help - at least in my experience. I encourage everyone to explore what works for them and their airplane.
@@ManandaMooney
This old school shell is hard to crack. Its 1935 leaning knowledge applied to 1935 designs.
The rest of us are moving on....Rotax, electric, computer regulated engines....
Yup. Read some current literature and make that climb lean of peak (LOP).
Made me nervous watching you touch your microphone so much.
Just incase the engine failure didn't raise your heart rate, me touching the mic will do it ;)
Go fly gliders. Engine outs are normal. We're not afraid for our lives when the gas tank goes dry.
Not exactly an apples to apples comparison. While the Mooney glides well, it can’t compete with the high aspect ratio of a glider wing. I fully support the statement that some glider experience would improve pilot skills - especially in the mountains.