Flight Training - October 2013 - 23

FLIGHT LESSON

By Bob Wehner
FLIGHT LESSON offers the
opportunity for pilots to learn
from the experiences of others.

THE LONGEST
10 MINUTES

A SMACK OVER SMACKOVER

K

ay and I had been visiting my folks in Shreveport, Louisiana.
We flew down for the weekend, but we were weathered in
right after we arrived. The weather had kept us grounded for
a week. I had been working for a Cessna dealer in Springfield,
Illinois, only a month as a salesman and charter pilot, and being away
unexpectedly for so long had me worried.
outside El Dorado. “I’m almost smack over
Smackover, and I’m going to try to get back
to the airport. I haven’t seen any place to
set down. Doesn’t seem to be anything
between you and me except 150-foot pine
trees and oil derricks. I see a little road
snake out of the trees every so often, but
not near enough to land on.”
My training told me I should shut the
engine down before I had a fire or the
engine froze up, but something wouldn’t
let me. I started evaluating my situation
and remembered the glide ratio of the
Cessna 180 was 10:1. We could glide 10
miles for each mile of altitude.
After a quick check of the map, I could
see we were a little over 11 miles from the
airport, and at 4,000 feet, less than eighttenths of a mile high. But those pine trees
below looked like 150-foot spears sticking
up. I knew if I tried to make an emergency
landing there, we’d go in nose first as soon
as the airplane started clipping the trees,
with virtually no chance of survival.

OCTOBER 2013 FLIGHT TRAINING

/ 23

SARAH HANSON

When it cleared up and we could head
home, I checked the weather and found
out we were in for some strong headwinds.
At least it would be clear all the way home.
After I filed my flight plan, we said our
goodbyes and took off.
I leveled off at 2,000 feet because the
headwinds were even stronger at higher
altitudes. Watching the terrain below,
I became uneasy flying that low over a
countryside that offered few options for an
emergency landing.
“Honey, I think we’d be better off if we
were higher, but it’ll be rougher,” I said.
I leveled off at 4,000 feet just as we
passed over the El Dorado, Arkansas, VOR.
As we approached Smackover, Arkansas, the engine gave a loud pow. Then it
sounded like 15 threshing machines coming through a wheat field.
“I’ve got a Mayday,” I told flight service,
trying not to scare Kay.
I was already turning 180 degrees to
try and make it to the Goodwin Airport

I kept watching those trees get closer
and closer. Every once in a while I looked
over at Kay and gave a reassuring smile,
and she would smile back. Her composure
was exactly what I needed to keep cool
and focused.
The trees were tickling the airplane’s
belly, and the airport runway still looked
miles away. I wanted to lurch forward and
try to get some extra distance out of our
glide, but I knew that was stupid.
After what seemed like hours, I was on
straight-in final approach—downwind.
As we came over the edge of the field, we
cleared the pine trees by about 20 feet.
I thanked God under my breath as we
landed on the very end of the runway. I
immediately cut the engine and we rolled
to a stop.
I got down out of the airplane and then
helped Kay out. Kay seemed to be as calm
as ever. “Were you scared?” I asked.
“No, you always told me if we had an
emergency we’d just land in a field or
the highway. I did say a few Hail Marys,
though.”
I thought, Where did you see any fields or
highways?
After the mechanics pulled the engine,
they told me they found a piston had
cracked from metal fatigue and the bottom half had dropped down into the
crankshaft. The engine oil looked like
silver metallic paint.
When I checked the distance on a
map, my quick estimate of 11 miles to the
airport when the emergency happened
turned out to be exactly right. At 4,000
feet, I would theoretically be able to glide
7.5 miles. I estimated not killing the engine
gave me about 10 percent of the engine’s
power, which probably accounted for a
little over a mile. One helluva tailwind
after I made the 180-degree turn made up
the balance of what we needed to get 11
miles to the field.
Having Kay next to me was the added
incentive I needed to do it right the first
time. I’m sure that was as close as we ever
came to buying the farm.
And I do believe in guardian angels.
Flight Training - October 2013

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