Fred, I am sure you won't need telling but it is worth emphasising that
any safety critical switch ought to be positioned or surrounded by some
sort of guard so that it cannot be inadvertently switched off in flight.
I came close to ending up in a similar fix about 15 years ago.
After a long flight I was over horizon to horizon forest in East Germany
approaching the Czech border when my bladder got to the uncomfortable
stage. I kept a pee bottle under the L. thigh support and having used
this and replaced it, I was horrified to find that all my electrical
instruments showed no signs of life. Since I was being propelled by a
914 with twin electrical pumps, this was worrying! Mind duly
concentrated, I did my usual start up checks of going anticlockwise
round the panel starting with master & alternator switches at bottom
left. Immediately apparent that both switches were off and I managed to
put them back on before the fuel in the carb bowls ran out (or so I
thought). I had clearly lassoed their rather long toggles with my
trouser bottom when lifting my left leg up to get at the pee bottle!
Having confessed to this on Matronics at the time, I was put
straight by Andy Draper who pointed out that fuel pump no 1 gets its
power upstream of the alternator switch if correctly wired so does not
stop when master & alternator switches both turned off. But it was a
good illustration of one aspect of Sod's Law that if you are going to
have a foul up it is almost bound to happen at entirely the wrong
moment!.
All best for repair of back and plane, David, GXSDJ
On 2022-06-01 23:50, Fred Klein wrote:
> Gents,
>
> As previously reported, on 13 April I stuffed N194XS in some trees,
> landing short as it were, following an engine stoppage while in the
> landing pattern at my local airport.
>
> I believe I have now determined the cause of the stoppage of the
> engine, a MPEFI'ed Subaru derivative, and have just now sent an
> addendum to my Pilot / Operator Aircraft Accident Report to the NTSB as
> follows:
>
> _"After installing a new propeller, I attempted a restart of my engine
> a few moments ago._
> _ _
> _"Without hesitation, as I've anticipated, the engine fired up
> immediately._
> _ _
> _"Recall that I've postulated that I'd inadvertently closed one (or
> two) of the rocker switches controlling the ECU, the ignition coils, or
> fuel igniters when either (1) securing the LG in the down and locked
> position, or (2) with my left hand on the control stick, moving to
> full-forward stick position to counter the nose-high attitude resulting
> from the lowering of the flaps...(flaps and LG being
> interconnected)..._
> _ _
>
> _"With the aircraft fuselage on its trailer (sans wings) with the LG
> down, I have not been able to simulate lowering the flaps & LG.
> However, when gripping the control stick and moving it to a
> full-forward stick position, it is possible to close the rocker switch
> controlling the ECU...an action which results in an immediate engine
> stoppage._
> _ _
> _'It's my opinion that this is what occurred back on April 13th."_
> _ _
> While I suffered no injuries during my "landing"...(nor did I hit a
> building or any hikers in the woods)...without thinking and without
> realizing how high I was above the ground...while exiting the aircraft
> I fell about 12 feet on my back resulting in a compression fracture
> which has me hobbling about...prognosis is for a full
> recovery...something I'm quite ready for.
>
> The damage to Miz Europa appears to be superficial and localized.
>
> Fred
> A-194
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