Near-vertical ascent accident -- any news?/Hurricane Katrina/gear problem

[Ernie Martin]

Several months ago a Skymaster crashed on take-off killing its two occupants. Witnesses described a near-vertical ascent followed by a stall, and some of us were speculating about a seat sliding back and someone pulling on the yoke to restrain the slide. Do we know anything more on that accident?

Ernie

[big al 08]

don't have any news; but last month i refurbished the interior and with the seat out came across crack adjustment bar and drift pins working themselves out.a few years the drift pins sheared off and the back part of the seat fell flat. just let go and trimed manually all was ok; but it sucked on landing. i think there is more problems with the seat adjustment linkage than the rails; but who knows as i partake in to much agave.

[WebMaster]

Hope you weathered Hurricane Katrina okay, Ernie.
Let us know.
Larry

[Ernie Martin]

It didn't suffer any damages. By chance it was in a hangar, where my mechanic and I were doing some cosmetic work. When I left the hangar Thursday around 5 PM I looked at the radar and it was headed west towards Ft. Lauderdale. Since TMB is in far south Miami-Dade and this was a Cat 1 hurricane, I expected 30, maybe 50 MPH winds. Well, the sucker startted turning south before coming ashore at around 6:30 PM that day, spawned tornadoes and we saw wind gusts approaching 100 MPH. Several lighter aircraft were destroyed at TMB. I was lucky. Thanks for asking.

On a separate note, I had been having intermittent trouble with my gear, was about to try several things, but decided to first change the battery, and it solved everything. There are those who say that in many instances (not just gear) you ought to look at the battery first -- they are right.

Ernie

PS: Without electricity or phone since Thursday 8 PM. No air conditioning or even fans in 90 degree humid weather is no fun -- and sleeping is a bitch!

[big al 08]

try tracing down the up lock switches was my prolem, changed the entire hyd pac and still didn't work and had problems for years, seem guy paris headed it off at the pass. i know how you feel my solar track quit and power is limited, it's 100 w/45 hum