Saturday 8 August 2009 12:40 6500 feet and climbing over Walker's Pass in N169MS. Temperature rising in water for engine. 240 F. Caution is 230F. Earlier this week, Thursday, I had the engine thermostat stick for a couple of minutes while landing at Inyokern. Temp on final got to 240 F also. Checked the system out then and it seemed to be working OK, so I planned to go to Kernville this afternoon.
The outside temp was about 75 F at 6500 feet, and normally temperatures in the water should be around 210 F. I did a precautionary turn to head back to Inyokern before getting too far into the mountains. Temp now 250 F. Reduced power to 3800 rpm from 4100 rpm. Smoke in cockpit. Pull power to 2500 rpm and dial in 121.5 MHz (FAA emergency frequency). Dive! 115 mph. Call, "Mayday Mayday Mayday", Identified, announced position and the problem twice. No answer. Switch to the Common Air Traffic Frequency (CATF) at Inyokern 122.8 Mhz. Got responses. Smoke reducing in cockpit power pulled back to 2000 rpm. Lined up on Hwy 178 East. Landing light ON. Smoke has cleared out. Temp 280F. Add a little power to level out and cruise at 80 mph in a descent down the hill about 50 feet over the highway. Cars are slowing and pulling off the pavement. There are hills on the road and turns, do not detect a wing drift, but I don't like the landing site ahead of me. I am low enough to crash land if flames come in the cockpit. Add a little power, 3000 rpm and pull up over the high tension power lines that go over the LA water duct. Smoke is coming back in. Power down to 2500 rpm, temp is 320F smoke is still coming in. Turn left and line up on Hwy 14 North. 80 feet above the traffic. Announce my position again with the pilots at Inyokern. Advise that I will be landing on HWY 14 and to get the equipment rolling. Full flaps at 40 feet, 1500 RPM. Pull the nose up slow it down. Cars still in the way. Add power, there is a break in traffic, smoke is getting thicker temp above 340F. Power back, nose down, get down then flare. Set it down, full stick back. Power full back, Engine locks up. Should have been idling at 700 rpm. Slowed down. Push right rudder and turned on to the shoulder. Fuel off, ignition off, battery off door open, belt off, grab fire extinguisher, helmet off and out to clear the plane. Examine the front of the cowl for flames. None. Good, just a rebuild of the engine.
Tried to call the FAA on the radio and cell phone to let them know I am OK. No answer. Called the pilots at Inyokern to let them know that they can stand down and that there is no fire, please relay. Got some help from CHP pushing the plane off of the highway, started to fold up the wings and Nate calls on the cell. "Yup it is really me and yes I would like a ride to town if he would do a U turn."
Finally got the Lockheed Martin weather briefer on the phone (they have the FAA contract for Flight Services, the real FAA was closed). Let them know to advise FAA that the Mayday call that I made into the blind had resolved itself.
Folded the wings, made sure that the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) was turned off, and oh by the way, FAA does not listen to the ELTs anymore.
Got the plane loaded on the trailer by 15:00 and put away in the hanger by 15:30. I think that I am going to have to rebuild the engine. The rest is just fine. Water cooled car engines in airplanes.... I am going to think about it for a while. Anyway the flight training paid off.
Thank you Mark for letting me reprint your story. As Neighbor of the Month Mark received a gift certificate to Torres Steakhouse.
