I just thought of something..... - 01/10/08 04:10 PM
I had just got my pilot's license back after passing my medical.
YAY!!
I went to fly my airplane which had an annual inspection the month before. They test EVERYTHING.
It felt good to stretch my wings and take to the sky with my feathered bretheren.
I took off from Dahlonega, it was cold, the plane lept off the ground in the thick, cold air.
I got over the town and could see the golden spike of the museum, climbing, climbing.
I leveled out around 3000agl and seattled in for what I thought was going to be a relaxing return to my favorite past time.
I reached down and swapped the fuel lever from the right tank to the left tank and within seconds the cabin went silent, except for the clicking of the magneto boosters trying to re-ignite the fuel mixture.
I thought, oh great there was water in the tanks, but I had checked the gascolators and fuel was blue.
I hit the fuel booster switch and stabbed the throttle and it caughed once and still there was the silent clickety click of the mags as the propeller was now a windmill.
The VSI was now pointing down and the altimeter was running anti-clockwise.
I reached back down and changed the tank switch back to the left tank and almost immediately the engine came to life.
I pressed the throttle to the firewall and took her back to the airport. Landed extremely hot and came in high. Just in case.
During my inspection of the fuel tanks, they were perfect, no water and no blockages.
I opened the valve on the gascollator and let the left tank flow freely and turned the valve to the right. The flow stopped.
What the?
I turned the valve to the off position and the flow started again.
The valve handle had been removed and placed back on 30 degrees out so the fuel would stop flowing when the tanks were switched.
My twin brother mentioned that the last time he used the plane, someone had siphoned all the fuel out of the left tank and he had to fill it back up.
Someone with knowledge of how aircraft work only know to rearrange the fuel valve or take the fuel.
I have a sick feeling about this.
First my old colt revolver mysteriously becomes damaged enough to almost kill me and now my plane has been tampered with.
YAY!!
I went to fly my airplane which had an annual inspection the month before. They test EVERYTHING.
It felt good to stretch my wings and take to the sky with my feathered bretheren.
I took off from Dahlonega, it was cold, the plane lept off the ground in the thick, cold air.
I got over the town and could see the golden spike of the museum, climbing, climbing.
I leveled out around 3000agl and seattled in for what I thought was going to be a relaxing return to my favorite past time.
I reached down and swapped the fuel lever from the right tank to the left tank and within seconds the cabin went silent, except for the clicking of the magneto boosters trying to re-ignite the fuel mixture.
I thought, oh great there was water in the tanks, but I had checked the gascolators and fuel was blue.
I hit the fuel booster switch and stabbed the throttle and it caughed once and still there was the silent clickety click of the mags as the propeller was now a windmill.
The VSI was now pointing down and the altimeter was running anti-clockwise.
I reached back down and changed the tank switch back to the left tank and almost immediately the engine came to life.
I pressed the throttle to the firewall and took her back to the airport. Landed extremely hot and came in high. Just in case.
During my inspection of the fuel tanks, they were perfect, no water and no blockages.
I opened the valve on the gascollator and let the left tank flow freely and turned the valve to the right. The flow stopped.
What the?
I turned the valve to the off position and the flow started again.
The valve handle had been removed and placed back on 30 degrees out so the fuel would stop flowing when the tanks were switched.
My twin brother mentioned that the last time he used the plane, someone had siphoned all the fuel out of the left tank and he had to fill it back up.
Someone with knowledge of how aircraft work only know to rearrange the fuel valve or take the fuel.
I have a sick feeling about this.
First my old colt revolver mysteriously becomes damaged enough to almost kill me and now my plane has been tampered with.