Microlight engine failure at 300ft
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 พ.ย. 2013
- This is the incredible moment a cockpit camera captures the terrifying moment a micro-light's engine cuts out in mid-air, forcing the pilot to make an emergency crash landing. Aviator John Merriman, 53, was making a solo flight in his two-seater microlight aircraft above the Somerset countryside this month, during a rare spell of good weather. Soaring at 300ft and at a steady speed of 50 knots, it was John's second flight of the day. But 11 minutes into the flight, the engine suddenly cut out, bringing the propeller to a juddering halt and filling the cockpit with an eerie silence.
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I had the misfortune of having a total engine failure a few years back and interrupted some golfers on a driving range. I was lucky to find a flat and smooth field in the mountain area I was in! The plane John was flying has a low glide ratio so although the landing may have looked rushed it wasn't. I think he did a great job making his emergency call and bringing it in. Planes can be fixed or replaced. He walked away to fly another day! Well done!
Starts looking for a place to land before the prop stops spinning :) Quick action, great pilot.
You always look for a place to land even when your motor is running normally.
Sounds like lack of oil in the engine. If I'm right a good pilot would have checked for that.
rule # ONE when in a helicopter......................@@Fleeglebutt
I delivered this air to John a couple of months before.
It was fitted with a vernier twin ( allways at best between engine failures )
As an ex instructor I would say that a low level engine failure for a low hours pilot gives a huge ( and frequently paralysing )adrenaline rush.
John did well to quickly get the nose down, establish the glide and get the round out in.
True a side slip would have shortened the roll and the approach was a little fast but the x air is draggy and a low hours pilot could easily end up wearing the downwind hedge with a slow approach from that height.
Front forks are cheap and no injury’s. I think he did ok.
He’s had a couple of engine failures since by the way and has done just fine.
Remember, every hour you fly is an hour nearer your next engine failure !!!
So keep practicing😉
It seems that if engine failures are occurring regularly as you're mentioning, then something must be seriously wrong.
@@RM-el3gw The problem vernier had was crankshaft steel purchased from Russia with an “ incorrect” spec to that on the paperwork ( or indeed ordered) , and hence cranks snapping as happened in this case.
His later engine failures were big ends in a rotation 582 in a different airframe , and a fuel prob. Both successfully dealt with.
@@ianhogg2940 in soviet russia engine cranks you
It's sad to see all the criticism here. It's his life, his plane, he landed without harm to himself, anyone else or property for that matter. Why the negativity? If you could have done it better, then go pull the plug on your craft at 300ft, take a video of your supremacy and show it off to the world. Your video will be inspirational and helpful, unlike your negativity and immature comments here. The only mistake I saw here was allowing that black widow on the wing to come aboard ;)
+xquisitaz I agree. And for all of those people who will say "I practice 300 foot engine out landings all the time", let's see them do it when they aren't expecting it. Sure, practice helps you hone your skills, but when your engine REALLY dies, UNEXPECTEDLY, and you've only got 30 seconds to get your plane on the ground. There's a whole lot to think about in a very, very short amount of time.
***** That's because comments were deleted from this post and I'm glad they were.
thanks and we'll put.
I agree --- and good eye on the bug.
yip looked pretty good to me brothers
Well done John! I like the way you started looking around for a field the moment you heard the engine noise. Salute!
simple. any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. you all know that.
+C “Texcritter” Chase I disagree. I would say that any landing where your aircraft does not sustain damage is a good landing. Otherwise, its technically a crash.
Tell that to all military pilots, in fact any pilot. As myself
***** not too many see it that way. thanks
+C “Texcritter” Chase If you are a pilot, and you asked me to tell it to any pilot. I already did what you asked me to do.
why did you have to say you're a pilot?
1:17 lol that spiders like i'm getting the fuck outa here
BWAHAHAHA
That was funny!
I have been flying over 50 yrs so have some experience and what I would say to John is bloody well done, I have met many pilots that could not have done as well so for a low time student to do it is just amazing.
1:13 Spider Escape on Roof :D
Not a single swear word - and a landing he walks away from - I'm very impressed !
Glad you you're safe and walked away from this INSTANT engine failure. I've practiced many of them, but never had an actual failure. My CFI was always chopping the power on me and I'm glad he did, tho I didn't at the time, lol. He sure drilled it into my head to never bet my life on an engine. To this day I shoot 99% of base turns and final approaches with power at idle, and occasionally shut my engine off at @ 1000 AGL, over one end of the grass strip, for practice.The very first time, I quickly noticed the difference between a stopped prop and an idling prop. More difference than I would've thought. Great job, brother, keep practicing and keep the mentality of 'where you'll land if your engine fails right now', (always). It has become habit now, and makes it so much more fun, because I always make sure I always have AT LEAST one good place within gliding distance to put it down safely. Thanks for posting this vid, it teaches us all, saving lives. 👍
Edit: I mostly fly LSA/ELSA, which i realize affords me more options.
unfortunately mine quit with no notice (bad electrical conn) at about 300 feet in a mountainous area when i was a less than 10 hr pilot with no dual instruction or an air speed indicator or altimeter that day....came in hot and flaired late when i saw the ground coming up to kill me....found my right foot BEHIND my right shoulder.....it was very exciting.........
wow, balls of steel. Holds his nerve so well.
spot on!
Well,does he have a choice
Think about other mens' testicles a lot, do uou? What do you like most about them?
It was really cool to see him start looking for somewhere to land as soon as it cut out. Good on him, glad he came back to us!
Great emergency landing - thanks for posting.
Cheers, Patrick
Well done John. I had an engine failure in an X-Air 582 at 85ft after take off. Landed and we both walked away, X-Air was in a bad shape but that doesn't matter. Thanks for sharing your expierence!
I think you did a fine job. As far as coming in hot, yes I would agree. It is nice burning off speed if you have plenty of clear runway in front of you. He may have seen something at the landing site we didn't. Closing in on a fence or tree line, ditch? He didn't have the option of a "go around"... He kept his cool and did a damn fine job in my opinion.
Well done.
Blue skies,
Scott
That was beautiful! Bravo! Your alive! I timed about 49 seconds from stall to landing.. very professional! Hats off sir!
Great job staying calm and handling the situation. And that on your 2nd solo!
God aviator. As soon as the engine started giving he reverted to his training and began immediately scanning for a field. Way to keep your head!
+Hook Good* I meant... God may be overstating it a bit lol
Sure, there's plenty to critique about is less-than-ideal landing, but in another video, he mentions that he'd only been flying for 6 months.
That in mind, he handled it very well.
stupid comment.
Ahahaha mk fedup
Off runway landings are soo different, he did a great job
First time ever seeing a plane crash from first person view. Pretty cool how he remained calm and wasn't visibly bothered.
What a great show of prioritization! Didn't spend time looking at instruments trying to figure out why the engine quit. Immediately looked out of the aircraft for a suitable landing site. Well done!
What type of Microlight was this? And great landing. You picked a good spot, got it down and walked away. That's perfect in my book.
The good things about him is,he look very calm and didn't panic and know how to handle the situation.
I'm not a pilot, but dude straight took a kamikaze approach straight down lol...
How much damage did the X-Air take?
glad you survived, what aircraft is/was this?
In 1982 I had just bought a Quicksilver MX, had done my one hour training session and was on my own. I had flown for about five hours total and was following stages from an ultralight training book. The book suggested that if you could start the engine from your seat, you should get up to about 2000 feet, kill the engine and restart it. The engine was a 440cc (I think) engine from a snowmobile, it needed quite a pull. It was always started with a sharp downward pull with two hands. I had not thought this procedure through fully before I took off and when it came to restart the engine, it would have meant to leave go of the main flight control, this control gave you elevator and rudder on the right hand. I realised after a few panicky moments I couldn't pull the engine over fast enough with one hand, so I soon realised I had to do a deal stick landing. Fortunately there were loads of tracks out there at Lake Elsinore and I just did some long steepish turns till I reckoned I was right to land. Everything worked out OK. Somehow I did manage to cut my hand on the on/off switch. Didn't realise till a couple of years ago (some 30 years after the event) that I could have probably pushed the nose down hard to give some push on the prop and I may have been able to start it one handed. When I tried to let go of the control stick initially, the plane became very unstable. I dread to think how my pulse was during the first few mines of no engine and no way I could start it!! Cheers, John.
did you fix it up and fly it again?
"Any landing you can walk away from..."
Well done, engine failure, successful landing, walked away. Good on you.
So sorry for the plane damage but good job walking away from it. The engine got rough. It sounded like the engine lost oil pressure and seized. Nice video!
What was the cause of the engine failure?
Well done that man! I had an engine failure at approx 800ft and that didn't leave much time to pick a suitable field and get lined up. No time for a radio call. Fortunately all went well, pilot and aircraft came away unscathed. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera running to capture the event.
I think the fella did fantastic! Was it the perfect landing. No. But like they say, any landing you can walk away from is a GOOD landing, even if the aircraft was totaled. At least he remembered to get the nose down to get air over his wings to create lift. So, so vital. Anything less, as others pointed out, would most certainly led to a forsaken stall and spin. Neither if which is welcomed by ANY pilot. Glad your OK sir and thanks for posting. That in and of itself is very courageous! Best regards!
If you look at the airspeed needle in the top centre of the panel you can see it is at around just before 5 o'clock when he is cruising before the engine failure.
He lands it with the needle at 6 o'clock.
So his landing speed is higher than his cruising speed.
I'm sure he didn't want to over-shoot the field he picked so had to get it on the ground fast.
hahah I was so on edge like oh god, when is he gonna pull up... ok ya getting close now plz pull up... PULL UP!
Tu n'essaies pas la deuxièmes pompes en vol ??? Ou deuxième magnetos ...
John if this is your second solo , your future flights will be 'walk in the park' well done.
read better, second solo of the day.....
good job man, you're a flying ace!
Now that was some fast thinking and a great
landing under such crappy circumstances.
wow...looks like he handled it very well. Nice job!
Good landing, you and the spider walked away!!
Glad that you came out in one piece
That was one of the smartest pilots I ever seen
Which engine he had ???
Thanks for flying with spiderAir. He walked away, just it could have gone abit better but it could have been much much worse!
Not sure where the "300 ft" in the video title came from. It appears clear to me that the plane is at least 600 to 800 feet AGL when the engine stops.
I’ve never seen anyone hold the stick with such a strong grip ! Followed by a snatch to full brutal elevator instead of a gentle flare !
Fred Flintstone pilot style !
Glad he landed safely though ...
this is youtube, where everyone is an expert at every video they watch. but i think his eyes were too focused on other surroundings than his actual landing spot. he panic'ed at the last second with a flare up @ 1:05, instead of a smooth glide slope onto the grass.
With my bush wheels and a lyc o-320 with a banner puller prop I get a ratio around 7.5 :1 ...i'm used to landing of field and on gravel bars , so hopefully this will be good practice in case I have an engine issue!
Well done John. Any landing you walk away from is a good one, especially when its a dead stick one. Don't take any notice of the armchair jockeys on here because I doubt any of them would have done any better in the same situation. You would have demonstrated your competence in your GST and that paid off in the end. Fly safe, from a fellow flexwing pilot.
That looked fun I remember when I was little my bus driver at school had one of these and had fun from time to time on weekends.
I realize you had to pick your spot, but touchdown speed seems a bit high. Glad you walked away, but would terrain not allow for slower speed?
Considering the magnitude of the emergency, the pilot was cool as a cucumber.....
whew! that looked like a pretty fast landing!
Apologies for my ignorance here, but I’m a bit perplexed why the landing was so hard. I realize he lost his engine, but could he not of slowed more w the flaps on approach, then tilted back at the last moment?
Once again ignorant/un-informed,but would like to get and fly ultralights.
I'd say he did pretty well seeing that the spider stayed on the roof, hats off to you man.
No Criticism Here !... Great landing . Glad You're OK! ( :
well done John, minimal damage and a landing you walked away from. Sideslipping may have helped but a decade later you no doubt know that now
Glad you weren't hurt. How bad was the damage?
I have flown a Aviasud Mistral microlight with a two stroke rotax 582 engine, and it never failed me. Due to proper maimtenance indeed.
That was the definition of coming in Hot If I've ever seen it !
What sort of microlight
Well done, you kept calm and landed well, despite some damage to the plane.
Main thing is you survived without injury. Hope you got the plane fixed and ready for more flying.
The spider had the ride of his life
A pilot with pretty sharp instincts
no restart?
Good job keeping your bearing. Nice landing.
I really would like to fly, this is good example how it’s done without panic.
Thanks
Wow I didn't realize you could get a microlite that carries two people!, cool
If you look at the Air Speed Indicator after the engine quits, he doubles it while descending. Why I have no idea. Clearly it could maintain flight way longer. However, it's not just the ridiculously steep descent that for sure exceeded his best glide speed, but the way he put it down that makes no sense to me. Clearly it could fly at half that speed, plus you have ground effect. Wouldn't it be both more intuitive and safe to keep it airborne a bit longer to let the excess speed bleed off and thereby softening the landing?
***** Awesome name!:) I understand that, and better a bit too much speed than just too little, but why not flare it right above the ground to slow down a bit?
***** No need, I'm on your continent :)
+crazymonkeyVII Interesting point, and maybe that's just pilot skill and possibly a/c type. I know when I have an engine failure, if my airspeed is not PEGGED on glide, I'm probably unconscious. Just my two cents, but, as said by everyone, he survived that's really all that matters.
this is why you always do a full throttle run up on your engine for a full minute before taking off that way you know if you have sufficient fuel flow which is generally the problem in a situation like this
That thing looks so comfy.
Outstanding airmanship pilot alive and well!!!!!!
I read all the flying comments with interest. It looks like he tried to make his aiming spot just past the fence. I agree that he came in hot and high but you really have to give him credit for keeping his head. It also appears that he was communicating with someone as he finished his turn to final. All I really think he should have done once he committed to the field he chose was to do a hard side slip to lose his altitude and drop some air speed. Unless you've been there I .............
Nice job Sir!
Good one. He kept the nose down and saved his life.
Can you explain please?
Surely nose up better to stay longer in air and come down more slowly?
@@allysuckblackisback7746 I'm not an aviator but a sailor/engineering student so my explanation might be wrong here but during an engine cutout the aircraft becomes a glider rather than a plane. Without the engine delivering forward thrust then the plane can not climb in altitude very well.
You have to keep the nose down so you can keep your forward speed up. If you brought the nose up, the aircraft would soar upward for a bit but eventually air resistance would slow it's forward travel down and you would fall straight down just like a rock rather than gliding forward. If you want to try this as an experiment, make a paper airplane and throw it at a really sharp upward angle. It will slow down immediately and flutter down to the ground instead of ever "flying".
Without any forward speed, the aircraft's control surfaces do not work. So even though it seems a bit scary for the pilot to be aiming down at the ground, that's actually the only way he can maintain steering capabilities. You need airflow over the control surfaces.
@@allysuckblackisback7746 the other reply is right on the money. Below a certain airspeed, the wings stop flying (referred to as a stall).
As soon as your engine dies, you need to pitch downward in order to remain above that speed.
In addition, there is a "best glide" speed for each airplane design, where you're getting maximum glide distance, all forces considered.
@@paulogarcia1766 the one (pedantic) thing I would change in your reply is that pitching down is not scary for the pilot (assuming they're not brand new)... Once you get used to it, pitching up in low airspeed situation becomes the thing that makes you uneasy. Pointing at the ground becomes nice and comfy! That is, assuming you're not going to arrive there immediately.
@@allysuckblackisback7746 please go do some research on aerodynamics and please do not think of becoming a pilot cuz you lack even the most common basic knolwledge of flight
Most ultralights do not take hard landings well. This was a pretty good example of that. If he would have had a nice smooth field it would have been different.
Anyone else notice the spider at the top of the frame? "..I'm outtta here!.."
amazing how calm he is
i'd start screaming and panicking if that ever happened to me, an absolute nightmare for anyone in a plane especially a solo pilot he did well considering the situation
Didnt look like it hurt the plane.....I bent mine and tore the front wheel( that I was standing on) off.I say he did pretty good.Of course i did have 6 entire hours under my belt.......
I would love to get into this hobby, but this is what keeps me on the ground. I think id always be looking for a place to land if I were to ever go up... just in case of engine failure
You have the right idea! A prudent pilot of a small plane and especially an ultralight always keeps an eye out for "a place to park" if it becomes necessary. (Former Xair driver)
Well done! you got down safe and sound ..and it looks like not much damage to your aircraft ..I had an engine out in a helicopter once your video showed almost the same trajectory!, those ultra lights come down fast iv practiced Engine outs in them and without that propeller spending it flies like a barn door doesn't it.
Regards
Jake
A plane this size? Negative 2 : 1. LOL It goes UP. Get it? Oh never mind. It wasn't that funny.
Flight is accomplished when there is enough airspeed to have sufficient lift from both wings. If you do not have sufficient airspeed, you can have a stall or a wing stall which is even worse where one of the wings dips down suddenly and you go down in a downward spiral. With insufficient altitude, you go straight into the ground, nose first. For those who think you can glide an aircraft, remember that it takes practice flying without power to become familiar with the stall speed characteristics (while factoring in wind direction). However, no one shuts down their engine in flight to practice or get a feel of their stall speed.Therefore, it is far better to land at high velocity and maintain precious lift than risk a stall and a deadly crash. Glad you came out of this alive and were able to walk away. That is all that counts. Nice landing!
I have had several engine failures and just landed normally. It is the ones at low altitude when you are in a steep climb that are really serious. P.S. This looked to be a lot higher than 300 feet. Look how small the trees are and notice he made almost a 180 degree turn.
Good landing great job man!
Cool head. Smooth recovery. Well done.
Great job, and looks like a quick fix on L/gear
Looked higher than 300ft.
i agree, im normally making the final approach for landing within the 150ft mark which is only half that. i clicked on this video thinking what a shit position to be in loosing power at 300ft. u havent got much time to suss out landing
Indiana Joe yeah, more like 300 meters AGL. 😆
altitude looked like it was reading 800 but that definitely wasnt 300
Nicely handled, he kept his airspeed up and flew it until it stopped.
Perfect landing, you didn't panic and that saved your life.
The spider top right at 1:16 must of been like wtf 🤣
fly safe mate... nice landing
WHY
nerves of steel you got RESPECT🤠
Well done, none of us were there, I hope I walk away when it happens to me
Any landing you walk away from is a good one. Thank goodness the nose brake stopped him quickly, lol.
For those criticizing you were not piloting this engine failure plane with landing obstacles only he was aware of. He may have made the right decision taking the first available landing as he did.
For a 2nd solo.
Brilliant ❗
You're still alive.
Engines can be rebuilt.
Why did it fail ??