Runway excursion at Cavanaugh Bay.

[Adam Frisch]

N695JH. 1000 model. MT blade props. Looks like a gem.

Anyone know the owner? Wonder what happened?

[donv]

That's too bad! He was recently profiled in Flight Levels, too:

https://flightlevelsonline.com/2019/from-pro-basketball-player-to-twin-commander-pilot/

[donv]

Did you post pictures? Because I can't see any of them, using either Safari or Chrome.

[kent4142]

I got one picture.  The other three pictures are just little icons.   Would love to see the rest.

 I know most pilots have more courage than I do.  I read the article about this airplane, and I thought - I don't think I would feel comfortable doing that going into a 3000 ft strip on a regular basis - especially with "my baby".



K

[donv]

I wish I could see the pictures.

3100 feet shouldn't really be a problem for a 1000... I was in and out of a 2900 foot strip last weekend, and going back again this weekend. As long as you come over the fence at 95 (per the AFM) and don't try for a smooth landing, it really should be no issue.

I would be less inclined to operate out of grass, but that's more because I would be concerned about beating up the airplane, as opposed to capability.

[kent4142]

I found these photos.

K

I feel terrible for him.

[kent4142]

If the photos are not showing, there is a discussion on the BeechTalk Forum.  Or I have copies I can email.

K

[JMA]

Would love to see all photos if possible.  jasonallen@Hotmail.com
Also- is the propeller made of wood under the metal skin?  Sure looks like it in the pic.

[donv]

I'd like to see the photos as well. I'm not a beech talk member and have no plans to join... Commanders for me!

donv@xsw.com.

Thanks!

[Bruce Byerly]

Nothing better than landing on grass. It beats snow and rain for smooth touchdowns!

I agree - 3000’ + at under 3,000 MSL shouldn’t be any issue at all.  Wonder what happened. Also wonder how those wood props work in reverse.

Poor guy, you can’t get away with anything these days with all of the camera phones.  I’d be a bit sad if someone took it upon themselves to post my bad day for everyone to critique before I could do it myself. 

[donv]

Now up on Kathrynsreport:

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2019/07/gulfstream-695a-turbo-commander-1000.html

Interesting that the FAA classifies the damage as "minor"-- doesn't look "minor" to me from that picture!

[SKYFLYER]

Clearly a $50,000 prop and engine prop strike inspection must not exceed the "minor incident" level.

I am assuming that the 4x4's on the sign are what took out the blades, but I suspect the nose gear will be a little worse for wear going into the grade at that point on the runway.

Too bad he did not veer to the left as it looks like a nice flat wide area he could have got stopped in.

[kent4142]

Would love to see all photos if possible.  jasonallen@Hotmail.com
Also- is the propeller made of wood under the metal skin?  Sure looks like it in the pic.

These are "carbon fiber" propellers.  And yes, they are wood under "carbon fiber" coatings.  It is unbelievable that we use wooden propellers on multi-million dollar aircraft and they are "state of the art".  The MT shop said they can rebuild up to about 70% of the blade.  The wood is usually lighter and absorbs vibration as well.

K

[kent4142]

I've been thinking about the position of the airplane in relation to the mowed end of the grass runway, and it made me think of my early experiences with my 840.  I had about 4,000 hours in lots of other aircraft, before I bought the Commander.  I have only once had an airplane want to depart the runway laterally.  The one time was a Cessna 170 with a nearby thunderstorm.  I went into the grass rather than fight the cross-winds.  But that is a different story.

At first I thought it was my reverse pitch technique or perhaps engine settings when a put the condition levers in reverse.  Nope they worked fine - when I left the brakes alone.  Only when I got on the brakes did the airplane try to depart the runway.  The same thing happened with my son in San Diego.  I have heard stories here and there about Commanders going off the side of the runway.  I even had "soft brakes" on my airplane when I bought it.  What are "soft brakes" all about, if there isn't a known tendency for lateral control issues with heavy braking?

Am I the only Commander pilot who has had difficulty managing those massive brakes, and keeping the airplane tracking straight on moderate to heavy braking?  I asked a seasoned pilot from Byerly Aviation to fly my aircraft and tell me what he thought.  He said "it feels about normal to me".

It is my humble opinion that the Turbo Commanders are gentle giants - but they are "super car" airplanes.  The two most spooky characteristics are stalls, and heavy braking.  Has anyone else experienced runway excursion tendencies with moderate to heavy braking?

K

[donv]

I have not had any issues with directional control under heavy braking, but then it's pretty rare that I use the brakes much-- a bit of reverse typically does it for me, even on shorter runways.

However, what can be an issue are gusty winds with the props in high RPM. That big prop disk can get blown around and really move the airplane in one or another direction. Going to low RPM makes a big difference on gusty days, although then you shouldn't use reverse.

The "soft braking" mod had more to do with smooth taxiing. The brakes would tend to grab, and it could be difficult to tell where the steering stopped and the brakes started.