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What will your plane's last flight be? Hopefully not like this...

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Some video from over the weekend, gusts to 70. Body count at just this airport was 5: 2-172’s, 140, 180, and a Cherokee 6. Winds were in the 50's when both these planes were destroyed, windy but not enough to make this inevitable, improper restraints was the real cause.

The two in the dark was the 180. Old weathered ratchet straps failed, first on the right wing, then a few minutes later away it went.

The 6 was destroyed when the wing tiedown rings failed. It’s a shame Piper chose to use such a weak tiedown; a really poor design. There was a Tomahawk that came close to being a goner from the same failure, it’s was saved by tying to the gear legs.

This time was a bit much, but every winter it gets windy here. Not uncommon to loose a plane or two, almost always due to poor or weathered restraints. Some planes such as the low wing Pipers are at risk simply due to the poor design of the tiedown rings. Some others are as well such as old SE Cessna's with the 1/4" eyebolt tiedown, those are also prone to failure. Surprisingly the retractable type Cessna used later are pretty darn tough, I've never seen one fail.

While the tricycle gear have an advantage withstanding the wind, the low wing design is much more difficult to tie down. Most high wings are strut braced allowing an additional rope to be wrapped around the strut. It's telling to see the light homebuilt survive, while the Six goes buy-buy.

Really want to decrease the odds of your plane being destroyed by Mother Nature? Easy, tie it down regular old rope rather than ratchet straps. I really can be that simple.

Jeff



 

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