Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

[Robert Lees]

Some of you may know I work now as a self-employed aircraft mechanic. My main customer is a small outfit that services private G- and N reg aircraft local to me.

The two chaps who own this business, who gave me work after I lost my job (bless them), flew a non-deiced, non-autopilot 120kt twin Islander from England to Florida in December 2009, against the prevailing winds, and one of these chaps has posted a full trip report here.

They had an engine failure between Iceland & Greenland, and after landing, this led to some delays and the potential for the aircraft to be wrecked on the ground due to bad weather.

It's well worth a read. It opens in Picassa. Use the full screen (F11 in Windoze). Open the slideshow, and pause each frame (to read the prose) and use the right arrow to scroll to the next photo.

The "Rob" referred to therein is not me...he's one of the two blokes I mention above. He's a UK CAA, EASA licenced Engineer and also an FAA A&P/IA.

As a taster, the photo below is over the Greenland coast, with a feathered prop, and all the oil gone over the cowling & leg.

Island hopping with an Islander

Rob

p.s. I make no apologies for posting this in Everyday Taylorcraft Discussion...it needs the fullest audience.

[Richard Young]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

Great show and quite a read. What an adventure!

Thanks for shareing.

Richard Young

[NY86]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

See, if they'd been flying the other Islander, they'd have had 3 still running...

[dewhitaker]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

What an adventure!! Hats off to the guys for their success!

[Mark Julicher]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

Totally impressive and resourceful guys! Brass 'nads!
I'm glad they clarified that adding IPA to the fuel was actually isopropyl alcohol and not India Pale Ale.

[Chet Peek]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

Rob, that is an impressive feat and they are to be congratulated.

A friend of mine,Tom Danaher,(my age too) has flown over 200 single engine ag planes to overseas from the factory at Olney TX. They fill the hopper with fuel and can fly forever. He now flies my Jenny for the Wichita Falls TX Museum.
Google his name, he has quite a career and is still going.

Chet Peek

And HAPPY NEW YEAR to all on the forum.

[Dick Huish]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

That brought back a lot of memories. I spent a lot of months in Keflavik including the longest day and night. I also spent a year and a half in Newfoundland. To top it all off I flew out of Ft Lauderdale quite a bit. Dick

[Chet Peek]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

Dick, been there, done some of it. WE landed our B-17 in Greenland when we flew home in June of 1945. What happy days they were after being gone 2 1/2 years. Chet

[lfries]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

Thanks for sharing with us. I'm wondering if that engine is prone to this type of problem. I was flying single engine, developed some roughness, pullled carb heat and all smoothed out. No apparent loss of power. In the Pattern at Bishop CA after flying across the Sierra a pilot said do you know your leaving losing oil. Both oil temp and pressure were notmal. I expedited the landing and did I have a trail of oil on the tarmac.. I was right at Lycomings minimum oil level for not damaging the engine.

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

This adds a bit of substance too the story on this thread. Larry


British Pilot Dies After Saving Passengers' Lives in Caribbean
Sunday, October 25, 2009


A British pilot drowned after saving the lives of nine passengers by ditching his plane into the sea when one of his engines failed, The Sunday Times reported.

Robert Mansell, 32, was hailed as a hero after carrying out a forced landing of a light aircraft in the Caribbean between the islands of Curaçao and Bonaire. Last night it emerged that his final words to air traffic controllers were: “I’ve lost control of one of my engines ... so long.”

At 9.30am on Wednesday, Mansell, from Knowle, in the West Midlands, had embarked on his fourth island hop of the day, carrying seven locals and two Dutch tourists. He was flying at 3,500 feet when the right engine of his Britten-Norman Islander gave out.

He made a mayday call but was knocked unconscious by the impact of the landing. He became trapped between his seat and the cockpit instrument panel. Several passengers were knocked unconscious in the incident but regained consciousness with minor head injuries and escaped with everyone else on board.

Two passengers on the Divi Divi Air flight attempted to pull Mansell out of the aircraft but fled through the door when it began to sink. The passengers were all plucked from the sea by rescue services.

One former colleague has posted details of the crash on a tribute website. He said: “He slammed his head on the cockpit glass and remained unconscious. It was difficult to get the safety belts out. [They had] 10 to 15 seconds to get out of the plane, otherwise more people could have died.”

The Foreign Office has confirmed that Mansell died on Wednesday. His body has yet to be recovered: rescuers have located the aircraft beneath the Caribbean sea but lack the equipment to retrieve it.

[Pearson]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

I RODE in the back of a Tri-Islander from the Jersey Islands in the English Channel to Dinard, France. After having flown jets for the previous several years, this was my first flight in a prop job in many many years. At the time I seriously wondered if the thing was going to shake itself to pieces. It reminded me of a sign they had over the door at the training center that said; "Props are for boats". I have a friend who's son has a commuter airline in the Caribean that uses Islanders, and they really like them.

[Rick Hadley]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

I got to fly right seat in an Islander about 10-15 years ago on a flight from Bequia to St Vincent on SVG Air. It was the last scheduled flight of the day and my brother-in-law and I were the only passengers. As we were getting airborne my BIL leaned forward to the pilot and said, "How about taking a detour down over Mustique so we can see the houses?". The pilot looked at his watch and said, "Aww, I guess we've got time." So we headed south instead of north for a few miles, flew a couple of circles over Mick Jagger's house and then headed back to SVG.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

thank you Rob and all the guys for comments. I spent from 6:30AM to 7 this morning devouring this thread. I will now go out into the doom & gloom of NE Ohio with a new ouitlook. Great story , great comments. thanks again

[VictorBravo]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

Wow Rob, what a fantastic story ! I was shivering in the cold just looking at the photos.

A couple of questions:

Would it not have been cheaper by far to pull off the outer wing panels and ship the airplane to Florida by sea cargo, considering the avgas fuel costs etc?

If the aircraft came out of a refurbish at Britten-Norman... should they not have looked at the rocker shaft bosses for cracks while it was apart in their shop?

What a great adventure.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Flying an Islander across the Atlantic

Answers:

1. No, it was cheaper to fly it across.

2. Er...yes they should, except the engines were overhauled / inspected elsewhere, and allegedly something was allegedly installed incorrectly on that cylinder. Allegedly.