canard down by fire

[Lynn Erickson]

in the pics it looks like Jacks E racer, blended winglets and the paint job looks like his. I'm very sorry for the loss and hope he is OK.

http://www.nbc5.com/news/16673990/detail.html

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6219902

[Jack Morrison]

Your right Lynn

Not a very good day for the AC but I'm still here.

Was climbing out on 27, left turnout 2450 rpm, 2300 fpm at 2000 ft the engine went to 1750rpm, switched to my second fuel pump and went to 2000 rpm. I called an emergency and headed downwind for 27 about 1 mile out, 140kts. Within a few seconds smoke started coming in the cock-pit, called the tower again about the smoke and was cleared for landing and the engine stopped, smoke was getting pretty thick at this time and about halfway on an angled downwind fire started inside the AC at the firewall. Shut everything down I could think of but seeing inside and outside was very difficult and breathing was near impossible. I needed to clear the hangers on the east end of the airport using the Navy aproach and decended at 165 kts to the aproach end fo 27, lost sight of the RW for about 3-6 sec and the flames inside the AC were building behind me. Had the RW made and pulled the geardown. Showed all green on the gear lights which looked like three illusionary glows in the smoke which was not black but more white in color. Turing to final I lost sight of the RW again and speed was close to 175 kts, about 15 feet above the RW I lost all aileron control inputs and was to the rightside edge of 27, lost sight of the RW again and could not breath at this time and about 5 feet obove the ground I saw I was at the very edge of 27 and drifting to the grass, put in full left rudder and brake and when the left wheel contacted the Rw it brake bounced 3 or 4 times and sent me back on the runway. The right main just got into the soft grass at the edge of the RW for about 60 feet and collasped as it came back on the RW.A few seconds later the nose wheel seperated and the left main collasped sending the AC sliding down the Rw for about 1500 ft. During the slide, I had unbuckled my seatbelt and as soon as the AC was close to stopping I popped the canopy and the flames inside the cock-pit shot forward to the back of my head and singed my hair. I was out of the AC in less that 3 seconds really unscaved. The AC from the the seats rear were engulfed in flames as I was running from the site. I can first hand see how a person can be overcome by smoke inhalation,and breathing after I exited the AC was not easy. I doubt very much if I could have lasted 15 seconds more because of the smoke, I consided my self a very very lucky guy.

 

Jack

[Waiter]

Jack,

 

Very sorry to hear this. But very happy your here to write it.

 

Waiter

[Steve Innova]

Something like this might be a good idea for breathing / seeing during an in-flight fire:

http://www.homeemergencyusa.com/Peace-of-Mind-Evacuation-Hood--20-Minutes-of-Safe-Breathing_3_84_detail.html

[TMann]

Jack,

Really sorry to hear this. If there is anything I can do to help you rebuild, let me know.

What a loss.

 

T Mann

[Edge 513]

Glad you are amazingly alright. Great pilot focus. The rest is just terrible.

Dennis

See my email.

[argoldman]

Welcome back Jack.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I too am glad that you are able to. Any idea of what might have caused the confulgration???

 

It's very sad to loose this thing of beauty and I can emphasize with you, having lost a plane myself (and survived)

[Jack Morrison]

Rich

I suspect a abroken fuel injector line, all were hard or braided SS and been on the engine since 2002 without any problems. Checked all of them on my condition inspection last month. The FAA took the AC for evaluation and possible cause and will not release it back to me until they are finished. There were some very negative innuendoes from the FFA guy about canard AC and questioned my procedures, not in a positive manor. I'll post on the Zone what the FAA determines happened, if they can, looks very bad. I'll post some pictures later of the left side. The heat was so high it broke out a a 6 ft or larger section of RW 27 about 2 inches deep completely disinigrating it. I had 52 gal of fuel on board and the fuel never exploded, lucky for me. I looked back about 25ft from the AC and the flames were shooting out the front and back of the top cowl about 3 ft high.

 

Jack

[Cozy Girrrl]

Dear Jack,

Randi and I are so glad to hear you are ok, very sorry about your loss though.

This explains why you did not make it to Urbana, we missed you there.

Take care, Chrissi & Randi

[Jack Morrison]

I was just taking off and heading to Urbana when this happened. It was only a 23 minute flight for me and the weather had cleared. Thanks for the concern, I'm just fine, AC is destroyed.

 

Jack

[soloflight]

Jack,

Very glad you made it out alive. Sounds like it was a close call.

Sorry you lost your plane she was a work of art.

 

Erick

[WileEZ]

Jack, I'm very glad you got out of this with only minor injuries. I'm also saddened by the loss of your canard.

 

I'm curious, since I'm doing some research into this, what materials did you use to build the firewall?

 

Thanks,

WileEZ

[Jon Matcho]

Jack, I am very glad to hear you made it out as you did. Of course I was very saddened to hear about the loss of your AC, but I'm sure we're all happy to hear that you've lived to tell about it.

 

Thank you for posting, and it's good to have you back on Earth.

[bferrell]

Jack,

 

Elizabeth and I are shocked and saddened to hear about your loss, and are very grateful that you weren't hurt.

 

Brett

N44vf.com

[RGlos]

Jack

 

I'm glad you are OK. I'm also sorry about the plane. I was thinking about flying down from Schaumburg and looking at soon but that won't be possible now.

 

If time and money permit you can start up again if you're up to it.

 

This is one of those planes and a builder that are easily one in a million. Many people have lost the opportunity to see a truly exceptional aircraft.

[Drew Swenson]

Jack,

I am also saddened by your loss---one fine aircraft. I was also thinking that it could be a fuel injector line failure---and that the boost pump just made it worse.

 

What kind of bend radius did you use in your hardlines to the injectors? I just spent a while researching fuel lines (SB342E) and have noticed (besides the correct clamping of fuel lines) that the min bend radius should be 0.62" and that the start of the bend should be greater than 0.69" from the end of the tube.

 

My aircraft is not nearly as fine as yours (not even close)---and my injectors fail the above criteria. I am in the process of changing mine out to comply---inspired by your accident.

 

If there are any other issues to be learned, please pass them on so the rest of us don't have to learn the hard way.

[Limo EZ]

Jack,

Very sad about the loss of your Eracer. I followed your progress over the years and marveled how your plane took on a life of it's own. Your creation will be missed. I am very happy that you got out of it alive and your experience throughout the years of development of your dream can live on.

 

Joe Berki

[Kraig]

Jack,

 

I'll add my sentiments to the growing list here. I was saddened to here of the loss of your fine plane. It was truly a work of art, that just happened to be an exceptional aircraft as well.

 

I met you and took many pictures of your E-Racer at the 2005 Rough River event. Your attention to detail was a benchmark for me to attempt to emulate.

 

When I show people pictures of the Cozy I am building, I always include your E-Racer, and it really gets a reaction.

 

I hope you decide to build again, and can only imagine what craft would come out of your hands this time.

 

So very glad to hear you are OK. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help out.

 

Kraig

[n511kk]

hi jack........when gene at magnum engines told me about your adventure i was both elated and so very sad..........so we live to fly again......kim and kathy riley fwa:cool:

[Pantera]

Jack...Damn the FAA and there arogance.. You built a true aircraft!! I've seen a lot of planes that the FAA should have never let fly...but your's...is a work of art. I do hope you'll build another one just like it or better...I'm just happy your still with us here. as you see here in this group...we are all happy about your safety, and care very much about your loss.....now lets learn from what happen and fix it. Jack......get back into your shop and start building!!!! Nick A

[Jack Morrison]

Update on E Racer 113

I spent this morning with the assigned AP for the FAA to investigate the cause of the fire. It was determined that the fire was caused by an undetermined fuel line failure. The fuel lines and perticular components were so severely melted it was impossible to localize the exact point of failure. The failure was not in the fuel lines to the injectors, but somewhere in the fuel line going to the two fuel rails. All lines on the fuel rails were tight and not leaking. I was able to take the engine to Magnum Engines this afternoon , the engine builder, and a very good builder, and it looks like the engine is almost as good of condition as I am, although it does not look that way. Other than the baffling, plenums, starter and alternator, they should able to cleanup the outside with soda blasting and check the inside with a teardown. Every thing else on the AC is lost, a total burnout, except maybe the electric nose retract system. Sawed up the rest of the airframe and tossed it into the dumpster. Sad Day

 

Jack

 

Jack

[jppt2000]

Jack,

We're so sorry to read about the loss of your ship.

My wife and I are glad to see you walked away from it all with little physical injury.

IMHO, I think you did a fantastic job of building and aviating.

[Phil Kriley]

Jack,

We're so sorry to read about the loss of your ship.

My wife and I are glad to see you walked away from it all with little physical injury.

IMHO, I think you did a fantastic job of building and aviating.

Ditto the above - you really kept your cool in the emergency and showed us all how to do it. Very sad about the loss of your beautiful plane, but it lives on in the various DVD's out there. Very glad that you escaped relatively unscathed and looking forward to your next project. You showed us just how beautiful these canards can become, when done right.

 

For a little levity - did you read the "news" article that said you crashed inverted? Reporters...sigh...

 

We are all behind you 100%, Jack!

[TMann]

For a little levity - did you read the "news" article that said you crashed inverted?

I was especially impressed by the "It's not known whether or not the pilot was authorized to fly the plane." quote.

 

......so fess up Jack. Did mom say it was okay?

[Jack Morrison]

Holy crap Tom, I forgot to fill out the authorization papers. Also forgot to test the aircraft in phase one for inverted flight. What have I done!

 

Jack