Back Then....Monday Mind Meandering

[Kip Powick]

Doing a little downsizing and found this,(below), in one of my  the storage lockers,  still in its  frame …

The Story….

It was my first operational tour at RCAF Station North Bay. I was qualified on 3 aircraft types, one of which was the C-47 (DC-3). I had only been upgraded to Aircraft Commander for about 2 months and was tasked to take an OPP officer up in the C-47 so he could take aerial photos of a murder scene just outside of the city of North Bay. The rear entrance door had been removed and we had a “monkey harness” for the police officer and two Air Force airmen to help him get comfortable once we started to circle the site. The police man was to lean out the side door and take photos while secured by the “monkey harness”.

My FO was a very junior pilot who had just arrived at the unit about a month earlier. The crew man, (FE), was capable and had many years of service and had done many flights with me.

We bucked in and went for the take-off. In those days there was no V1, V2, VR and as far as I can remember you just flew the aircraft off the runway, depending on the load at about 100- 110kts.

I do remember seeing about 105 knots as I eased the DC 3 off the runway and asked for “gear –up”, (no requirement to be at 400 feet back then).

Just as the FO started to do the gear up procedure, (those that flown the DC-3 can attest to the fun in that manoeuver), there was a large explosion from the starboard side of the aircraft and we suddenly yawed to the right. Training kicked in and I did the CPD procedure…(get CONTROL…use max POWER and clean up the DRAG) as we staggered into the air. I made about 500 feet glanced across the dials and ascertained “engine failure” and promptly asked the  FO  to feather the engine.

“Peter Propeller”  just sat in his seat and starred at me, not a word came from him, he appeared frozen. I reached over and feathered the engine and started a gentle turn for a downwind on the runway. My leg was aching from holding rudder on so bent down to spin the rudder trim tab and got the plane straightened out….but while bending down, I inadvertently pulled my headset cord out of the connector aircraft connector cable.

The FO was still just staring at me so I called tower and told them what happened and advised we were coming back. There was no answer….because my headset was unplugged but I did not know it, I therefore turned the air “blue” with many unwarranted and descriptive adjectives concerning ATC and the fact that they were not helping me out. I advised souls on board, fuel onboard, and requested the trucks………….just in case..(we had no indication of fire). Again no answer, mainly because I could not hear any answers with no headset and I had a death grip on the little microphone and apparently had it “on/transmit” until the episode ended.

“Peter” came out of his stupor and lowered the wheels and put down flap when requested. We landed and shut down on the runway. I walked to the back of the aircraft, jumped down to the runway and on shaky legs started hoofing it to the Operations Office. My CO was standing in Ops when I arrived and I remember just looking at him and said “I’m going home”. Went and got into my car and drove home.

As I recall there had been a piston rod that let go and then things got complicated and the engine self- destructed.

I went back to work the next day and one of the airmen that was on board came over to our unit  and stated that it had been an exciting few minutes for him, it was his first or second ride in an aircraft and he felt I had done a good job because no one died.

He was part of the base photography unit and was onboard to assist the OPP officer. He then presented me with the item you see below, all encased in a nice oak frame. I don’t have a “hero” wall, which reflects my time in the Air Force or my airline flying, in our house. I live for the present day and what can be possible tomorrow but upon seeing that “item” I did look in my log book to check that date of the incident…..  03 March 1966.

I have no idea who wrote this or where it is from…

 

 

 

 

[blues deville]

Your story reminds me of a similar day in YUL.

My little Gimli, MB based airline sent me and a senior Captain to Montreal one fall to investigate and test fly a DC3. For me it was free trip home to see my folks and I was allowed to invite my father along for the flight. He had spent me many years working on DC3's and sometimes even doing his radio installations during sked flights around the Maritimes. MCA (Maritime Central Airways) was one of the biggest contractors hired by the US Air Force in the 1950's DEW Line operation and a lot postwar C47's had hardly any civilian radio/avionics. There was a lot of work to get planes ready and not enough time in a day to get it done. 

So we all meet at the Shell centre on Dorval's Ryan Avenue to see this old bird. It looked pretty nasty compared to what I had been flying in Manitoba. Oil streaks and lots of other tell tale signs of neglect. Dad strapped himself into the jumpseat and the captain gave me the honours.

Taxied out and lined up on 24L. As FO I did all the ATC until we took off. At about 500' there was an unsual vibration and the Captain pointed to the left engine which was indicating a prop overspeed. He hadn't used his radio and similar to Kip's story, wasn't transmitting either. So after he feathered the prop and shut down the sick engine, I was doing the flying and talking to Dorval tower. Having completed my initial pilot training around Montreal I was pretty familiar with the airport and quickly declared an emergency requesting a right hand circuit back to 24L. I recall the tower controller saying the "sky is all yours, land any runway" as we turned overhead the AC maintenance base. Landed back on 24L and turned off into the taxiway back to Shell.

As I thanked the controller for his help he mentioned that particular airplane/registration "seems to do that a lot". Meanwhile in all the excitement i completely forgot about my dear old dad in the jumpseat which was/is pretty much in line with the props. He said as soon as he recognized what was happening he unbuckled and stood up against the back wall of the cockpit until we were parked. He told me afterwards he had experienced that problem a few times but he was usually laying on his stomach with a bundle of wires and screw driver in his hands when it happened. 

The next day after some engine work in the Shell hangar we headed back on an uneventful flight to Gimli.