Hello All,
So today after a great flight to Kernville for lunch with my dad out of KVNY we decided to run to the EAA hangar at KWHP to grab a few items. My dad and I were exchanging goodbyes in the parking lot out front when a C150 caught my attention taking off and it backfired 3 times. Not huge loud backfires more of a Pop, Pop Pop and not a sputter either. I switched my gaze to watch the C150 as it climbed away out to the end of the runway which was about 100 yards away from us. I noticed it looked like the pilot was horsing it to climb forcing it to mush. The engine was still on and I only ever heard the 3 backfires. To my amazement while still horsing it exacerbating the mush he started the impossible turn and likely a ton of rudder as it looked like the C150 managed to nearly do a 180 in the space of a typical street intersection. I was so fixated on what I knew was about to happen and it did. The inner wing stalled and it just spiraled in. Not unlike many a time I had it happen to me in R/C models. In fact it felt like I was watching a big R/C model. When it hit it sounded like someone hit the worlds largest steel drum with a sledgehammer. Luckily they crashed into a Cal Fire facility which was there to put out the fire and render aid immediately. Also looks like by hitting the building it may have saved their life. It was straight vertical when it spun in so that building had to have saved them. Not something I hope to witness ever again....
https://abc7.com/2-critically-injured-after-small-plane-crashes-in-pacoima/4138445/
So now to my questions. The DA was pretty high today and even more so in the mountains of Kernville where I flew the C172. At runup, I chose to go full power and find the right mixture setting before takeoff. Before I began to lean I could feel it running rough until I crept up onto a better setting for the DA. I am curious if the pilot just set it full rich per the checklist and did not think to take off a bit lean would that cause the 3 backfires I heard? Or perhaps he did that but was too lean on the takeoff?
Marc
So today after a great flight to Kernville for lunch with my dad out of KVNY we decided to run to the EAA hangar at KWHP to grab a few items. My dad and I were exchanging goodbyes in the parking lot out front when a C150 caught my attention taking off and it backfired 3 times. Not huge loud backfires more of a Pop, Pop Pop and not a sputter either. I switched my gaze to watch the C150 as it climbed away out to the end of the runway which was about 100 yards away from us. I noticed it looked like the pilot was horsing it to climb forcing it to mush. The engine was still on and I only ever heard the 3 backfires. To my amazement while still horsing it exacerbating the mush he started the impossible turn and likely a ton of rudder as it looked like the C150 managed to nearly do a 180 in the space of a typical street intersection. I was so fixated on what I knew was about to happen and it did. The inner wing stalled and it just spiraled in. Not unlike many a time I had it happen to me in R/C models. In fact it felt like I was watching a big R/C model. When it hit it sounded like someone hit the worlds largest steel drum with a sledgehammer. Luckily they crashed into a Cal Fire facility which was there to put out the fire and render aid immediately. Also looks like by hitting the building it may have saved their life. It was straight vertical when it spun in so that building had to have saved them. Not something I hope to witness ever again....
https://abc7.com/2-critically-injured-after-small-plane-crashes-in-pacoima/4138445/
So now to my questions. The DA was pretty high today and even more so in the mountains of Kernville where I flew the C172. At runup, I chose to go full power and find the right mixture setting before takeoff. Before I began to lean I could feel it running rough until I crept up onto a better setting for the DA. I am curious if the pilot just set it full rich per the checklist and did not think to take off a bit lean would that cause the 3 backfires I heard? Or perhaps he did that but was too lean on the takeoff?
Marc
