Flight Training - June 2015 - 24

FLIGHT LESSON

By Herman Fuette
FLIGHT LESSON offers the
opportunity for pilots to learn
from the experiences of others.

HOT DAY, COLD NIGHT

A FUEL SELECTOR IS MISTAKEN FOR AN AIR VENT

t had been a hot day in February 1973 over the Los Angeles
Basin, even by L.A. standards. I was a flight instructor at Jack
Northrup Field/Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR), which
is only a few miles from Los Angeles International Airport. On
several occasions over the years I had seen Boeing 707s on short final to
Hawthorne before the pilots realized that the single, 4,956-foot Runway
7/25 at HHR did not match the configuration of LAX's four runways,
which includes parallel runways around 12,000 feet in length.
While much can be debated about flying in the L.A. Basin, our student practice
area was off the beautiful Palos Verdes
peninsula over the Pacific Ocean. On many
occasions we would view migrating gray
whales and other interesting sights.
A friend of mine had a female acquaintance who was not in the best of health,
even though she had a bright outlook on
life. On this hot February day I asked if
she would like to take an airplane ride that
evening to view the spectacular lights of
the L.A. Basin. We met that evening about
8 o'clock. I had already preflighted the

Piper Cherokee 140. She took her place in
the left seat and I was in the right seat.
We departed the runway and began the
climbout. Then, when I was about to start

MY PASSENGER SAID, 'WHOOPS! I MUST HAVE
DONE SOMETHING WRONG!' I TOLD HER NO,
THAT I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG.
the 45-degree turn to depart the traffic
pattern, my passenger said that cold air
was coming in, and asked if we could close
the vent.
In the Cherokee there were two air

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diately and we flew on. My passenger said,
"Whoops, I must have done something
wrong!"
I told her that no, I had done something
wrong-and that everything was now all
right. We continued on and enjoyed the
night's lights over the Basin.
I learned that night that I needed to
make sure that I familiarized passengers
with all elements of the cockpit-and that I
should not allow anyone to touch or move
anything in the aircraft without my direction and exact knowledge of what they are
doing.

SARAH HANSON

free online course, Transitioning to Other Airplanes, offers ways to help you manage and reduce

24 /

vents, one by the left seat on the upper
left-side panel, and another in the same
location on the right-side panel. I said
sure, and told her to reach up along the
panel, where she would feel the handle
and could pull it to close the vent.
Moments later, and while still in the initial climb-probably 800 to 900 feet above
the ground-the engine suddenly stopped.
Silence is not golden while climbing out
in an aircraft with an internal-combustion
engine. I immediately knew that she
had accidentally turned the fuel selector
valve-also located on the left-side panel-
to the Off position.
Without hesitation I lowered the nose
a bit, held the control yoke with my right
hand, and reached across her lap while
somewhat on my back. With my left
hand, I felt for the fuel selector valve, and
quickly turned the valve to the left tank
position. The engine fired back up imme-

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Flight Training - June 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - June 2015