AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021 - 94

RUDDER & WRENCH
Control
tower
Final
resting
place
X
Blowout!
Brake
application
Touchdown
N
Intended
taxi path
I planned to turn left toward the FBO, but the airplane had other ideas.
nonstandard True-Lock fastener that
required a special wrench to remove.
Fortunately, I had that special wrench
in the toolbox I always carry in my leftwing
locker, together with all the other
tools needed to remove the wheel and
brake assembly. I also pointed out to
Miller that we'd need to disconnect the
outer gear door and tie it back to prevent
it from being damaged during the jacking
and towing procedures, something Miller
accomplished using several long nylon
tie-wraps that one of the guys managed to
come up with.
Happily, Miller's plan worked. We
dealing with flat-tire incidents and would
know exactly what to do.
I figured wrong. They started discussing
how to move the airplane and
proposed a variety of ideas. I found myself
in the unexpected role as a spoiler, shooting
down each of their proposals with " no,
that's not going to work because... " or " no,
that would damage the airplane. " It quickly
became apparent that we were working at
mildly cross purposes. The airport workers
understandably wanted to get my
airplane away from the runway ASAP so
the airport could reopen. Equally understandably,
I wanted to make sure that my
airplane would still be flyable after the airplane
was moved-once the trashed tire
and tube were replaced, of course.
In my work, I've had dozens of clients
whose GA airplanes were immobilized by
gear-ups or prop strikes, and it's common
for the aircraft to sustain more damage
during the recovery process than during
the initial incident. I was not about to let
this happen to my airplane.
A pickup truck arrived on the scene.
It had been dispatched from Security
Aviation, the sole maintenance shop on
the field. In its bed was a smallish-looking
aircraft jack. I showed the fellow
from Security where the right wing's jack
point was located, and we moved the jack
into position.
Fortunately, the jack was short enough
to squeeze under the wing even with the
flat tire. Unfortunately, the jack was not tall
enough to raise the wheel off the ground
even at its maximum extension. I asked
the fellow from Security whether he had a
taller jack. Yes, he said, but that one was too
tall to squeeze under the drooping wing.
By now, the airport had been closed for a
half-hour and we were back at square one.
Recovery as viewed from Lektro tug, with axle
lashed to dolly.
94
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
A savior arrives
At this point, another mechanic arrived
from Security Aviation. He introduced
himself as Chris Miller, lead mechanic.
Miller sized up the situation and soon
came up with an action plan that sounded
like it might work. His idea was to place
a steel dowel into the hollow part of the
axle, use an automotive floor jack to lift
it just enough to remove the wheel from
the axle, slide a furniture dolly with some
plywood placed on top of it under the
axle, and then lower the axle onto the plywood-covered
dolly and lash it in place
with a nylon strap. This would hopefully
result in the airplane becoming carefully
towable by the Lektro tug.
I explained to Miller that the
wheel was secured to the axle using a
removed the wheel, set the axle onto the
dolly, and gingerly towed the airplane to
a spot just in front of Security's maintenance
hangar at the northwest corner
of the airport. Since it was Saturday and
Security Aviation didn't happen to have
any 6.50x10 tires or tubes in its parts room,
that's about all that could be accomplished
until Monday morning when Desser Tire
& Rubber Co. would open.
So now what?
I finally met up with my fiancée at HHO.
We were both starving by now, so we found
a nearby restaurant and discussed our
options. Since she seemed anxious to get
home and I'd neglected to bring a change of
underwear, a toothbrush, or (most important)
my laptop, we decided our best bet
was to rent a car and drive home (three
to four hours); then I'd hit the road early
Monday morning, drive to Desser's headquarters
in Montebello, California, to
buy the tire and tube, and then drive to
Hawthorne to fix the airplane and return
the rental car.
We finally arrived home about 10 p.m.
Saturday. Sunday, I went to the Desser Tire
& Rubber website to order a new tire and
tube and a set of new brake linings. In the
comment field of my online order, I said
" Do not ship. Hold for will-call pick-up at
Montebello. " Then I hit the sack early and
set my alarm for 2 a.m.
I was on the road by 3 a.m. and ran into
moderate freeway traffic. The GPS estimated
my arrival at Montebello at about 7
a.m. At 6:30, I phoned Desser from the car
just to make sure they would hold my order
for pickup and not ship it out. I reached a
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2021

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