The Importance of a Cotter Key
Much of my earlier years were in the right seat of a Republic Aviation well constructed but underpowered Republic SeaBee. The amphibian received its nickname, "The Flying Rock" from its tendency to fall 'like a rock' once the power was reduced. The Piper TriPacer with the shortened Lippert Reed modification of the basic Piper Cub wing was a close second. They both landed where you pointed them.
Dick Marsh of Hughes Aircraft Service at Capital City Airport in Lansing, Michigan has first hand experience with the "Flying Rock!" I am sure Mr. Marsh has passed on to the great airport in the heavens but he lived to recount the manufacturing expertise of Republic Aviations' SeaBee.
Harvey Hughes' Cessna Dealership did a 100 Hour Inspection of our SeaBee and Dick took the SeaBee up for the check-flight.
The check-ride went well until the cotter key that didn't have the lock pin in it worked loose from the reversing mechanism for the prop.
At approximately 500 feet over the airport, on its return from the check-ride, the prop went into reverse/neutral. The SeaBee fluttered down like a leaf in the Fall, hit on the keel of the hull, bounced up and settled down on the dirt.
The force of the unintended landing popped several rivets on the hull, destroyed the right pontoon, caused the pusher propeller to cut a nice slice out of the fuselage between the cabin and tail, but the engine was still running after the crash.
Dick Marsh sustained a sprained back, pushed the seat down about two to three inches into the floor of the cockpit and vowed never to fly the "Bee" again.
That crash was mute testimony to the well constructed SeaBee. It saved a life but never flew again.
I started with the end of the plane as a memory of a great plane that ended with a cotter key working loose. How little things like that can result in a near tragic accident and the total loss of a fine aircraft.
Much of my earlier years were in the right seat of a Republic Aviation well constructed but underpowered Republic SeaBee. The amphibian received its nickname, "The Flying Rock" from its tendency to fall 'like a rock' once the power was reduced. The Piper TriPacer with the shortened Lippert Reed modification of the basic Piper Cub wing was a close second. They both landed where you pointed them.
Dick Marsh of Hughes Aircraft Service at Capital City Airport in Lansing, Michigan has first hand experience with the "Flying Rock!" I am sure Mr. Marsh has passed on to the great airport in the heavens but he lived to recount the manufacturing expertise of Republic Aviations' SeaBee.
Harvey Hughes' Cessna Dealership did a 100 Hour Inspection of our SeaBee and Dick took the SeaBee up for the check-flight.
The check-ride went well until the cotter key that didn't have the lock pin in it worked loose from the reversing mechanism for the prop.
At approximately 500 feet over the airport, on its return from the check-ride, the prop went into reverse/neutral. The SeaBee fluttered down like a leaf in the Fall, hit on the keel of the hull, bounced up and settled down on the dirt.
The force of the unintended landing popped several rivets on the hull, destroyed the right pontoon, caused the pusher propeller to cut a nice slice out of the fuselage between the cabin and tail, but the engine was still running after the crash.
Dick Marsh sustained a sprained back, pushed the seat down about two to three inches into the floor of the cockpit and vowed never to fly the "Bee" again.
That crash was mute testimony to the well constructed SeaBee. It saved a life but never flew again.
I started with the end of the plane as a memory of a great plane that ended with a cotter key working loose. How little things like that can result in a near tragic accident and the total loss of a fine aircraft.
