S2B Driver
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- Nov 16, 2011
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Hi folks, <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
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></O>I'm new here so I hope by raising this topic I can find out some information and maybe bring some awareness to other pilots.<O
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></O>At various stages in my flying career I haveoperated the Pitts S2B in aninstructing and joyflight environment. Ihave accumulated around 1100hrs on this type over the years and enjoyed the flying greatly.<O
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></O>In 2006, I had an incident while conducting a joyflight in the company S2B that has troubled me greatly ever since.<O
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></O>Here goes the story, to the best of my memory.<O
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></O>After greeting and briefinga joyflight customer we departed for a routine aerobatic joyflight and climbed to around 3500ft to commence some basic manoeuvres which started with some loops and rolls.<O
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></O>I then entered the vertical up-line for a stall turn/hammer head which is the event that caused my life to flash before my eyes. Once I was established on the vertical down line I attempted to apply back-stick to recoverthe nose to the horizon, unfortunately the controls were jammed.
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></O>With speed increasing rather rapidly I remember shouting at the customer in the front seat to let go of the controls while I simultaneously closed the throttle.<O
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></O>He (the customer) presented both of his hands either side of his head confirming to me that he wasnât the problem!<O
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></O>I then noticed that I still had aileron and forward stick mobility and very quickly agitated it in the available ranges of movement. I ended up pushing through the down-line position to around 45 degrees (inverted) and rolled the wings level. At some point during this attempt to recover my controls became full and free. I then recoveredfrom this undesirable situation and executed a normal landing, farewelling my very white and perspiring customer.<O
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></O>After collecting my thoughts and composure I approached my supervisor and he grounded the aircraft and sought the services of the engineer. Initially, the engineer found no problem with the aircraft which found me in a most embarrassing position.<O
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></O>Sometime later in the day I was presented with a round shaped metal badge which was found during a second inspection by the engineer. The badge had a tear almost all of the way through it. I was also shown how the badge would have been torn while it was jammed in the rear elevator linkages adjacent to the clear inspection panel located beneath the elevators.<O
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></O>It was confirmed to me by the engineer and company supervisor that the badge had come loose from the rear harness, I guess it was the harness manufactures emblem and would have been glued onto one of the shoulder straps with some kind of adhesive.<O
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></O>Unfortunately, the badge was never seen again and the incident was never spoken about again either.<O
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></O>The harness badge was about one inch (or slightly larger) in diameter and red in color (colour in Aus). It hadmaybe abaked enamelor gloss finish to it's outer face.
Can anyone please advise me which harness displays this type of badge or emblem?....and if you or someone you know has this type of harness I strongly suggest you remove the badge.<O
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></O>Blue skies and happy landings...<O
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></O>P.S. I no longer work for the above mentioned company.
></O>Edited by: S2B Driver 
