This Pilot Was as Cool as a Cucumber After His Cessna 205’s Engine Seized While Flying Cross Country
The loss of any engine in flight is a big deal. When you are flying in a small, single-engine aircraft, the loss of an engine is a nerve-wracking and critical event. Instructors teach you to keep calm, continue to fly the airplane, take critical action, set pitch for maximum glide, then analyze the situation, determine next steps then communicate the plan.
You Can’t Pick Your Time for an Inflight Emergency!
Kevin Mayes was flying from Seattle to Sacramento earlier this year when he suffered a catastrophic engine loss at 9,000 feet while enroute. In the video below, you’ll see how the combination of skill, calmness, and preparedness brought what could have been a really dangerous situation to a safe conclusion. With a bit of luck, he was flying near a nice sized airfield near Hillsboro, Oregon. Kevin guided his stricken plane to a hi-key position over an airfield, then spiraled down to a textbook power-off landing. When he landed, he saw that the engine was toast with significant internal damage below the cowling.
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Insurance Loopholes- They’re Out There
An even more amazing fact is that he later found out his insurance company would not pay for the damage. According to a Gofundme set up for his situation, Kevin said, “Upon calling my insurance, I learned that mechanical failures, including engine failures, are not a covered event. Had I crashed the airplane, hit something on the way down, or had any other following event, then insurance would have stepped in.”
An Excellent Lesson, Safely Learned and Shared
“Because of the successful outcome, I am left with a large bill to repair the aircraft and return to flying. I am sharing my story and video in hopes that other pilots can learn from the experience and see that airplanes really do glide without an engine. Unfortunately, the extensive damage caused during engine failure has left most components unusable. I am searching for a replacement/new engine that will come at substantial costs. Any help will go towards the cost lost on the core value of the engine due to the extensive damage and any support from you is greatly appreciated. “
You Can Help Kevin
You can donate to his cause by clicking on the link here. Either way, this video is a great instructional video for any pilot of how to react in an emergency.
