What a beautiful day, the first in months really and on a Saturday to boot.
The hanger doors were still in a state from hurricane Sandy and the couple
times that I had tried to get the plane out over the winter had resulted in
several hours of work and sever failure. Today was to be different. I had all
the tools and parts with me to at very least make them open and close the one
time I needed to get a flight in. I had my son Jason along to give a hand when
I needed it. He was a help as he got the little things ready on the plane like
air in the tires and heat on the engine to warm it.The hanger doors took a
couple hours to get them operating to the point that I could get the plane out
and by then Jason needed to be somewhere else. So it was about three until I
got N357CJ pulled out and perflighted. Warm up, run up and talk off were all
great into a clear blue sky with surprisingly few bumps for this time of year.
The sky line of Philly 50 miles away was like you could touch it. The day was
surreal. I flew at 2000 ft and about 2900 rpm for the next hour skirting around
Philly airspace and back up to the Northeast to the Delaware river where I duct
down to just a couple hundred feet above the water and ran my own little solemn
race to the north at about 150 mph. Way cool, no birds, no boats and light
wind. What freedom! I was getting close to Allentown airspace so I duct back
out a valley to the west in the general direction of home. I started a slow
climb so I could clear any pesky cell towers that may have popped up along the
way.Less than a minute after turning inn towards home there was a wisp of smoke
came up from the dash and canopy intersection and almost instantly became dark
blue and over powering. It filled the cabin so quickly that I had to scramble
to decide what to do. I could not see the windscreen nor the instruments.I
started to climb hard the instant that I first noticed the smoke and did take a
couple seconds thinking it might clear as over the years while finding various
oil leaks there would be a wisp of smoke come in. But never like this. It was
real and I had no idea if there was a fire under the cowl. I had at some point
trimmed for the climb and at this point get the smoke out or pass out. I had to
let go of the stick to be able to get the canopy open with both hands and a bit
of adrenalin. As soon as it was unlatched I had to hold it up a couple extra
inches to get the smoke to clear and it did and letting it assume it ‘s
own state of openness the smoke while continuing to come in seemed to less and
be evacuated at the same rate.. Now still climbing and cleared I
did several more things. I think first started to see where I was and what was
available below me while checking numbers on the instruments. The altitude was
3000 already. I have no idea how hard I was climbing. The engine was still
running as if all was normal and the oil pressure was still 40# even though it
was clear by now that there was oil going overboard. The windshield was coating
over quickly and the oil pressure was lower than normal. I called home airport
and declared an emergency. I was probably about 18 miles out at the start of
the event, maybe 12 to 13 by now. One of my hanger mates was in the air locally
and started to come looking for me. I also throttled back when I saw I was at
3000 feet and continued to climb at a much shallower angle as I now needed
distance not altitude.The oil pressure now started to drop off quickly now and
I was able to keep throttling down and the angle of climb also gave a bit of
extra time bring the pressure back up slightly. I counted it down all the way
to zero (my priority was making an airport not the engine, It makes me sad now
but the corvair did everything I needed of it and more) I was about 8 miles out
and at 3300 ft when I shut the engine down as soon as it hit the zero pressure.
Two thoughts at this point were I had the airport made and I knew it would
restart if I had to get the last bit out of her. By now the other guy had found
me (there was a lot of radio communication going on through it all. Brian did a
great job of keeping me aware of altitude and location. I also called out glide
speeds and altitudes and verbalized over the radio what I was doing.
I approached the end of the runway with about 2000 ft and did several
slipping S turns getting progressively closer each time with the last one
taking me a couple hundred yards to the south of the end and skimming at about
a 45 deg angle to the end and honestly a bit slow as I saw 60 on the airspeed
and I dropped the nose quickly (yep the though hit me that I got this far
don’t s pin it inn). I had full flaps from about 1000 ft high and the
speed went back to 80 in an instant. I had to make a full 45 deg turn to the
right to align with the runway which was now only 50 yards in front of me and
maybe 40 feet below. There was no visibility through the canopy and also a bit
of a crosswind from the left. I got turned on centerline and hit the right
rudder as hard as I could so I could see out the side I was good and slow again
and an instant before I thought I was going to touch I kicked her back straight
and hauled back on the stick and made the softest touch in a while. Just past
mid field rolling out I gave the left brake a hard shot and rolled her back
around almost to the exit. Pulled to the hanger and removed the cowl.They had
called the fire dept. but got them called off when I had the runway. No harm no
foul. No damage to the plane. They said that I sounded a bit excited on initial
call but after that in control.I never thought I was going to die (injured was
a possible thought) No my life didn’t flash before my eyes, and I did not
kiss the ground. I actually never doubted the ending. Even now it is not
bothering me like it should. (I guess). Yes I know that I made mistakes and
decisions that may go completely against training. I am aware and conscious of
everything that I do when flying. This time I was much further from an airport
in any direction and did hit the emergency airport locator on the GPS. It
really didn’t help. I have one bit of experience that I know only a few
have and that is 20 years of Hang gliding. I always knew where I had to hit the
ground and doing it close to trees or other obstacles is part of the deal. All
I hope is that there is some lesson for someone in this. Yep I say it every
day- “I’m the luckiest guy I know”The problem was that the
front oil seal for the fifth bearing dislodged from the housing and allowed the
oil to pass out. The fix is very simple. I will repair and be back
shortly.RespectivelyJoe Horton, Coopersburg, PA.N357CJ @780 hours
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