As we move beyond the end of an entire calendar year unlike any other, I find myself searching through my memory banks using the keywords "weird pilot stories" that feature a few friends of mine who perhaps were removed from the cosmic oven a bit too soon. For instance, a buddy of mine once had an encounter with an EAA maintenance inspector who took him to task when a cable fitting that he had installed came loose, allowing a sudden retraction of the flaps on an airplane. This happened on short final, announced by a sudden "bang" as the flaps slammed home, and the airplane dropped suddenly before resuming normal flight. No accident resulted, but it certainly got the attention of the pilots on board. When the local FAA official found out about it, he confronted my mechanic friend.
展开▼
