Many pilots have a deep-rooted love of aviation that began at their first airshow, the first time they went on a flight or the first time they watched Top Gun. Dennis Collier returned to his passion for flying after 20 years away, for a journey that ended with seven crashes in seven days.
Collier sent a statement to the FAA, A Return to Flying, after the final crash, detailing his life’s journey in aviation in a nine-page saga that outlined his first aircraft build to the fateful purchase that ended with him in a sinking plane in Lake Michigan. His first build was an experimental aircraft he built with his two sons when they were young. The all-fiberglass Lancair Super ES with a 350 HP motor seated four and took its first flight after 22 months of work. He eventually sold the Lancair and believed his days of flying were over, until March 2021.
As Collier and his wife prepared to sell their home, his sons now grown with families of their own, he decided to make a purchase. He contacted an owner in California who was selling a Seawind and sent him an initial $1,000, pending the sale of his house when the other funds would become available. He was shown pictures and information for a pristine plane, but when he arrived in California, he found the aircraft had not been flown in two years and once the inspection began, the problems began rolling in.
Inspection
From the start, the aircraft had numerous problems. The brake cylinder on the pilot’s side was not working and the owner had put it in with the hoses reversed. The owner had a friend come out to reverse and bleed the lines, which was done after it was started and a taxi test was attempted. The deposit Collier gave was used to purchase new main tires, tubes, headsets, Dynon instrument display repair and updating, ADS-B and a GPS antenna.
“It was apparent that I had spent money on an aircraft that needed updating and because I sent deposits to hold it (past the time-sensitive deadline, which could have been null and void) that I was paying to get it airworthy,” Collier said in his statement. “He had said it was flight ready. So not true.”
The hydraulic gauge didn’t work “once in a while” according to the owner, who said it just needed a good tap to get it working. The aileron trim did not work, to which the owner explained that it is coupled with autopilot and would not work when that is activated. After the brake repair, Collier asked why the elevator trim was down and the indicator was showing its level, to which the owner said that shouldn’t happen and that it was another concern blamed on the autopilot.
These many red flags did not deter Collier.
First crash
Collier noticed the nose up without inputs after completing the first turn. He held the nose down and kept speed, setting up for a landing after the third time around. He heard a loud bang when he hit the center line and he skidded down the runway a couple hundred yards. The owner left and Collier was left on his own, with a questionable aircraft and a long journey home to Michigan.
Second and third crash
Collier called the tower and was cleared for takeoff with a flight plan for Taos, New Mexico. He noticed shortly after takeoff that the nose-up situation had worsened. He needed to use his knee with a rag as a pad to keep it level during the flight. He remembered the no he had been given by the owner when he asked about that very concern. He stayed the course, continuing his climb and then deciding after 100 miles and 45 minutes to divert to Farmington, New Mexico.
He entered the right base as the day turned to night, informing the tower there were no landing lights and he was in the dark. He used his phone light to activate the display so he could read his speeds after the Dynon went dim. He had full pressure on the yoke to hold the nose down, unable to see the runway on his first night landing in over 20 years.
The plane stalled and landed hard, to the left of the runway into weeds and grass. The plane’s tail and left-wing flap had been damaged during the landing. During the landing, the plane hit a runway sign, which scarred the underside of the flap. The trailing edge had separated which opened up the entire length of the flap.
The third crash, rather inconsequential compared to the second, was after a day of repairs. According to LAD Bible, he made another attempt to leave New Mexico and again, landed hard on the airstrip and struck another runway light.
Repairs took three days and then Collier was ready to continue on his fateful journey.
Fourth and fifth Crash
Collier began the next leg of the journey, hitting a little rain and a small squall about 25 minutes into the climb but still managing to maintain his position and remain in VFR flight rules. He noted that the plane remained smooth on the journey with autopilot on until issues began to catch up with Collier.
“There seemed to be a needed impute of the left aileron,” he said. “The left-wing aileron trim tab servo was stuck slightly up. The previous owner said this trim only works with the autopilot on. (well that is bull) so turning east after a long 2-hour flight up the western slope I had realized that the nose wanted to pitch up again and it was getting worse.”
He had rigged the same knee and rag system to keep the pressure while holding the yoke forward, continuing to his destination airport. Five hours of flying later, Collier was nearing a non-towered airport. As he was entering a downwind through to the final, he held the nose down and as he got over the threshold the airplane pitched up and ballooned. This forced him to apply full power to keep it from stalling just 10 feet over the runway.
Collier was able to pitch nose down and climb to a safe altitude. The airport manager called to check on him but went silent, leaving him on his own again. He flew around again and upon reaching the runway, the aircraft lifted and he applied pressure as it bounced off the runway and over some runway lights which were wrapped around the landing gear. A third attempt with the same issue caused Collier to force it to the ground at a higher speed and with firm pressure on the yoke.
The yoke popped up and the plane was forced to the ground and into the grass on the fourth attempt, then back onto the runway and awaiting the airport manager and his wife. The servo trim motor had broke again, completely shattering. The manufacturer told Collier this was not the right part for the trim and it needed an upgrade. Three more days were spent doing repairs.
The fifth crash was uneventful (compared to his four other crashes) and occurred during a test flight.
Sixth crash
After more repairs, he taxied off the runway, soon finding that using the new trim tab was not working. The new trim wanted to pitch up and Collier found it difficult to hold. He went into a pattern altitude and came around for an immediate landing. He forced the plane down and it bounced hard on the runway again.
Collier found that in the recent repairs, he had put the gray wire on the wrong terminal for the trim, essentially flipping it upside down. The indicator on the instrument panel had been reversed, but Collier said he didn’t want to bother anyone for a second opinion. He eventually had it checked over and more minor repairs were completed.
He headed to School Craft Airport in Manistique and within five miles of landing, he heard a “clunk” sound. He realized the left main gear had come down on its own and the hydraulic pressure gauge was not registering any pressure. He was watching the fuel gauge diminish to just five gallons on the right side and the left side registered 35 gallons. The fuel was not flowing on the left side.
He was close to the airport, letting them know of his imminent arrival (and crash). He entered a left downwind and the right main landing gear came down on its own and Collier had two green lights. He cycled the gear switch to no avail. The gauge was at zero pressure. He turned left to the base and the engine sputtered before leveling out and running like normal again. It sputtered again and the fuel was flowing away from the boost pump.
Collier leveled out on final and the engine was running with less than four gallons of fuel, both the main gear were down and the nose gear had still not come down. The nose hit and the plane skidded down the runway before stopping at the edge of the pavement, well before the end of the runway.
Seventh crash
It was July 3rd, days had gone by since Collier began his journey in California and he was in the final stretch. He climbed to 5,500 feet and was having trouble reaching a higher altitude, so he chose to fly over the water for the 25-minute flight. He made it to the northern edge of the island when the engine began to sputter off and on. He passed over the island and back out over the water and it sputtered and almost stopped.
Collier was trying to keep the plane flying by adjusting the mixture and throttle but he said the engine stopped. He said he could smell something burnt coming into the cockpit and he turned north in an attempt to get to the southern edge of the island. He quickly realized he would not make it to land and was now gliding down out of 5,000 feet and had to plan for a landing.
He kept the pane at 90 mph and tried to use the flaps but they did not work. He checked the hydraulic gauge but it was not registering any pressure, even though he had just filled it. He prepared himself for his first water landing.
The sun was setting over the water and he could see that his speed was steady. He focused on the sun and water and the water was getting closer. With less than 20 feet to go, he pulled up on the yoke to flare and stall and then the gear caught the water. The plane went nose-down vertically and into the water past the canopy. The plane popped back up and upright, nothing hit or broken it seemed. The plane had survived another crash virtually unscathed.
Collier shut off all the switches and lifted the canopy into an upright position, still watching the sun over the water.
“It’s a boat, I’ll float somewhere and someone will find me,” Collier said.
He sent out a distress call, setting the transponder code to 7700 and calling on the radio just to hear silence. Collier sat on the edge of the cockpit watching the sun on a quiet lake waiting for someone to find him. Water began to fill the back seat and he tried to bail water, but he couldn’t keep up. Eventually, he was rescued by a boat and shortly after the plane that had survived seven crashes, sunk to the bottom of Lake Michigan.
Collier made it home safe, without his plane, having survived seven crashes during seven days of flying. The plane was never recovered from the bottom of the lake but the NTSB said the final crash was likely caused by loss of engine power for “undetermined reasons.”
In a true tale of passion for flying, Collier continued flying after each crash, determined to get home in one piece and in his plane. He had acknowledged he would likely lose his license after the ordeal, but his love for aviation would likely never leave him.
Contact
Name: Haley Davoren
, Digital Content Manager
Company: GlobalAir.com
Website: https://globalair.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 502-456-3934
©2023 GlobalAir.com, Haley Davoren. All rights reserved.
Recent Comments