Aircraft Engine Failure - Dead Stick Emergency Landing

Me and a good friend, Bud, were doing a little cow-top flying when he had a sudden failure of his cooling fan belt. The belt tore into pieces, and his engine temps rose suddenly, forcing an off-field landing.
The hardest part of all was trying to get the Mini Cub unstuck out of the mud. We had to get several fellow friends and pilots to help us pull it by hand with ropes for 1/4 mile through quick-sand-like mud which was nearly 2 feet deep in some places!
No mice were injured during the making of this video, though a few sheep got spooked when we flew under their legs.

[@kenmercermusic]

You guys were having so much fun, such a shame it ended with such an inconvenience. Glad no-one was hurt and you all made it back safely with the plane. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@joelserey8437]

ANY LANDING YOU WALK AWAY FROM IS A GOOD.ONE..

[@richybearpaw9531]

Though I stopped flight training 2 hrs short of getting my private pilot's licence, (ran out of money), I do play a lot of flight sims on my pc. This reminds me of how I like to fly my missions in Rise of Flight... WWI biplanes and triplanes. I fly into my target location but then leave protocol and fly nape of the earth between trees, under bridges etc. to avoid AAA Flack, gaining altitude only just before strafing and/bombing runs. So believe me when I tell you that I know the difficulty of this type of flying is and I was truly impressed. Especially with the emergency landing in that wet field... I half expected the plane to flip when he hit the ditch. Had the ground been dry and hard I am sure he would have! Awesome flying skills... Thumbs up! I was also a member of our local Civil Air Patrol for 20 years and am so glad their services were not needed here! For those that do not know, Civil Air Patrol, or CAP, is an auxiliary (volunteer) of the USAF who's primary mission is search and rescue; especially for downed aircarft.

[@TheAdkFlyer10]

Now THAT was a walk of shame! ;-) Glad to see it ended safely, and he'll be back in the air in no time!

[@mastertek383]

Are you with the Dharma Initiative?

[@TheAdkFlyer10]

+Will Hammer Namaste! 😉

[@danthemansmail]

All that beautiful sky and you two have to fly twenty feet above the ground.

[@glassdogangle]

95% of the time I fly at 1000agl or higher. 2% of the time I fly at over 2500, and 3% of the time I fly at 20ft agl. The 20ft agl flights, although inherently more dangerous, are the most fun.

[@Cre8tvMG]

I like they way you guys are communicating all your turns and hazards. Looks like a great day of flying, in spite of the unexpected landing. Well handled.

[@cadetw46]

Love the videos. I am retired and a pilot. Live on Mt. Tom. Used to do touch and gos at Daniels. Great to see the scenery around here from the air.

[@598133]

Drinking game: Take a shot every time he says "Bud"

[@glassdogangle]

Well that's his name, so...

[@zonibrave]

glassdogangle ti.

[@Hunter-qu7sz]

The way you said that reminded me of that state farm commercial "well he's a dude so.."

[@glassdogangle]

Well she's a guy, so... kzbin.info/www/bejne/amjGcquIjZiUesk

[@598133]

lol i freaking love this comment thread..anyways hows flying recently?

[@christopherescott6787]

Lucky she didn't flip in that muck. Great piloting skills.

[@Wearyman]

Glad he landed safe. By the way, hose those shoes off to get the heavy soil off, then toss them into the washer with some rags (not with good clothes) and run them on the heavy cycle. They will come out looking brand new.

[@glassdogangle]

+Weary Man --- I actuallt have a different system. A little more labor intensive, but far superior: Deep sink 'em with a soft carpet brush. It took me about 30 minutes of squeezing and wringing by hand before the water started coming out mostly clear. Unbelievable how filthy they were inside from mud pouring in.

[@shivercanada]

I love that little Ultralight! beauty. Glad you're all safe

[@davidhames36]

hedge hopping is always fun but altitude can also be your friend

[@glassdogangle]

Altitude is my friend for the vast majority of my flying, probably somewhere around 98 percent. The only reason I even post these types of videos is because they are highly unusual and account for the tiny 2% of the time the air is dead calm and I am down on the deck. Want me to upload my latest flight where I maintained 1500-2000msl all the way from Independence to Daniels? I didn't think so. My viewers also would not appreciate such monotony.

[@JessHull]

Wow the is some really nice scenery and flying. I love how your plan is painted with the shark theme....Just needs two more gil slits.

[@Aluminata]

Modern air craft engines are so well designed and meticulously maintained that there is a tendency toward complacency - betting their life on their engines is routine -ultra lights tend not to have that luxury? by way of their cheap, light weight, high rpm power plants; That said they are making substantial improvements and the lure of "she'll be right" is always never far from the control stick. But one first hand observed incident helps to tighten any creeping mental slack a few hundred hours of trouble free flight may induce. I have a few hours in Drifters - no where near enough to develop complacency - but it does happen. Air craft accidents (fatal) are usually caused by a preposterously unlikely -lotto odds -coincidences of elements. Power lines are essentially evil and have found a way to incorporate them selves into more than a few such coinciding anomalies. Flying with a buddy is a terrific way to compound the safety margin - and makes for excellent video too! Keep up the great uploads - loved the one with the ridge lift soaring! Nothing like some thing ( free fuel ) for nothing! :)

[@LTDan-hu5fq]

Cool Video but buzzing around mowing the Grass leaves very little time to react to a emergency situation, I'm glad it happened over a wet but open field!

[@kdmc40]

The most useless thing in the event of engine failure is the altitude above you!

[@glassdogangle]

And the most useful thing in the event of an engine failure is the nice flat fields we specifically fly over just in case something like this happens.

[@maxmyzer9172]

your flying the hy-tek hurricane _____? i dont know.... how much do they cost?

[@glassdogangle]

They don't sell them anymore, but if you do find one on barnstormers.com they usually go for $5000-$7500 depending on the engine.

[@mn45s47]

I've always heard it said that the most useless things are the sky above you, the runway behind you, and the air in your fuel tank.

[@glassdogangle]

Don't forget the most useful thing: Miles and miles of flat fields below you...

[@andrewhansen4179]

Neat video. I'm currently building a Roger Mann designed ultralight. Glad to see the perfect landing and recovery. Fun stuff. Two thumbs up !

[@scottcozart8950]

Beautiful flying there guys. and beautiful landing too glad there was no injury or real damage to plane.

[@hogwild72024]

What an adventure. Thankful you had a safe ending. Keep enjoying that cow tipping!

[@Louis2282]

hey mate, when you have fixed the plane might be an idea to check the fan belt on your truck too

[@JackTradeMark]

I would think that if you guys are allowed to fly under 400 feet then I should be able to take my RC airplane above 400 feet.

[@glassdogangle]

+Jack Markee --- Yes, we are allowed to, and you are preaching to the choir.

[@JackTradeMark]

+glassdogangle Looks Like a lot of fun. Just make sure to keep an eye out for low flying foam.

[@glassdogangle]

+Jack Markee --- FPV airplanes don't scare me at all. I have had so many close encounters with birds and other full-size aircraft... so much so that little foam airplanes are the least of my concerns!

[@mariomatovina4]

But be careful of the big multicopters, they can weigh few kilograms and they are mostly metal.

[@ElForastero10287]

A good friends over there I wish I had ones like that

[@noneyabusiness1447]

Your best friend when you have any airplane problem, is altitude!!! And they didn’t have ANY to work with! The pilot was very lucky that he wasn’t killed!!

[@scottmajor2620]

Those sheep scare me. You could hear them from 200 ft up! lol

[@bthompson1767]

He hits that dirt and he's gonna have angels wings

[@JPK90]

What a Blast! You guise fly like it was multiplayer flight sim!

[@MrRadarrat]

I know it has been ages for me but I recall as an air traffic controller that there was a minimum requirement of 500 feet AGL over unpopulated areas. Not sure how this was happening

[@bluestudio67]

Glad he wasn't hurt. Great video, though! I love the low and slow.

[@rcsteveb]

awsome video bro , great to see no one was hurt and the damage was minimal. some great flying by you both . well done. As the saying goes any landing you can walk away from is a good one. 👏👏👏👏👏👍

[@glassdogangle]

+Steve “Cougar” Ball --- true...

[@johnharris7353]

Very nice! Great flying...I'd like to do that before I croak.

[@rotormasher]

Man you were not ready for that field recovery! :) Glad it was a happy end...

[@glassdogangle]

+rotormasher --- Yeah we were! We had the truck, the rope, the trailer, and the manpower! It wasn't expected, no, but ya gotta be ready for anything in this hobby!

[@rotormasher]

My comment was more in relation to your shoes man, crap that was muddy! Looked like minor undercarriage damage to that plane, hope it wasn't too bad! Happy flying

[@TwstedTV]

at least you guys are alright and alive. thats most important. other than the failure. I really enjoyed the video, thank you :D

[@GolddenWaffles]

I like the sharky livery

[@computer5272]

He's not looking for your approval, buddy. He's just letting you know what he's doing for safety. "Copy" or "Roger" would be sufficient and there would be less chance of miscommunication.

[@LyrikTech]

So glad everything turned out ok, This doesn't stop me from wanting to get my pilots license when I'm older!

[@glassdogangle]

+Lyrik Tech --- You should pursue it, youngster. You will never regret it. Get out there and get some intro rides in, make friend with people at the airport. Maybe even join the USAF. But whatever you do, don't wait to fly.

[@mouse5178]

That is so cool how you towed it back. Well done and that was lucky for everyone

[@deafmusician2]

Also.. imagine if he had lost that belt at 15' agl

[@factorypilot99]

Would have landed the same way he did higher. In that field

[@irwansyahlubis2756]

Good day..ilove this Video..nice landing..nice Air craft..nice manuvering..best regard

[@8311XHT]

That looks like a Fisher Koala. Good job not letting it flip over on its back.

[@NickStaib]

There's low flying, and then there's cow tipping... :)

[@bthompson1767]

Then there's engine failure and quadra flipping

[@blackmennewstyle]

That was a pretty fantastic ride all along! That was a blast to see :D I'm glad at the end everything was fine... I can easily understand that you are not really ready to fly any model aircrafts before a long time, i mean this is definitely more intense and enjoyable. Thanks for sharing again and enjoy the rest of week :)

[@glassdogangle]

+ABMNS PRODUCTION --- Alot of my decision to avoid FPV is simply because the public and many politicians are screaming for such incredibly tight control of even the lightest and simplest of R/C aircraft. I mean an 8oz toy now needs registration. Completely absurd. I was on the verge of picking up a $3k DJI a year ago, but the main thing that stopped me was the chess moves the FAA was making. I thought we had a chance when Trappy first beat them in court, but that victory was short-lived, and the FAA is not going to walk away with a defeat, shrugging their shoulders. The backlash was swift and merciless, and now kids have to register Christmas toys. It's absurd.

[@davidneustaeter8332]

No idea what engine you have but I’ve done an emergency landing in my powered parachute for the same reason. Hirth 65hp engine with belt driven fan had the idler seize & burn the belt in less than 15 seconds. Lucky for me I was within gliding distance of my runway. The cylinder head overheated instantly and lost power. After landing safely I checked it out and the cylinder head bolts had loosened from the heat. Had 120 psi compression before the flight and 65 after on one side and 57 on the other.

[@kyrkbymannen]

I like the way the ultralight is painted like a shark

[@pauldistler3270]

That big bird on the power line gave your buddy there the Eagle Eye not eyeballing him come on no pun intended and friend or bud I should say do this video looks so fun I would be doing this for days that little Easter egg cockpit housing makes me giggle every time it would go to the wing tip camera you just look so cute.haaha is this considered ultralight or do you need a pilot's license

[@jonasgrumby4393]

The stick seemed to be working fine if you ask me. How about a 'dead engine' landing?

[@flying-oyvinator]

glad the buddy guy friend there managed to land safe.. you were flying a bit low, but i Guess it adds to the adrenaline rush so i understand it:-)a decade ago, during my military service, i had the utter joy of hitching a ride on a military transport helicopter practicing tactical flying.. and it was certainly a rush :-D

[@glassdogangle]

+flying oyvinator --- Flying low is fun! Honestly I am not sure if I would call it an adrenaline rush, though. It's like the joy you get from sailing, or a motorcycle, or jetskiing, snowmobiling, etc.

[@rolandocrisostomo2003]

You know you are in trouble when your aircraft parts list consist of that many zip ties.

[@KevinArmstrong4154]

So glad he flared well and the mainwheels didn't dig in and nose over, mine was wrecked landing in a boggy field, as it was a trike and the nosewheel flipped the aircraft and tore the forks off

[@newdawnfades263]

Kevin Armstrong I have seen this on a grass airfield that had a hill mid runway. He didn't flare enough (actually if memory serves me right I don't think he flared at all!) and the plane tripped over itself, nose first. He was fine, his plane was not.

[@donanator1447]

More curious about the small plane. Looks awesome and small mabe cheap.

[@donshields4470]

Viewed again!! Thanks much! Are you flying during these serious times? Would seem like a good thing to do to pass the time alone! Take care.

[@glassdogangle]

I fly constantly. Flew for over 4 hours yesterday.

[@donshields4470]

@@glassdogangle I need to get off my fat behind (260) and get my light sport training and get up there with you!!!

[@DavidMcbrady]

why..... were yall flying that low to begin with? what if that would have happened just before you had to climb to clear the power lines?

[@highdesertutah]

My ultralight trike 2 stroke has two belts. A prop belt and a smaller fan belt. I'm surprised his engine overheated so quickly.

[@jonathanmoore9661]

Glad everyone is ok! Besides the emergency, this looks like such fun.

[@sirvardusmaximus9408]

Hey great vid. Best thing about it? Friends enjoying a fun days flying. Man I wish I had friends interested in flying. What was the yellow plane? Don't realise how small it is till they had to recover it

[@Bobm-kz5gp]

Glad he wasn’t hurt, plane too, you guys need to fly higher, one day you won’t see the wires, and another day you won’t be able to make it to a safe landing area when you have an engine problem. Just saying from 43 years of flying experience.

[@nickdegroot2445]

I was wondering about these planes. How are they called? And further, I assume you need a pilot license for it? And how about communications, do you have communications with ATC? They look really cool and not too expensive I guess

[@deadstick8624]

The seat on your ultralight looks very uncomfortable. It looks like just a piece of wood you're sitting on.

[@flyzwell]

What an adventure and great bunch of friends to help out

[@ericcurry1119]

Flying low is fun but you risk crashing without a lot of choices if you loose an engine. They are in mostly open terrain so the risk seems relatively minimal, the worst that would usually happen is a loss of the aircraft.

[@RePete02]

Fence hopping was always my favourite

[@LumpyFPV]

AgghhhHHH I NEED TO BUY ONE. Looks like a ton of fun man! Just don't forget about your "500' from any person, vehicle, vessel or structure" ;p Bud.

[@glassdogangle]

Oh yes, 14 CFR 91.119 thank you for that. I will remember to review those if I ever fly a "real" airplane. For now, I fly an ultralight, and the rules I follow are contained 100% in FAR Part 103. ;p P.S. Make sure you read 91.119 in it's entirety, especially the part where it says: (d)Helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft. If the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface - (2) A powered parachute or weight-shift-control aircraft may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section. " This last little bit is a reminder that the ultralight class (not even mentioned under this section) is not even discussed here. That's because ultralights are covered in FAR 103. Looking at it another way: An ultralight pilot doesn't even need to know what is in the whole entire remainder of the Federal Aviation Rules, they are only required to meet part 103. For example, we do not need to read up the rules on how to fly at night, because we can't fly at night. However, I definitely recommend that all ultralight pilots study everything there is to know about aviation, including the rules the "big boys" have to follow. Why are ultralights excluded from CFR 91.119? Not sure. Maybe because they weigh less than half the average weight of a typical dirt bike? Nothing illegal about blasting past a person or structure at 60mph on a dirtbike...

[@LumpyFPV]

So your bird is less than 254# and can't go faster than 55 KIAS? Didn't think that was the case, but if so, I stand corrected bud.

[@glassdogangle]

f0rn1c0n - Yes that is absolutely correct. I can make it go faster than 55 knots but I'd have to put it into a descent. You know the full name of this aircraft is Hy-Tek Hurricane 103 right? Guess what the 103 stands for?

[@LumpyFPV]

how many times you say "bud" per flight? Hahahahahaha. Probably the weight of the lil aeroplane?

[@LumpyFPV]

glassdogangle I'm pretty awful at estimating weight. I was thinking at least 400#. I seriously need to buy one of those things. The little valley I live in would be perfect for flying like this.

[@bonniehamilton7457]

Terrific landing! You stayed focused.

[@robertgift]

Let's see the broken belt. Engine damage?

[@GamePlayWithNolan]

That looks so fun to fly there. Glad he was okay! You just earned a new sub.

[@jamesharris4744]

Nobody got hurt so that was a great landing.

[@renotimberwolf2139]

I really enjoy your flight videos. I do first FPV, And it's really cool to see the evolution process.

[@chrismillersrcfamily]

great flight and recovery. enjoyed your flight.

[@jhettish]

What kind of "cub" is that. What engine did it have? It appears to be a home built possibly with a liquid cooled engine. The reason I ask is that a J3 engine has a magneto and is air cooled. I'm kind of curious, that's all.

[@jhettish]

Oh, and by the way, thanks for the well edited video and for uploading it. I'm about to buy a J3 and the video piqued my interest. Your partner made a very good landing. I'll bet the stick was completely in his lap while rolling out.

[@bobbypaluga4346]

I have been thinking about a powered glider (is that an oxymoron or what?) and I love this one, looks very cool. I think it's the first one with the engine in the nose. For what's it's worth, he hit the rows at the worst possible angle. You have to land in the direction of the rows not cross angled. A number of pilots have lost their lives learning the lesson, coming in from a much higher altitude and at a much greater speed. I have no idea if he had any way to alter his landing direction, I'm just making a comment in general, I've seen a 172 torn to pieces after landing on a cotton field close to the airport I've flown out of, Falcon Field Mesa, AZ

It couldn't be safer than flying in a place like that where you can land everywhere.

[@acebaker2001]

Hopefully you contacted the farmer and offered to compensate for any damage. Don't need another aviation hater out there if we can avoid it.

[@glassdogangle]

Damage? To the mud? Lol.

[@Berkner80]

Whats the name of your little Ultralight and how fast does it go?

[@tomemery1651]

Thinking about buying a Hy Tek Hurricane. Never flown (stick and rudder) ultralight. I have 4 years hang gliding. Any thoughts on your aircraft's good and bad habits? Thanks. Great vids. Tom

[@davidmadigan6484]

Am I crazy? (wait don't answer that) Would the location of this video be just north of Eugene/Springfield and east of I-5 by a few hundred feet?

[@bill45colt]

shoes arent ruined just need washing

[@Dking863]

How reliable is the Hirth engine? I'm thinking about buying one..

[@thomasbrooklyn1820]

Did you look for meet the owner of the farm? If he had a tractor, he might have been able to pull you out from the deep muck.

[@davonwav]

Tail dragging experience pays off again, dead stick in a muddy field. Trike may have flipped of course. Had an Aeronca 7AC dead stick but @ 1200' gave good choices. Crop duster flight instructor pulling power even on short final, saved my butt!

[@factorypilot99]

A trike would do better than a tail dragger at not flipping in a soft field

[@oregonfpv3953]

Ahh what a wonderful evening! Glad your battery on the gopro didnt run out!

[@glassdogangle]

+Oregon FPV --- I would have been pissed if I had not recorded this flight, partly to catch the engine failure, but mostly because Alex and I rarely fly together, and I knoew this was going to be a neat little formation flight. I had been having issues with my flight cameras dying right during the best parts of a given flight, so a few days ago I actually purchased 2 extra batteries for my GoPro and 2 extra batts for my Sony ActionCam. I did not have them available this flight, but they did come in the mail just today! So now each time I fill up with gas, my cameras get a new battery before taking off again!

[@oregonfpv3953]

awesome

[@littlezig8544]

@glassdogangle what type of plane is that and how easy is it to fly in trying to get into flying and wanna start start on something small like that

[@BernardoVLodi]

Dont lose your time! Go to 12:45

[@BillHally]

are you legally allowed to fly this low I fly my rc higher than that

[@cetGT3]

Wow nice video i wish i could fly besides flying my RC nitro aircrafts lol.....but on a serious note i thought with all that wind rushing pass through the cowling the engine on these types of air crafts would be as cool as a beer chilled in freezer!?

[@boricuayehudim427]

Pretty cool, glad ya'll made it safe, wonder where this Happened 🤔🤗☝🏼

[@pietrogazzera5733]

And finally a good beer!

[@mike_oe]

I'd absolute HATE flying that low if I wasn't above the runway. But that's maybe because my landing speed is 70kts...

[@nivenrowe3415]

Alltitude is ever pilots best friend.

[@WinstonSmith1984]

That low flying looks like fun. Is that allowed in the USA? What state is that? If I lived somewhere rural like that where low flying is allowed, I'd buy myself an ultralight aircraft too. Just don't fly low where you can't land instantly which you now know.

[@glassdogangle]

+turdsurfer --- Yes it is allowed as long as we are "over open water or sparsely populated areas".

[@beaconrider]

If the dogs don't chase you, you're too high.

[@glassdogangle]

Can't argue that.

[@jackfrost2146]

Great video---though why is "Dead stick landing" always up there with every emergency landing? I always land "Dead stick" so that if I need it, I know what I'm doing. Maybe I'm being too pedantic, but dead stick is no big deal---should be practiced at every landing.

[@glassdogangle]

I am running a 55hp Hirth 3202 2-stroke engine. If I cut the motor off before every landing and glide in dead-stick each time, the engine would be damaged in short order. It is absolutely NOT recommended to kill the engine in flight, which would cause the engine to cool at an extremely rapid rate, causing head warping and seal leaks all over the place. It is best to land while giving the engine a good shot of throttle occasionally throughout the pattern, then upon landing, go through the recommended engine shut-down procedures which is to reduce the engine to idle for 2 minutes on the ground to cool the engine down gradually before shutting it down completely.

[@screensnot]

I wish I was your friend. That looks like a lot of fun (minus the emergency).

[@glassdogangle]

We are friends, screen snot! Don't be silly! Wait... unless you unfriended me. Let me go check FB...

[@glassdogangle]

Heyyyyy! I see what you did there.

[@Cre8tvMG]

So did he bend up that left gear strut, or is that wheel cant natural?

[@pesto12601]

Sigh.. 11:00 for those that want to avoid the field skimming, bud loving fest!

[@glassdogangle]

Just watch the very beginning few seconds if you are in a hurry. FFS that's why I put it there.

[@thomasbrooklyn1820]

@@glassdogangle It would be nice to post the critical time in the notes for those that want to skip to it.

[@x808drifter]

@@glassdogangle Except that you fade to black the instant you go UGHAA!!!. No indication of plane damage or if your friend was ok. (doesn't say so in the description either)

[@ihspstanktribe]

Whaa, whaa, blah, blah, blah! His channel... His content... End of!

[@x-flight1015]

Great flight glad no one was hurt! Does your friend have a channel I would love to see this from his perspective?

[@glassdogangle]

+X-FLIGHT101 --- He didn't have any cameras on, and I don't think he has a channel.

[@modelrc9500]

11:45

[@jeyapaulsamathanam7057]

All is well that ends well. Congratulations !

[@micheller8014]

Whose field was this? Looks like like you damaged a lot of the crop for the farmer. No mention of that at all. Very irresponsible in my opinion.

[@glassdogangle]

The field was owned by Donald Trump. It might have been damaged. Not sure. It happened while he was busy campaigning for the 2016 election, so that probably explains why nobody came running out to yell at us. I am sure the field is fine now. Also nobody really cares what little michelle r thinks.

[@58landman]

No offense but that engine failure could have been disastrous because of your low altitude and is a good thing you guys weren't flying that low over wooded or hilly lands. With a couple of thousand feet of altitude that cub could have probably been landed in a better place. Looks like good duck hunting country, though.

[@glassdogangle]

"is a good thing you guys weren't flying that low over wooded or hilly lands"

[@Wreckitrc224]

What ultralight model is this ?

[@kenthigginbotham2754]

Would love to visit you this week or the week of 1/6?

[@Stubby0266]

Make sure to post videos of my old bird once you get her up and flying again and let me know. I miss flying like this, just not the mudfest version.

[@glassdogangle]

+John Esch -- LOL will do John!

[@DavidJohnson-tv2nn]

Is it legal to fly so low?