Real Pilot Story: Lost Elevator

“I heard a pop, pulled back on the yoke, and notice the airplane's attitude didn't change, and at that point I knew I was going to be landing somewhere.” Rob Olsen-Drye was cruising at 1,300' MSL when he lost elevator authority. Luckily among the tall Alaskan forest there was a narrow road within gliding distance. With no way to adjust his AOA he landed hard, pancaking his Pacer’s gear, effectively totaling the aircraft, but he managed to walk away. Join the AOPA Air Safety Institute as they uncover what happened and how he's ensuring it doesn't happen again.
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[@Aviation101]

Oh hey, it's Rob! I know that guy! So cool to hear his story on ASI.

[@pauldonvito6169]

Eloquent, earnest and generous with his knowledge. What an asset to the skies. Wishing you many a fair flying day ahead, Sir

[@Farweasel]

Absolutely *Top Bloke* .......... Anyone would be happy to fly with a pilot of that calbre. I think he is right saying with hindsight flaps would have been a better option than not. Doubt using the trim tab could have mitigated the problem given his smart diagnosis about airflow being dirupted over the elevators anyway? ~ Worth trying if it ever happens to you 'though. Cutting the engine was a ballsy move - knowing it would drop the nose but slow the 'plane. And it probably minimised shock load to the engine. *REALLY USEFUL VIDEO* Maybe the moral of the story is regularly look at *all* fabric with a suspicious eye?

[@GigsVT]

I came here to post something like this. I'm just really impressed with the pilot here, in his ability to communicate this stuff in a down to earth way. The animations were cute too heh.

[@markdankel191]

Lotta' time in a Pacer. I would be extremely reluctant to fault anything you chose to do. Were there better choices available? Surely; there always are, and next time they'll be in your kit. Well done, all 'round, Sir.

[@drummer0864]

I feel the same and I grew up in my father's Pacer. We practice landing with elv. trim, and it worked well. But that was a result of practicing just flying around with trim and throttle. and just using rudder and stuff like that just in case MCA. with all those scenarios, just in case.

[@737driver]

He didn’t kill (or even injure) himself or anyone else, so in my opinion, well done

[@JWSmythe]

Trees, occupied river, squishy swamp, or empty road. Looking around, I didn't find exact coordinates, but one site had a vague map that placed it away from any roads or structures. This looks like it's probably real close. 60.45443, -150.90906 There's a dirt airstrip to the North, and a single runway paved to the West. Based on what he described, he wasn't going to make either of those. So crash in the mud, hit boaters in the water, die impaled on trees, or put it down hard on a nice flat paved road, and risk some repairable damage.

[@cuteswan]

I'm really glad he got out of the accident okay and there was no collateral harm. Thanks to Mr. Olsen-Drye for sharing his experience & knowledge. Best wishes on getting his plane back in action soon. (It was easy to see that still hurt a lot.)

[@colinsweetman6745]

What an excellent Pilot Story. Clearly described, knowledgable and what a humble, honest guy. Thank you.

[@jtveg]

Lucky dude. Like they say, _any landing you can walk away from._ It's amazing to think how critical the shape of the fuselage is to the aerodynamics and the controls. Just 2 inches of fabric protruding into airstream lost upward elevator authority. Incredible! Thanks for sharing. 😉👌🏻

[@spannaspinna]

I think it was a trim tab that brought galloping ghost down at Reno

[@jtveg]

@@spannaspinna Yes, it detached in flight causing the plane to pitch up suddenly and it is believed that caused the pilot to either hit his head or the sudden G forces made him black out.

[@hughjarse4205]

Congrats to this eloquent pilot. Well done bud.

[@bigtxbullion]

Dayum. Dude is a pilot and mechanic and engineer and a chill outdoorsman. 😎 good on him for surviving 👏 👌

[@auggie803]

-It was still a good landing considering the circumstances of the damage aircraft. And most of all no injuries.

[@Simbor-rh1dj]

lol. Survival shouldn’t be a question. In 2023. It’s a shame the engineering is still from the 50s.

[@WineStringsProductions1]

For some reason I've been watching the videos on this channel a bunch lately. Oddly enough, I am finding it is challenging me to be more knowledgeable and safety conscious within my own craft....small shop carpentry. Not sure if I can explain it other than to say that I am inspired to be constantly learning and mindful of potential dangers that you face with the equipment I use daily. The production of the videos are excellent and I appreciate your willingness to make this content available for everyone to consider.

[@bigtxbullion]

Agree. No need to be a pilot to enjoy and gain knowledge from this channel. Air safety institute has exceptional lessons that can cross disciplines. Situational awareness, avoiding overconfidence, not succumb to get-there-itis... the list goes on.

[@ABusFullaJewz]

That's exactly why I appreciate these types of videos so much. I'm not a pilot but I've always looked to incident reports to better my understanding of common patterns and root cause analyses so that I can improve my own safety. In particular, these pilot interviews provide such great insight into the human factors, which are just as applicable to any discipline.

[@collinmc90]

I like applying a pilots mind set to just about anything dangerous that I do, riding motorcycles has also taught me this. I have pre-ride inspections, I plan my navigation and I proceed as safely as possible, then a post ride inspection and cleaning. I'm never done training and practice is the only way to make perfect.

[@collinmc90]

@@bigtxbullion get-there-itis seems to be very prevalent among the average car driver. I think our (American) culture here has always applied a very laid back attitude towards driving (not that driving isnt relaxing just as flying can be) I wish people treated driving their cars like a pilot treats flying a plane.

[@longreach207]

That's a wise Hillbilly

[@N1RKW]

Glad you're still here with us and sharing your story, Rob! Sorry to see your Pacer in a sad state, but I'm glad that you're rebuilding her with improvements.

[@Farweasel]

Your comment just triggered a could be liefsaving idea. I was thinking, lots of places - in Alaska especialy - you don't get anywhere with a landing run. Floats definitely a good idea. But given the terrain ...... I'd like one of those 'whole plane' *parachutes* . Serriously what are they 50lb / 60lb extra?

[@N1RKW]

@@Farweasel - I don't know much about them. On Mike Patey's KZbin channel he has a video or two explaining all about them as he built one into his latest project plane called "Scrappy". Might be worth taking a look at those.

[@alneuroscience7799]

So impressed with intelligence and clarity of this pilot. Flight characteristics of short fuselage Pacer brought back to mind Tripacer time from more than 50 years ago. Your reference to glide ratio reminded me that the Tripacer "floated like a piano." Thanks for thoughtful reflection!!! --Al Thanks so much for thoughtful sharing of your experience.

[@Gualdemar]

We are restoring a 1956 TriPacer.. and thank to you.. we read the AD and wil take it into consideration!!! THANX

[@richardmcspadden9189]

Thanks for your comment. That's why we do these, so that we can all learn and get better from other's experience.

[@johnnylancenese]

My school's safety officer sent this to me because he knows I also fly an old Tripacer. Very informative, and I have added "Check top of windshield" to the checklist next to check fuel level. Thank you so much for making this video and spreading awareness.

[@nancyaustin9516]

So glad you're okay and that you're repairing the Pacer. Those 1950s airplanes are the best!

[@michaeldolch9126]

What a class guy. Humble and shares valuable lessons and feedback. Shows his hindsight so we can gain from it.

[@achristian7015]

As a commercial pilot and past flight instructor, I would always test myself. So one day I thought what if I didn't have control of the elevator and ailerons. So I used my throttle, elevator trim and rudders to land. Of course there is a bit of lag using elevator trim and throttle, but it was a smooth landing in a no-crosswind landing.

[@av8rgrip]

In the C-130, there was a failure that would cause lose of elevator. In this case we would use inboard engines to increase or decrease airflow over the elevator and outboard engines to change airspeed..

[@ralphgregory7616]

👍👍👍

[@pascalcoole2725]

Hmmm controlling an airliner just on the trims is far easier dan a small aircraft (at least for the aircraft types i used to be familiar with).

[@av8rgrip]

@@pascalcoole2725 C-130 isn’t an “airliner”, it is a military transport aircraft and I wouldn’t classify it as easy, thus we practiced it in the simulator. Look at the Sioux City Crash (DC-10). They were relegated to asymmetric engine thrust for pitch and adverse yaw. If I remember correctly the A330-200 had a manual trim backup for the rudder while the A330-300 did not. So not all airliners even have that option. That said, what are your options when something breaks? These procedures are not for everyday flying, the are for when you are having a very bad day and trying to give yourself a chance for survival. I look at the Dale Snodgrass accident. Nose pitch up and stall on takeoff. Something I always briefed my C-130 crews as we carried cargo that could break loose on takeoff and cause a centre of gravity shift, but this procedure could also be used for elevator and trim problems. If the nose uncontrollably pitches up on takeoff, counter with pitch, trim, angle of bank. Counter pitch with forward stick, trim nose down (in some airplanes this also stops runaway trim), and finally use angle of bank and put yourself in a turn, over banking can allow the nose to fall and avoid a stall. You can then vary angle of bank to control a climb or descent of maintain level flight (but in a turn). This gives you time. Time to analyse the situation and give you a fighting chance. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather “crash” in a turn with minimal rate of descent than stalling the airplane and diving straight into the ground. Again Sioux City. They still crashed but a lot of folks survived that day.

[@pascalcoole2725]

@@av8rgrip Of course it depends on the aircraft, dunno about the Herc or the 330, and never tried on the 310, but on the Fokker-F50 simulator you can afford some risc, and it was in this situation that i sitting on the jump seat showed a crew how to do a N-1 takeoff circuit and landing just using the elevator and rudder trim. This of course it not at all the usual way of flying but one has to do something to spend the boring nightly hours when crews do not turn up. You learn a lot from this stuff, as late Warren VandenBerg (you can find him on youtube) made verry clear to his trainees.

[@robbflynn4325]

You're OK that's the main thing. And no one on the ground was hurt.

[@ChrisMaloneCAM]

Thanks for your honesty and sharing your story! Glad it ended well for you … the Pacer will fly again!

[@kurtadams7398]

Great post-these are the stories that greatly help other pilots. Thanks for sharing your experience

[@spurgear4]

Going. to have a good look at my Pa 17. Looking fwd to see you flying and making more content again. Thanks

[@mcpr5971]

So glad you're ok.

[@GlennDavey]

This is one of the most fascinating videos of this kind that I’ve watched and listened to as a new student. Thank you for sharing.

[@kurtmeister8308]

Rob, anytime you get to have a video after a trial like that and not have to talk about injury, you are an extreme winner! Great job all things considered. Sorry your plane is bashed, but so glad a fellow pilot is ok!

[@MichaelGarland]

So glad you are still with us to tell the tale Rob. Thin line and all that.

[@maureencook4146]

Thank you for sharing your story. I'm a student pilot and absorbing as much as I can. Glad you executed a successful landing & walked away!! 😊

[@daver3057]

Way to stick that landing! Reminds me of WW2 carrier 'fails' where the pilots overcome adversity, place the postage stamp, have the plane ripped apart around them, unbuckle and hop out. I call that a success! In this case, instead of throwing the wreckage overboard, it's going to be a better bird, for it, and the owner is a better pilot, mechanic, fabricator and educator for it. Outstanding.

[@SebastianWoodard]

I've never heard of the issue with the paver. That's terrifying. Hella awesome flying skills. We're glad you're still with us.

[@Johnbobon]

Thanks for telling your story. Glad you walked away and still have the stones to get back after it. Respect. 🤜🤛

[@danielmwai5337]

What an amazing informative honest story. It's indeed very helpful!

[@tieoneon5240]

not a pilot> great story ..glad you were spared harm ..love that you are a mechanic and can build/re-build your bird take care

[@nickraschke4737]

Great honest account.

[@noevalleygiants]

Great video. You're a respectful, candid, courageous pilot and mechanic. Keep flying.

[@JAI_8]

Thanks for sharing your story. It’s very generous of you to take the time and effort you have clearly invested here just to help others.

[@earthsciteach]

Thank you for sharing your story. As a Tri-Pacer owner, your experience is very valuable to me. Hope to see you in the air and making videos again soon!

[@markdavis2475]

Another fascinating, well-produced episode, thanks!

[@skycop3855]

You are a true professional, well said, well done.

[@jpjpjp5847]

Great landing. Wonderful video, and I'm glad that you were around to make it!

[@chetbeckley2395]

Thanks for taking time to share your story!

[@m118lr]

Yeah, great job getting it back on the ground safely..well done. First time I’d ever heard an incident ‘CREATED’ by an “interruption of airflow over the fuselage” (my phrasing), whereby causing input/control issues and subsequently HAVING to put it down.

[@JDnBeastlet]

Rob, I'm really glad you walked away from that incident. I salute you for sharing your story for the benefit of others. Thanks very much and best wishes with the rebuild!

[@DanSpotYT]

Great and humble guy - sharing his experience to help others. Sorry about your incident but happy you made it out okay!

[@Ellexis]

Way back during my private pilot training, my instructor made me practice losing my elevator and get back us on the ground at my home airport at Addison, TX KADS. Although I was in a completely different aircraft, the training was intense. So thankful you had the skillset to get your beauty back on the ground and walk away from it as well as the skills needed to restore it to better than new. Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@thatchanguy]

So glad you were able to walk away. It’s super helpful to hear your reflections on the incident. I’m not a pilot, but am fascinated with your craft. Tailwinds!

[@ragtimesongs]

It was a beautiful pacer, and it will be again. Great job sir!

[@leonardocorrealuna7013]

Thank you for sharing, glad that you made it out safe. Blue skies!

[@michaeldurling793]

As a former Pacer owner my sad face is on, your story is compelling and encouraging. Glad you were able to walk away uninjured. As for your aircraft looks like she'll come back better for the experience.

[@martinrice6541]

Excellent report…thank you for sharing. I fly an ACA Scout and recently went to 31” ABWs and you just reinforced my decision to move up those fro 850s. Thanks!

[@ChandraSlyFoxPatey]

I’m so glad this ended well for you 🙏🏼, the Pacer was actually in pretty good shape considering what it went through, I’m impressed. Thanks for sharing your experience, I’ve actually thought about this happening and what I would do in my plane. This was very educational. Happy flying in the future.

[@fyahoo]

Great lesson here. Using flaps to trim was the first thing that came into my head. Not saying I could have done better. Sharing successes and failures helps equip all of us with the knowledge to make the right decisions. Thanks for sharing.

[@richcarrCCC]

So glad you negotiated that emergency landing to where you survived and survived to tell us about it. I really appreciate your generosity and conscientiousness in sharing your experience and your assessment...your candor and details are greatly appreciated. Godspeed and Thanks Again.

[@Kevv554]

So glad you're ok!!

[@bd5289]

I love that he's wearing a "Pop's" t-shirt while talking about the POP in the airplane!

[@sipho.tography]

Had the pleasure to work with this fine man for a short period of time-- along with a ride along. Great story, Rob! Glad to see the pacer running again.

[@CC-te5zf]

Great analysis of the situation. I learned allot from this young man and thus the reason for him survive this. God bless him!

[@KitfoxPilot]

Very good video, thanks for posting it.

[@knottd]

Congrats on your safe outcome. Had a 53 PA22 in the late 70's. Previous owner had the fabric let go doing some aerobatics. Was linen at the time but had ceconite and the metal strip when we got it. Thanks for the heads-up for us again.

[@AlexFlvt]

Thanks for sharing your experience ! Congrats on putting it down and walking away from it !

[@toddb930]

Thanks for sharing. Glad you made it down in one piece.

[@jameshcox]

This was interesting, glad you walked away, thanks for sharing..

[@zidoocfi]

Great learning video with several lessons. One point I would like to emphasize is that with many "flight control" emergencies, I recommend taking some time airborne to assess the controllability and thinking through the landing before touchdown if the situation permits. I don't know in this particular case if adding power might have arrested the descent and given more time, but then again maybe more time in this case might have led to further peeling of the fabric and made the problem worse. What a dilemma, glad you walked away.

[@kurtreber9813]

He shouldnt have been flying that low away from an airport. That was his original mistake and unnecessarily put himself in a nearly impossible situation.

[@braincraven]

Great comment on adding power to the engine. He did say that was probably a mistake too.

[@JimBronson]

@@kurtreber9813 It's a low and slow airframe to begin with. People have these sorts of planes to see the sights. It's not like flying an SR22.

[@gerryortiz8324]

@@kurtreber9813 Sounds like a ppl student on here probably just soled that or an SR22 pilot 😂 A. He lives in Alaska there are very few strips much less airports. B. He is in a Piper Pacer much like a Cub they are purposely designed for low and slow flying. C. Operations sometimes call for low flying such as myself doing aerial survey in a Super Cub I stay at 1000 feet 99% of my flying.

[@kurtreber9813]

@@gerryortiz8324 i admit that perhaps there's a legal vs practical perspective on this. I'm going to stay on the practical side :)

[@OrderoftheWarlocks]

fly safe, man o7

[@rcgreaves]

Shared this with a couple Pacer owners. Stumped me! Glad you walked away.

[@yellowcubdriver9545]

Great video. Good knowledge about forced landing. Glad you’re fine and building now a better pacer.

[@kmstaff7]

I think you did great. I've had an engine problem at low altitude and could only descend. I hit "NEAREST" on the GPS and made an emergency landing on a runway, however, if I wasn't blessed enough to be close to an airport, I would have been in your situation of trying to land off field. There isn't a lot of time at low altitude. There's a lot going through your mind. You want to fix the problem with the aircraft while you're trying to find a spot to land. Again, you did great!

[@flyingbassplayer]

As a former owner of a 1953 Pacer, I found your excellent video most fascinating. I had no idea that there was an AD concerning the fabric and windshield. My aircraft, C-FKJS, had an O-290 D2 135 hp engine. You are far better off with the O-320. It is a much better engine. Most of the hours I put on my aircraft were on 1650 floats. If you are going to buy floats, I would suggest either 1800s or 2000s as a much better choice than the 1650s. Thanks very much for taking the trouble to post your excellent video.

[@davidburns5858]

Excellent video. Thank you for sharing.

[@terrysmith4748]

Thanks for sharing brother. Good job.

[@garywheeler2055]

Helmet? That is so smart, it’s frowned on to wear a helmet it seems. Good for you 👍👍👍👍👍👍🍺

[@Cool-Lake]

Thank you for sharing.

[@glennjohnston2267]

This is a well spoken man.

[@acchaladka]

In the outro he makes a face almost exactly like the wrecked Pacer....kind of unintentionally hilarious: i guess it's really true about owners and their dogs. Glad you made it out, kudos, and blue skies to you !

[@F1fan007]

Excellent story!!! Thank you for sharing

[@VictorPetit]

Thanks you very much for your feedback and for sharing your story. Best regards from France.

[@Aerocommander1991]

Excellent learning moment. Love the upgrades.

[@wearemany73]

Well done Sir, great story 👏 I wasn't even aware this was something that could happen.

[@mikewinchester3185]

This was an OUTSTANDING video. Superb info and imparted very well. Great outcome. Thank you.

[@martyb6903]

I fly a clipper pa16, and remember looking at this ad, and several times and looking at the fabric over the windshield,.. great job in your superior skills and happy your alive to share it! God Bless!

[@aviationcatF22]

Please do more of this!

[@raderjohnson3890]

I have a Pacer. So sad to see, but thank you for sharing your story. I first saw you Pacer on the Angle of Attack channel. Gonna be awesome when it’s flying again!

[@ericlawrence9729]

Great job, thanks so much for sharing. God Bless

[@bobflyman]

Great account. Well done!

[@chrisr4815]

Incredible video!

[@paulrichardson6804]

Great story and great learnings

[@LeantoPeak]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jimblaisdale7901]

Fantastic summary. Thank you SO much for sharing!!

[@slateslavens]

10:30 Dude. Brother. My hear _bleeds_ for you. She gave her life for you. Thank you for sharing your tragedy and putting the old girl back together!

[@stevenleach9522]

Excellent Video!

[@johngoogle7626]

Good job!!

[@mikejettusa]

Thank you for sharing this

[@bigalsplanesimplegarage4288]

I appreciate the advice you have shared

[@SkyWriter25]

Glad you walked away OK. Kudos for rebuilding your airplane better than it was before! 😀

[@nian60]

I loved the animation.

[@n3307v]

You did an amazing job. Well done.

[@danko6582]

I like his honesty and recognising you do what you can at the time. Hindsight is for future incidents.

[@hack1n8r]

Well done!!

[@Craigs_car_care]

thank you for sharing your story 🙂

[@daviswall3319]

Sorry about your plane but great story and glad you walked away from it bro

[@charliebowman785]

I just got a flashback when you've said about the rag located right above the windshield. Last week I was reading some comments from owners of Tripacer and all or most of AD's applicable to the aircraft as I'm with the bug of buying an airplane and I'm targeting for a Tripacer. Well, the best is you went away walking from the wreckage safe and sound. To be honest, I was expecting to watch torn large pieces of rag but looks like it was enough with a "discrete" quantity of fabric that got separated. I previously owned a Champion Aeronca with original tricycle landing gear and never went through either an AD or a noticeable condition of any loosen ceconite. I really appreciate very much your kindness and guts to share this ordeal you went through, and want to thank you about positive thinking of sharing knowledge. One things that was worrying me was the gliding ratio that you also commented. As everyone says that Tripacer is a flying brick, ones can imagine the airplane plummeting immediately but now I know it is possible to hit the ground in an acceptable condition. I'm really sorry about listening you saying those words about your damaged airplane; it feels like leaving behind an old appreciated friend. Nevertheless, American mechanics are the best in the world of aviation and you're not the exception. Wind up and keep on with restoration. Kudos!

[@danni1993]

I love these stories.

[@teytreet7358]

Wow, was not expecting the cause to be from the fabric.