P-40 inflight oil leak emergency at Stuart Airshow - Thom Richard

A faulty oil cap installation forced my aerobatic display of P-40 Warhawk "American Dream" at the 2018 Stuart, FL Airshow. It's a very simple mistake that anyone could have made. It's always a good idea to verify the security of the ap after someone adds oil... Anyway, we decided to turn it into​ a teaching moment.

[@klaus3794]

Recommendation: Load the six machine guns and attack the oil change place.

[@AK-he5pb]

It’s not like a car, during an aircraft preflight you check your oil hence why it was loose.

[@FlyingWildAZ]

This is why I personally change the oil in my cars and in my plane! Lol! Almost lost my Passat years ago when the oil pan plug came out on the highway because the mechanic forgot to tighten it. Last time anyone ever changed my oil.

[@Legotruck82]

It's not an oil leak, it's a rust prevention program.

[@c431inf]

That's what's great about Ford's never rusty undercarriage lol

[@hitoshisawa8479]

a highyl expesive one

[@TheHonestPeanut]

Self lubricating cockpit.

[@carmen071972]

Rust on a plane? Maybe the undercarrriage

[@shocktide6428]

@@TheHonestPeanut That's hilarious!

[@MasterChief-sl9ro]

Man you cranked that Canopy open fast. As an Oil fire is something to fear.

[@Cadcare]

There's a German "oldtimer-fan" watching this and thinking, "The problem is the oil cap design." Good video. I enjoyed it. Thanks.

[@randomstuff8257]

Very cool video. Even though we all started out watching this video already knowing that it was just a loose oil cap and there was no real damage and you weren't in serious danger from it, we could still sense the urgency in the situation as it unfolded. Makes you really contemplate how stressful it must have been for combat pilots returning home with unknown damage to their aircraft, who still had to fly it back to base from a long way out, often over the ocean or enemy-held territory and with no guarantee they wouldn't face another attack. Yet those guys willingly went up and did it, even knowing some of them wouldn't make it back home. It's important to keep their legacy alive forever.

[@Lofi.z34]

Yep I'll never forget the story of the beat-to-hell B-17 being escorted out by a 109 pilot who had a heart

[@chawk6201]

@@Lofi.z34 The Charlie Brown/Stigler incident.

[@P61guy61]

Thank you for posting. Interesting to see things unfold in real time.

[@Twister051]

Kudos to admitting to making the mistake of not checking the cap aggressively enough and then making this video! And a danged nice job getting it on the ground in one piece. IFEs (In-Flight Emergencies)….not a question of "if" but "when". Fly safe!

[@marchindy]

Glad you made it down ok, and thanks for making this a teachable moment.

[@NUNBUTMEAT]

If that were me, the laundromat would be getting my pants and boxers

[@OliverLMinecraftMachine]

?

[@camerondunham5559]

@@OliverLMinecraftMachine beacause he shit him self

[@TheMonolake]

But he landed plane safe . pants destroyed

[@Cody64355]

I was working at that FBO on the day of this incident. After our management verified what happened, they pulled a cruel joke on the guys that were servicing the show planes and asked us, "Who put oil in the P-40? The cap wasn't put on!". Needless to say, we were confused as our stomachs turned trying to remember if we even handed out any oil. Luckily we hadn't done any oil and only fuel that day, so the tricky joke didn't have us discouraged for too long... Hahaha! Great job handling that emergency! Hope to see you guys again!

[@66lwmorgan]

Did your buddy's nickname you Slick? Nice landing

[@alexblack6421]

I bet it was Streak

[@craigpennington1251]

Thank God you saved yourself and that P-40. You're right about the oil cap. Had an oil change in my Peterbilt . Drove about an hour and things started to happen. Pulled the hood and oil was every where. The cap was on but not secured enough and the engine vibration made it come off. It was the cap on top of the valve cover that came off. Great video.

[@mongolike513]

Thom this is the second p40 video with you as pilot, l cannot possibly relate how impressed I am with your flying and technical abilities and your

[@demef758]

Non-pilot speaking (obviously): I had to get to the end of the video to understand the "lookie there" part as it was not obvious to this non-flyer. At 2:13, you see on the floor of the cockpit a small river of oil flowing to the back. The head camera was panning back/forth/up/down so fast that I could not see what the fuss was about. Since the video starts out pointing out the cap OUTSIDE the cockpit, I assumed the issue was something visible on the wing. I suppose when you feel a warm something on your leg, it gives you a clue. Interesting to see the various protocols when an emergency is declared. I love how cool-headed pilots are. It's why such individuals are pilots to begin with.

[@turboslag]

I'm only a casual aviation enthusiast but that shonky automotive type oil filler cap on a military aircraft really shocks me! I would have expected to see something like a Shaw cap, or a push to lock Monza type cap with a fail safe catch. I'll have to go check what Spits, BF109's and Fw 190's, etc used now!

[@turboslag]

@d c Non taken. Whilst WW2 miltary aircraft may not have been intrinsically safe, I would have thought that simple practical safety measures would have been taken to prevent needless accidental loss of aircraft and precious pilots.

[@davidberry6046]

Thank God nothing serious happened to that beautiful classic aircraft! I think the P-40 was and still is one of the best looking aircraft ever! Take good care of her and keep her flying!

[@leoaslanian9666]

Mistakes happen like happen unfortunately ! But this pilot handled it very well! Staying calm in these situations is key

[@barry7413]

DOH! The A-10 aircraft had a similar issue with engine oil caps not seating correctly. Had quite a few RTB with oil problems when I worked on them in Alaska.

[@Nighthawke70]

You sure didn't want to mess around while flying up there. The safety margins are very slim compared to Nellis and Edwards. At least while flying out of Nellis and you need a new oil cap, you can buzz on over to AMARC and shag a couple three. It never hurts to have a spare!

[@1967davethewave]

I'm 51, I have an old picture of me standing next to the landing gear of a P40 at Oshkosh and I'm not even up to the wing yet. Always my favorite Warbird even though it wasn't considered to be particularly great by most historians. Who cares? It did the job and looked really tough doing it!!! Beautiful plane and good job landing it in a stressful situation.

[@Airracer83]

1967davethewave Agreed. Many historians are simply wrong. The P-40 was the fighter we had when the war broke out. It saved China! Served in every theatre and was in production through November of ‘44. It was the third most produced allied fighter. It was also the best dogfighter below 10,000’ we ever had.

[@Tiswhattitis]

I can only imagine how terrifying that experience would have been!! Well done for keeping your cool and getting that beautiful bird down with no injuries to you or the plane! 👍

[@Whitpusmc]

External oil storage. It’s an advanced design element pioneered by British convertible manufacturers in the 1950s through 1980s. My MGB still features this.

[@mossfoster5317]

The term: "external lubrication" comes to mind

[@DeathAngelHRA]

Same reason why I don't let Jiffy Lube and WalMart change the oil anymore in my SR-71 🎌✈️🍸💥🔥‍☠️

[@MikeKobb]

Great lesson, thank you for sharing it. It’s funny, I was thinking to myself, “Here’s a good reason not to fly in shorts,” and then your graphic came on! 😄

[@NekoTaisen]

Fortunately, the leak was only from the cap ! The engine is safe, I guess it's the most important for that beast ! Greating from France !

[@marknelson5929]

Gee I bet the guy who had checked/added the oil prior to the flight felt a little crestfallen after this episode, which could have turned into a very serious situation. Great that it turned out well for all concerned and it turned into a lesson well learned. Well done.

[@DavidBostock-ti2fv]

GOOD JOB !!! Best time for knees to wobble is 1/2 hour after an emergency or non-emergency. I was seeing sugar cane field clearance burning during during first cross country solo and thinking I may be smelling that and was still highly anxious from the first whiff until the last.

[@Senokone]

Awesome footage! Thanks for uploading!

[@iflyc77]

Yep. I bet that oil was nice and warm. Thanks for sharing!

[@pukalo]

The Curtiss P-40 is my favourite plane of all time.

[@Alantheleopard]

This somehow reminds me that in my first flight on a civilian light aircraft years ago (in a Socata TB.9 Tampico), the fuel cover for the right wing tank went off during take off, and we had to immediately turn around and land back (with tail wind, by the way). Luckily nothing aside of the fright happened.

[@paintballmonkey666]

so calm and collected, I would have been spamming ''oh shit oh fuck oh shit''

[@goatflieg]

Wow! Surprised it only took 4 guys 4 hours to clean up the mess... that oil must have gotten everywhere. You handled that very well; not a fun experience, but great to have as a memory. Laughed when you made the Tiger Destefani comment... I still remember watching him dead-stick Strega into Madera with oil all over the belly after blowing the engine. Sure glad that didn't happen to me during my rides with Fred Sebby in Tiger's old P-40, Miss Geno D (now The Jacky C).

[@flyinhawaiian5848]

I suppose after dead-sticking "Precious Metal" at Reno in 2014, and escaping death again two years later in "Hot Stuff," this is just another day at the office for Thom Richard!

[@Airracer83]

Lol! Well, this was relatively routine, yes. Comparatively speaking.

[@FlyingWildAZ]

Thanks for posting Thom!

[@donaldparlettjr3295]

I'm glad it wasn't worse. I was there when our friend Joe Tobul lost his life to a loose or broken oil line. In a Corsair it was probably burning in the cowling. So cleanup is a minor inconvenience be thankful.

[@bwayne40004]

Didn't know there were landing gear indicator rods just behind the leading edge. Learn something new every day.

[@Whitesp44]

Next time expend all ammo prior to short final. Great job. And very cool helmet and wing cams! Awesome war bird.

[@ohger1]

I want a P-40 but I want it with .50 Brownings and a full ammo load!!

[@jamesjanssen2378]

I bet that's not the first time its happened in the p-40 --in its long history all over the world . Beautiful plane BTW !.

[@omarcolon7719]

Glad to see both of you pilot and P40 are on the ground. good lesson

[@johnofnz]

I think my pants would have been worse if that had happened to me! Nice flying dude

[@dbaider9467]

Thanks for sharing. Had something very similar happen once. Some ramp jockeys just can't be trusted!

[@rb3baize482]

Wouldn’t want to blow that engine up 😢

[@1teamski]

Wow, happy you were able to get the plane down for a safe landing. Whew......

[@Shinobi117]

Now i wanna go fly my p40 in IL2. good job bringing her down without an issue. Great pilot. Beautiful bird.

[@eklhaft4531]

IL2 is the best ;-)

[@Shinobi117]

@@eklhaft4531 heck yeah

[@octane2099]

Lol bout to go fly my p-47

[@Shinobi117]

@@octane2099 i should have gotten battle of bodenplatte. I got tank crew which i dont regret at all but i wanna try that p47.

[@octane2099]

sparc try to get it theirs going to be releasing some more planes this month

[@maxitomix]

All i can think of is "please god don't let it catch fire!"

[@OhItsThat]

Good thing you didn't have a Zero on your six.

[@SleepySkull1]

It would have turned his P-40 Hawk to a P-400 Airacobra

[@SadenIsWatchin]

Zero? I'd be thinking BF 109.

[@uprNrdyamr]

Saden P-40s were mostly Pacific based fighters

[@enb3810]

'a problem' so calm...

[@kencohagen4967]

So glad it wasn't anything more devastating tot the pilot or the warbird. Great job handling this emergency, and if you, the pilot ever need extra ballast in the area around the back seat, please let me know! My bucket list is extremely small, but still exists!

[@Airracer83]

ken cohagen We offer training in this airplane. Come fly with us!

[@kencohagen4967]

My jaw just hit the floor. Now all I need is money! Do you have a website that lists the costs of flying these or in these?also, where are you based?

[@kiDkiDkiD12]

The American Dream is a good description of your work lol

[@thelaotianaviator]

War thunder be like *”CHECK YOUR OUL PRESSURE”*

[@thewatcher5271]

One Of My Favorite Planes. Hope I Get To See One, One Day & So Glad It Wasn't Worse & Such A Good Landing Considering The Stress . . .

[@mikebtrfld1705]

My uncle flew one in Burma before Pearl Harbor. He was a captain at 19 years old.

[@donjones4719]

Hope he made it thru the war OK. What planes did he fly as the war went on?

[@andrewscott3184]

Mechanics are on a roll.

[@jaymeselliot8181]

that's such a neat old plane, just dials, a stick and metal plates--

[@Mike-01234]

Saw an interview with WW2 fighter pilot who said after his flight school in AT-6 texan 600 hp duel control trainer. He was shipped overseas his first day they showed him what he was going to fly the P-40 Warhawk 1240 HP engine single seat fighter. An aircraft that he had never seen before had zero training on how to fly it. He got a one hour overview from his squadron commander that's how it was some pilots were killed just from taking off in P-51's and others aircraft had no idea how to transition from their trainers to these new aircraft they had never seen before.

[@bhorse26152]

I met him at Boca. Nice guy , great pilot

[@slobama]

Put this on your pre-flight inspection check list.

[@shaunnazari1961]

Remember the movie (pearl harbor) when Rafe was in the middle of dogfight over Dover against those ME_109s and called over radio: i got the oïl leak!!! then fire!!!! that was the worst moment for any pilot in WW2!!!!!

[@voltag3man]

worst case scenario is having over 100 degree oil at your feet... jesus

[@ohger1]

100C plus a bit more. Hot stuff.

[@DjScreaM514]

that was close! Happy Landings!

[@nathanspalink5438]

Man that thing sounds good and clean! Shes a runner for sure.

[@czperiod2576]

Nice job and a fine landing/example of following the procedures. One question: You were going for a landing 1/3 down the runway but the final looked a bit low. Did you bleed off altitude on the final turn?

[@Airracer83]

CZ Period Yes. You initially aim for 1/3, then you step it back as you have it made. Remember, they approach pretty fast and use a bit of runway, so once it’s made, shorten it. Good question.

[@JustJohn505]

Imagine ww2 pilots getting the oil tank shot and having all that hot oil running down their legs 😫

[@kajetandziebaj6405]

that's hot!

[@BLUNTESSTBOOT233]

@palerider957 oil is pretty hard to ignite

[@muffy469]

@@BLUNTESSTBOOT233 Not when it touches the red glowing metal in the engine

[@BLUNTESSTBOOT233]

@@muffy469 engine would die before it got that hot I'm pretty sure. Oil fires were pretty rare in ww2 planes

[@MarsFKA]

@@BLUNTESSTBOOT233 There is a very brief movie clip somewhere, taken from the ground in Normandy, after the D-Day landings, of a RAF Typhoon flying low overhead. It had been hit by ack-ack and its oil cooler was blazing.

[@RedJive-jx8hh]

nobody: youtube:WANNA SEE A P40 TAHT HAS AN OIL LEAK???

[@alexsurh1472]

that was stressful to watch lol even though you were in total control

[@buttholeChecker]

what a gorgeous machine!

[@elmoreglidingclub3030]

Great job; great video. Loved the in-cockpit video of my favorite WWII era plane, the P-40. I want to fly it. Please. Pretty please. Warbird on!!

[@Airracer83]

Elmore Gliding Club Come on over! That’s what we do, P-40 dual instruction. We’ll put you behind the controls.

[@stever417]

You always seem so calm under pressure. Excellent! Where do you get your gloves?

[@Airracer83]

stever417 Thanks, this is what I would consider a minor emergency. Everything was still running fine and I was right over an airport. Very fortunate for me. The gloves come from Cockpit USA, the best leather goods available and made in the USA. Couldn’t recommend them any higher.

[@justinbustin677]

Thats just horsepower leaking alittle. They still have air shows at Piper airport in Vero Beach? Love sitting on the roof at the house in the 90's watching tge show

[@HorsepowerDr]

What a mess there slick ! lolol .... Glad everything is ok.. beautiful airplane ive always liked the P40 from when i was a kid probably from the John Wayne movie Flying Tigers im guessing lol

[@freakyflow]

That moment you just want down ....Can't even think about the guys that were over the pacific And this happen

[@moefitzgerald4439]

for real tho... imagine the guys that were a 100 miles away from home watching the oil pour out of a bullet hole in the fuselage knowing well that they weren't going to make it back.

[@freakyflow]

@@moefitzgerald4439 Few years back i remember a documentary on RAF burn victims Vets having to under go years of skin graphs to add a nose Eye loss new lips Spitfire Pilots sat just above and behind the center fuel tank Fuel lines ran into the cockpit They carried a pistol Which if you think about they flew at first over friendly land ..no need for a pistol Unless the pain was so unbearable you shot yourself in the head ...USN must of had it just as hard Even if they made the water landing and got a rubber dingy out Chances they were found in the middle of the pacific was slim to none And even then they could be found by the Japanese and shot or left alone ..As the Japanese code of honor looked down on anyone surrendering on ether side All said and done You need balls of steel to fly a aircraft knowing even with skill There are points of no return and a chance of a failure

[@laudennn]

the risk that comes with flying in a death machine @@moefitzgerald4439

[@Eagles_Eye]

* screams * " IVE GOT AN OIL LEAK.. I CANT... I CANT SEE... AAARRRRRGH " * splash *

[@ther1rida]

That engine sounds like pure sex

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

Thank you

[@sly2392]

wow. close call. well done sir.

[@Terrorist939]

Why not replace that oil filler cap with a more modern design that cannot fail?

[@Warbird-Aviation]

Hello. Thank you for this usefull video!!

[@Wyatt20167]

Tom is a great pilot!

[@radiobikini6429]

Great Vid...............

[@andreiolanescu4682]

Normal war thunder air RB match (cinematic graphics)

[@nopochoclos]

It is marking territory! as my Citroen 2cv!

[@andymckee53]

Hey it's an emergency you can do a 'Harrison Ford' and touch down on the taxiway if you please. :)

[@sagecouncil]

Good work... Cool head and well dealt with..

[@hasanfurkancengiz]

whats that flickering blue light thing on the very left of instrument panel? and what are those yellow sticks on inboard leading edges of the wings?

[@Airracer83]

You're probably referring to the gear unsafe light, which lights up while the gear is in transition or up with the throttle back. The yellow "soldiers" is a mechanical indication of an over-center condition on the landing gear.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

You think that's bad? A guy once checked (we were supposed to) a 727 TWA headed from AUS to IAH and he didn't put on, securely, all 3 caps on the oil. They (jet) declared an emergency when they went in. Two of the motors were bone dry when they landed. That was the last time they let us check the oil level on the jets (they also let us top'm up). They landed and everything was fine...but, talk about some pissed off people. Jeasch. That dumb ass ruined it for all of us who liked to check the oil on the jets.

[@kj4ilk]

so if the plane has two oil tanks is that mean if one goes empty or dry that you can still bring the plane in on the remaining oil tank

[@Airracer83]

kjilk simble Only one oil tank. What made you think there was two?

[@robertcombs55]

Thank God you made it safely...I KNOW the Pucker Factor was HIGH! lol Vietnam Vet USAF 1968-69.

[@turmat01]

that could have ended badly! Glad you could get it down safely! I love my sailplane! No engine, no oil, barely no electronics... not much that can go wrong!

[@DavidFPV360]

Why was it so satisfying to watch him land like this?!

[@Lenoch_]

Awesome, composed recovery

[@alecnewman6052]

cool video man!

[@ntplays8801]

Germany: watch this *oil overheats and engine catches fire.

[@WittyScrewdriver]

I just literally thought that jean Claude van dame was the person in the video. The voice gave it away that it’s not though

[@randalljames1]

and there you have it.. difference between a pilot and a mechanic... mechanic shuts engine down , dead sticks it in.. pilot? flys the thing... hahaha the mechanic part was also worried about oil fire until pilot informed that oil leaks behind the firewall.. nice job sir..

[@blueberry1c2]

"THE OIL TANK'S BEEN HOLED!"

[@KowboyUSA]

Just a little oil bath.

[@Sharrendan]

The engine sounds cool.

[@thomaslemay8817]

This oil cap was designed when nearly every cap was designed the same way, as wear radiator caps and fuel tank caps all similar designs. The problem comes when people make mistakes. So design are changed to prevent people making mistakes. Raising cost. But people still find a way to make mistakes causing more problems causing more expensive designs that people will still make mistakes with. That's how it is and will always be.

[@mememaster42O]

bless you

[@propbraker]

Very lucky that hot oil didn't get on some hot surfaces and catch on fire.