Skydive Arizona is offering a reward to 50 jump tickets to any person/s who can supply information that leads to the arrest of the person/s who were responsible for the vandalism of our aircraft on the evening of the 6th October and or early morning of the 7th October 2012 at Skydive Elsinore.
Please contact Steve Hill (520) 251 0440 or steve(at)skydiveaz.com. Your details will be kept confidential.
We appreciate any assistance in this matter. Thanks Skydive Arizona Management.
What the heck happened to their aircraft that night?
Skydive Arizona is offering a reward to 50 jump tickets to any person/s who can supply information that leads to the arrest of the person/s who were responsible for the vandalism of our aircraft on the evening of the 6th October and or early morning of the 7th October 2012 at Skydive Elsinore.
Please contact Steve Hill (520) 251 0440 or steve(at)skydiveaz.com. Your details will be kept confidential.
We appreciate any assistance in this matter. Thanks Skydive Arizona Management.
What the heck happened to their aircraft that night?
That I know of:
Both fire bottles pulled.
It's suspected that the same person(s) also wrecked a couple gliders. Basically by trying to tear the ailerons off.
Skydive Arizona is offering a reward to 50 jump tickets to any person/s who can supply information that leads to the arrest of the person/s who were responsible for the vandalism of our aircraft on the evening of the 6th October and or early morning of the 7th October 2012 at Skydive Elsinore.
Please contact Steve Hill (520) 251 0440 or steve(at)skydiveaz.com. Your details will be kept confidential.
We appreciate any assistance in this matter. Thanks Skydive Arizona Management.
What the heck happened to their aircraft that night?
That I know of:
Both fire bottles pulled.
It's suspected that the same person(s) also wrecked a couple gliders. Basically by trying to tear the ailerons off.
Skydive Arizona is offering a reward to 50 jump tickets to any person/s who can supply information that leads to the arrest of the person/s who were responsible for the vandalism of our aircraft on the evening of the 6th October and or early morning of the 7th October 2012 at Skydive Elsinore.
Please contact Steve Hill (520) 251 0440 or steve(at)skydiveaz.com. Your details will be kept confidential.
We appreciate any assistance in this matter. Thanks Skydive Arizona Management.
What the heck happened to their aircraft that night?
That I know of:
Both fire bottles pulled.
It's suspected that the same person(s) also wrecked a couple gliders. Basically by trying to tear the ailerons off.
Can someone explain what fire bottles are? Sounds like those portable fire extinguishers, but I'm assuming its not since that would be a simple fix to put the pins back in.... assumption is something to do with the engines?
Can someone explain what fire bottles are? Sounds like those portable fire extinguishers, but I'm assuming its not since that would be a simple fix to put the pins back in.... assumption is something to do with the engines?
It's essentailly a fire extinguisher that's built into the aircraft. It's there to give the pilot a chance the put out an engine fire in-flight. There are two handles in the cockpit, one for each side, that trigger the system. These handles are wired in place with a breakable wire that is there to prevent an 'accidental' pulling of the handle, but with purpose, you can break the wire. Pulling them releases the fire suppresant into the engine compartment.
Re-setting these is not an easy or cheap job, not to mention cleaning up the mess made by releasing the fire suppresant into an otherwise clean and functional engine compartment.
When I saw this thread, I was thinking about some stickers, or maybe even some kid 'tagged' the plane with spray paint. This is another story, and involves entering the aircraft, and making a deliberate effort to pull those handles. This act is a crime, including costly property damage, and I'm not surprised they're offering a reward to catch this guy.
(This post was edited by davelepka on Oct 12, 2012, 5:25 AM)
but seriously though thats fucked up. If you don't catch her then I am sure they will get what is coming to them sooner or later leading a life like that
from what i understand they also reached under the dash and ripped out a bunch of wires. It wouldnt even power up. they had to bring in another otter from Perris because of this. i Guess a bunch of local Wuffos crashed the party. they also shattered the glass on one of the vending machines. they hired security but they did the worst job ever. i have trouble believing that a skydiver did this. you just do shit where u eat. it totally sucks, that otter was the nicest cleanest otter i had ever seen and it was super fast, way faster that elsinores 2 otters. Its just sad that someone would do this. i hope they find them, tampering with a aircraft in this manner is a federal offense!
i have trouble believing that a skydiver did this.
It had to have been someone who knew a thing or two about airplanes, though. Your average whuffo isn't going to know what a fire bottle is, or that pulling them will create a mess.
i have trouble believing that a skydiver did this.
It had to have been someone who knew a thing or two about airplanes, though. Your average whuffo isn't going to know what a fire bottle is, or that pulling them will create a mess.
Unless some asshat decided the play around and pull all the levers/switches.
i have trouble believing that a skydiver did this.
It had to have been someone who knew a thing or two about airplanes, though. Your average whuffo isn't going to know what a fire bottle is, or that pulling them will create a mess.
Unless some asshat decided the play around and pull all the levers/switches.
Fire bottles are usually wired directly to the battery in some way, meaning that the squibs can be electrified with no other aircraft power turned on.
I hope they catch the responsible party, why anyone would mess with an aircraft is beyond me.
It's essentailly a fire extinguisher that's built into the aircraft... Pulling them releases the fire suppresant into the engine compartment.
Is that CO2 gas, or that powder stuff? And what's involved in cleaning up the mess - do you have to take the engine apart?
It varies from installation to installation. I believe when had halogenated hydrocarbon in our King Air, but I'm not absolutely sure.
Pulling the fire bottles without the engine turning will introduce chemicals in the intake in most Pratt installations (intake is at the back of the engine, inside the cowling) but not with most Garretts as they intake in the front.
Either way, the inspection/cleanup process along with replacing squibs and recharging or replacing bottles is a nightmare.
It's almost as bad as when a hangar fire suppresion system lets go for no reason.
Fire bottles are usually wired directly to the battery in some way, meaning that the squibs can be electrified with no other aircraft power turned on.
In a Twin Otter the Fire Extinguishers are connected to the respective L & R DC Busses, which means that aircraft power had to of been turn on.
Who ever did this knew Twin Otters and knew how to turn the power on. You need to flip two switches in order to turn power on and both swicthes are the "Pull and Select" type and both are not in a conspicuous location. They're above the pilot's windshield.
As far as expensive, YES, $2k to $5k per bottle,depending on where you get them from. Plus the Yellow Blow Out Diskes need to be replaced. As for replacing them, NO, it takes about 15 minutes per bottle. And clean up is nothing, the bottles are filled with Halon.
Fire bottles are usually wired directly to the battery in some way, meaning that the squibs can be electrified with no other aircraft power turned on.
In a Twin Otter the Fire Extinguishers are connected to the respective L & R DC Busses, which means that aircraft power had to of been turn on.
Who ever did this knew Twin Otters and knew how to turn the power on. You need to flip two switches in order to turn power on and both swicthes are the "Pull and Select" type and both are not in a conspicuous location. They're above the pilot's windshield.
As far as expensive, YES, $2k to $5k per bottle,depending on where you get them from. Plus the Yellow Blow Out Diskes need to be replaced. As for replacing them, NO, it takes about 15 minutes per bottle. And clean up is nothing, the bottles are filled with Halon.
I can't believe they aren't hot wired. It must not have been required during their certification, but I have yet to fly an airplane that doesn't have ECS/Bleeds, fuel shutoff valves, and fire extinguishers hot wired or even better yet isolatable mechanically.
