kentsantabarbara
KentSantaBarbara
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2015
- Messages
- 143
- Reaction score
- 55
With the willingness to share so that this, hopefully, won't happen to someone else, I'll tell my story.
A few weeks ago I pulled up to the fuel pit and shut down, nose into the wind. The wind was 10-15 gusting 15-20. These wind speeds are not usually a problem, and the gusty-ness usually just rocks the wings. I shut down the Cub, chocked the wheels, and tied the control stick back to neutral elevator with the seat belt. I attached the grounding strap, got the ladder to fill the 8 gallon wing tank, and pulled over the fuel nozzle and hose. I climbed the ladder, removed the gas cap and put it on the top ladder step. Just as I am about to pull the nozzle lever an extreme rogue gust of wind hits (40+), the Cub starts flying, elevating upward, I'm on the top of the ladder, I jump and land on the center of the green house, but no effect to stop the Cub from elevating, the Cub and I land in a tail low three point, the Cub is now rolling backward at a good rate, I jump down and run after the Cub, grab the strut and throw myself in as the Cub is rolling quickly backward towards an old hangar about 50 yards behind the Cub, I jump and twirl into the rear seat hit the brakes, undo seat belt, and grab the stick, just feet before the Cub and old hangar meet. I sat there for a while flying the Cub as the gust subsided. I had to wait a few minutes to calm down and be sure the gusting was complete before getting out of the Cub. The chocks, ladder, the fuel hose and grounding wire were exactly where the Cub was before the gust. A fellow flyer taxied up and asked if that gust affected me. I pointed to the chocks and ladder about 100 feet in front of the Cub. He tied down his plane near by and then came and helped me with the Cub. Scary stuff. The Cub and I were lucky. No damage other than my underwear.
A few weeks ago I pulled up to the fuel pit and shut down, nose into the wind. The wind was 10-15 gusting 15-20. These wind speeds are not usually a problem, and the gusty-ness usually just rocks the wings. I shut down the Cub, chocked the wheels, and tied the control stick back to neutral elevator with the seat belt. I attached the grounding strap, got the ladder to fill the 8 gallon wing tank, and pulled over the fuel nozzle and hose. I climbed the ladder, removed the gas cap and put it on the top ladder step. Just as I am about to pull the nozzle lever an extreme rogue gust of wind hits (40+), the Cub starts flying, elevating upward, I'm on the top of the ladder, I jump and land on the center of the green house, but no effect to stop the Cub from elevating, the Cub and I land in a tail low three point, the Cub is now rolling backward at a good rate, I jump down and run after the Cub, grab the strut and throw myself in as the Cub is rolling quickly backward towards an old hangar about 50 yards behind the Cub, I jump and twirl into the rear seat hit the brakes, undo seat belt, and grab the stick, just feet before the Cub and old hangar meet. I sat there for a while flying the Cub as the gust subsided. I had to wait a few minutes to calm down and be sure the gusting was complete before getting out of the Cub. The chocks, ladder, the fuel hose and grounding wire were exactly where the Cub was before the gust. A fellow flyer taxied up and asked if that gust affected me. I pointed to the chocks and ladder about 100 feet in front of the Cub. He tied down his plane near by and then came and helped me with the Cub. Scary stuff. The Cub and I were lucky. No damage other than my underwear.
