Rob Bach sent a report on the Swamp Thing, not so much a Phoenix but a Creature From the Very Dark Brown Lagoon.
The Swamp Piet is owned by Dan Luke. We bestowed upon him an honorary seaplane rating when he ditched the Piet into a swamp after an engine failure.
Turns out, a smaller than safe fuel line, a hot day, a 23 gallon fuel tank 1/3rd full, and partially clogged fuel vents lead to an idling engine at 350 feet after take-off. Being a logical fellow, Dan leveled the wings, punched the nose down and found the only place to put a Piet within gliding distance: the Swamp.
After a masterful job of energy management, the Piet came to rest right side up in chest-high muck. Landing gear, struts, prop, and airbox were bent beyond repair. The instrument panel and windshield in the rear cockpit suffered from a collision with Dan's face. Dan's nose was actually broken straight in the process.
Over the next few days, we acquired a helicopter and lifted the remains clear of the mud, cleaned and dis assembled the airplane and took it to my shop where I found the following:
All the metal on the airplane was bent or broken. ONE piece of wood (the seat support) was cracked. The rest absorbed the impact undamaged.
Both vents to the large fuel tank were restricted by air-impacted dust and dirt.
Now, during the rebuild, I've removed 35 lbs of extraneous items from the airframe, replaced the landing gear and struts, cowling, sheet metal, prop, air box, seat, windshields, and fuselage fabric. I've replaced the trim tab system with a cockpit-adjustable spring on the elevator bell crank and added a baggage compartment aft of the rear cockpit. This design change was inspired by the fact that Dan stood up on the stringers in order to get his bearings and dive into the swamp water, breaking them in the process.
Here's a note for anyone interested in transporting a Piet by helicopter: Calculate an empty weight and balance (add 20 lbs of mud forward of the firewall if applicable) and attach a bridle near the new CG. She'll fly nicely below the helo (and make a very cool sucking sound breaking the surface tension of the goo).
I should have Swamp Thing done for Blakesburg this year, Dan should be better looking, and the Piet itself will fly nicer.
There are easier ways to get a landing zone named after you than marking it with several varieties of your bodily fluids. Tomorrow, I'll go fly over the Luke Nearly-Memorial Airfield and drop a few flowers in his honor.
