Kee Bird recovery, a curious queston

Cubs · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:04 am

A while back , the attempted recovery of "Kee Bird" was on TV. I am curious as to why they bothered with jacking the airplane and going through with a gear cycle. If the reason was mentioned , I missed it. The poor mechanic literally worked himself to death. Why bother with gettting the gear to retract? Is the gear down flying speed (Vle) to slow to make a ferry flight practical? Rate of climb for that particular situation to low with the gear down?

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:05 am

they did not cycle the gear, Kee Bird had been belly landed, and it was jacked up to extend the gear. The mechanic did not work himself to death, he was injured during a landing and refused treatment,thinking if was a minor deal, when his condition got worse and when they got him out, it was too late.

APG85 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:23 am

Matt Gunsch wrote:

they did not cycle the gear, Kee Bird had been belly landed, and it was jacked up to extend the gear. The mechanic did not work himself to death, he was injured during a landing and refused treatment,thinking if was a minor deal, when his condition got worse and when they got him out, it was too late.

They did cycle the gear...several times in fact. I've never read anything to suggest that Rick Kriege (sp?) hurt himself in a landing. Do you have more info on that?

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:44 am

APG85 wrote:

Matt Gunsch wrote:

they did not cycle the gear, Kee Bird had been belly landed, and it was jacked up to extend the gear. The mechanic did not work himself to death, he was injured during a landing and refused treatment,thinking if was a minor deal, when his condition got worse and when they got him out, it was too late.

They did cycle the gear...several times in fact. I've never read anything to suggest that Rick Kriege (sp?) hurt himself in a landing. Do you have more info on that?

I got that from someone that was very close to the group. I trust thier word over the nova story. I have home video from the some of those that were there.

B-29 Super Fort · **Joined:** Wed Sep 01, 2004 11:12 am **Posts:** 871

Matt Gunsch wrote:

they did not cycle the gear, Kee Bird had been belly landed, and it was jacked up to extend the gear. The mechanic did not work himself to death, he was injured during a landing and refused treatment,thinking if was a minor deal, when his condition got worse and when they got him out, it was too late.

Was it Greenamyer's plan to fly out Kee Bird and not retract the landing gear?

APG85 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:06 pm

The NOVA documentary shows the main gear being cycled numerous times. I don't know if they were going to fly gear down to Tule...

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:26 pm

B-29 Super Fort wrote:

Matt Gunsch wrote:

they did not cycle the gear, Kee Bird had been belly landed, and it was jacked up to extend the gear. The mechanic did not work himself to death, he was injured during a landing and refused treatment,thinking if was a minor deal, when his condition got worse and when they got him out, it was too late.

Was it Greenamyer's plan to fly out Kee Bird and not retract the landing gear?

I don't know if that was his plan.

oscardeuce · **Joined:** Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:34 am **Posts:** 1021

What I remember of the documentary the mech got some kind of kidney infection which lead to his death due to delay in treatment. A very talented man left us. His physical exertion, and the poor environment probably lead to his immune system being a bit less than perfect. Add everything up and you get a bad outcome.

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:59 pm

Matt's correct.
It was an injury that eventually lead to Rick's unfortunate death.
NOVA just glossed it over.
Jerry

stumac · **Joined:** Tue Nov 23, 2004 11:19 pm **Posts:** 185

Apperntly when they were landing the Caribou in the mud he was cruched by one the jacks that were moving around.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 10:46 pm

Jerry O'Neill wrote:

Matt's correct.
It was an injury that eventually lead to Rick's unfortunate death.
NOVA just glossed it over.
Jerry

Wow! I never heard this before. It was very sad that he lost his life.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:03 pm

Wasn't there a part where the tire(?) came of the rims and he got them
back on and inflated them with propane. He clearly was a problem solver :!:

maxum96 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:41 am

Jack Cook wrote:

Wasn't there a part where the tire(?) came of the rims and he got them
back on and inflated them with propane. He clearly was a problem solver :!:

Yeah, that was the Caribou. Just imagine, it could have added a new definition to the term "blowout" if it had exploded when they landed!

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11332

Ether works too I believe. This is an old timers trick and is relatively safe I am told, although I have never tried it!

JBrawner · **Posted:** Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:42 am

ive tried the ether one before to get a bigger tire to seat and then quickly start to inflate it with air. works very well ... but its the lighting of the ether thats sucks... controled explosion lol. stupid mud/all terrain tires.

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Kee Bird recovery, a curious queston

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