By Donald R. Maxion. 1998
Our crew had completed a day of tests on a B-36. We had completed all the decent from altitude tests and inspections and were preparing to enter the landing pattern at Lindbergh Field in San Diego. We set the power, dropped the flaps and selected the down position for the main landing gear. The nose gear and the right hand landing gear extended and locked but the left hand landing gear remained in the up and locked stowed position. Tried again to recycle the gear but no help. Pilot departed from the approach and we discussed what was to be accomplished next. Recycling the gear did not help. The left main landing gear was locked in the up position and the landing gear door (canoe door) was also up and locked.
I was elected to go out into the wing to see if l could get the gear down.
When we would go into the wing or bomb bay structure during flight we wouldn’t wear a chute or rope harness. That would really make the effort dangerous.
Another flight engineer, Dave Dixon, was to accompany me. His function was to stay in communication with the pilot and advise him of what I was doing. I climbed from the fuselage through a zippered opening into the wheel well above the landing gear. It was locked up just like the indication lights said. I climbed up on the rear spar of the wing using some studs that projected out of the spar. I climbed onto a very small platform (about 10 inches by 4 feet) and was able to lay down on it.
Connected to the platform was a ratchet wrench and cable assembly attached to a hook. We would use this emergency system to demonstrate that the gear could be manually lowered and I had done that before. You had to ensure that the wrench and cable assembly disconnected from the unlock mechanism in event that the spring loaded hook assembly did not disconnect from the landing gear once the unlock assembly was actuated. You would accomplish this by grabbing the hook and lifting it off as soon as the up lock disengaged.
First thing that happens is the canoe door blasts open and then the gear drops.
While all this was going on I hung my legs over the fuselage access door and Dave grabbed them and helped me get back into the aircraft. This is a rather hairy operation. Unfortunately even though the gear extended it would not lock in the down position. The pilot (John Kennable) rocked the aircraft side to side in an attempt to lock down the gear. No help.
Dave Dixon went to the emergency gear box and obtained a four foot crow bar which I then carried back out into the wing and up to the small platform on the rear spar. Below me at that time was the earth and the landing gear rocking back and forth. Found out that I could not reach the lock with the crow bar. There was lots of wind and noise around the rear spar of the wing. Gave hand signals to Dave indicating that I would attempt to hang from the overhead gear structure by my knees and that the pilot should rock the aircraft back and forth. My plan was to strike the down lock with the crow bar every time the gear was close to the down and locked position. The crow bar started to weigh a ton. After four or five swings with the crow bar the pilot received the down and locked indication.
Unfortunately I took one more blow at the down lock and creamed the down lock switch so the red light came on again. I managed to get back up on the rear spar platform and inched my way back down the spar. Dave caught my legs and helped me get back into the fuselage. I got on the phone and told the pilot that the gear was down and locked but that l had creamed the down lock switch.
We proceeded to land without further difficulty. I loved every minute of it.
Dave Dixon at the flight
engineer's panel in a PBM Martin Mariner.
Dave while classified as an Atlas launch
vehicle engineer with Convair.
Dave Dixon was a Flight Engineer while in the Navy during WW2. He flew on the PBY Catalina, PBM and Coronada Seaplanes. His flying experience included ferry, and search & rescue over the China & Japan Seas. He held a number of licenses including an FAA Commercial Pilots License. Dave was employed by Consolidated Vultee, later Convair, as an Airframe & Powerplant mechanic after leaving the Service. He also flew on the Convair Beechcraft executive aircraft as the copilot.
Dave was one of the first to be assigned as a Test Flight Engineer for the B-36 Flight Test Program. He also flew on the Convair 240, 340 & 440 aircraft, including their military counterparts. Dave is currently living in La Jolla California and is 77 years old.