Check6
Well Known Member
Was having a discussion today with a guy who is putting in a new panel and smoke system. In the interest of safety let him know about using an inertia switch with his smoke system. You can pick one up online or at the local auto parts store. The inertia switch has to be mounted in a forward direction, best placed in an accessible place just in case you ever have to reset it. I ops check mine every year during my CI. It is the same device found in automobiles that cuts off fuel in your car. The purpose having it here is that if you are flying with smoke oil and for some reason you are hit or have an emergency landing and hit hard the smoke oil pump will not keep pumping smoke oil into the engine and crew compartments. Several years ago a young woman died of injuries sustained due to burns from smoke oil being pumped into the plane after a hard landing. Now we all know we put most of things like parachutes, canopy pull pins, helmets, etc in our planes in hope we will never have to use them. I just wanted to add this to your list if you fly an RV with a smoke system. And yes I know if the tank is cracked or broken on a hard landing you still may have smoke oil in the compartments, but at least it is not being pumped in.