# 107. The Seat Sled Incident

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/i-learned-about-flying-from-that-1370892/107-the-seat-sled-incident
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/i-learned-about-flying-from-that-1370892/107-the-seat-sled-incident.md
Podcast: [I Learned About Flying From That](https://stenobird.com/podcast/i-learned-about-flying-from-that-1370892)
Published: 2025-06-11T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/FREIGHT3245760910.mp3?updated=1749477171
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/FREIGHT3245760910.mp3?updated=1749477171
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/i-learned-about-flying-from-that-1370892/episodes/107-the-seat-sled-incident
Duration seconds: 1851

## Resource

In this episode of Flying Magazine's I learned about flying from that podcast, host Rob Reider speaks with Tom Bevard about a terrifying in-flight incident in his Cessna 140, which had been modified with Cessna 150 seats. Tom recounts how his adjustable pilot's seat, despite a pre-flight check, slid to the full aft position during takeoff just as he was about to rotate, causing the aircraft to shoot up at a high angle of attack and low speed, rapidly approaching a stall. Fortunately, his vernier throttle remained at full power. With the seat all the way back, Tom could no longer reach the rudder pedals, a critical issue, especially in a taildragger. Rather than attempting a ground loop with limited control due to a slight crosswind, he made the quick decision to continue the flight, get to a safe altitude, and then unbuckle, slide over, and re-buckle his seatbelt in the co-pilot's side. Being comfortable flying from the right seat, he was able to safely land the plane. This near-disastrous routine flight underscored the importance of a very good and thorough pre-flight inspection, particularly checking the seat by moving it front-to-back, side-to-side, and up-and-down to ensure the clips are properly over the rail's lip; conducting a solo local flight after any maintenance work before taking passengers or going cross-country; being proficient at flying from both seats (left, right, or tandem) as a crucial skill set in unexpected situations; and understanding Airworthiness Directives (ADs) related to seat rails, given the potential for catastrophic results if seats fail at critical phases of flight.

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## Transcript

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