Flight Control Failures

Mike the Strike wrote:
With the exception of incorrect assembly, I have to believe that
asymmetric control failure or jamming must be an extremely rare cause
of landing accidents compared to the more common reasons we all know.

Any actual data or good anecdotes?

I did have the spoilers on a Libelle freeze shut in flight until shortly
before landing, and had a pushrod fail between the front and rear rudder
pedals on a Blanik L13 (we landed before it did any mischief). Dave
Noyes had a serious accident when a bolt in the elevator circuit of his
new DG 800 fell out.


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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

A story related to me from the east coast site where I once flew but after I
left there.

A 1-26 pilot wrecked the glider and had major injuries. He rebuilt it then
recovered it. They did a very thorough preflight as is required after doing
that type of thing. Only problem is that they confirmed the ailerons were
connected but didn't notice that they worked opposite of what they should
have. Pilot took off and released soon thereafter again wrecking the
glider. Pilot (different person) was uninjured. Cables were "crossed".

Casey Lenox
KC
Phoenix

Kilo Charlie wrote:

A story related to me from the east coast site where I once flew but after I
left there.

A 1-26 pilot wrecked the glider and had major injuries. He rebuilt it then
recovered it. They did a very thorough preflight as is required after doing
that type of thing. Only problem is that they confirmed the ailerons were
connected but didn't notice that they worked opposite of what they should
have. Pilot took off and released soon thereafter again wrecking the
glider. Pilot (different person) was uninjured. Cables were "crossed".

I know at least one Blanik and one Libelle have suffered reversed rudder
after maintenance, but I'd say that comes under "incorrect assembly"
(and poor pre-flight) rather than an in-flight failure.


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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

I always use the "thumbs up" method when doing my PCC. Grab the stick
with thumb sticking up. The thumb should point to the upward going
aileron.



I usually verbally call out to the helper "Left aileron up." etc.



Larry





"Kilo Charlie" NOSPAMkilocharlie.cox.net wrote in message
news:Tyl%e.14547$GQ4.11790@fed1read05:

A story related to me from the east coast site where I once flew but after I
left there.

A 1-26 pilot wrecked the glider and had major injuries. He rebuilt it then
recovered it. They did a very thorough preflight as is required after doing
that type of thing. Only problem is that they confirmed the ailerons were
connected but didn't notice that they worked opposite of what they should
have. Pilot took off and released soon thereafter again wrecking the
glider. Pilot (different person) was uninjured. Cables were "crossed".

Casey Lenox
KC
Phoenix

Aileron cables in a 1-26, that IS a good story.


Kilo Charlie wrote:

A 1-26 pilot wrecked the glider... Only problem is that they confirmed the ailerons were connected but didn't notice that they worked opposite of what they should have... Cables were "crossed".

"jphoenix" wrote in message
oups.com...
Aileron cables in a 1-26, that IS a good story.


Kilo Charlie wrote:

A 1-26 pilot wrecked the glider... Only problem is that they confirmed
the ailerons were connected but didn't notice that they worked opposite
of what they should have... Cables were "crossed".


As I recall the story, the elevator cables were misconnected. A proper PCC
would have caught it.

As an 18 year old, I washed and waxed a J-3 for 2 hours
of instruction. After takeoff and turnout to the
left I discovered that the stick would not move to
the right. After landing, the instructor and I poked
around below the floorboards and found the cap to the
can of Johnson's wax jammed in the controls. We had
cycled the stick all around before takeoff, so it worked
its way into the jamming position somewhere between
the initial roll and the first turn.

At 01:30 01 October 2005, Kilo Charlie wrote:
A story related to me from the east coast site where
I once flew but after I
left there.

A 1-26 pilot wrecked the glider and had major injuries.
He rebuilt it then
recovered it. They did a very thorough preflight as
is required after doing
that type of thing. Only problem is that they confirmed
the ailerons were
connected but didn't notice that they worked opposite
of what they should
have. Pilot took off and released soon thereafter
again wrecking the
glider. Pilot (different person) was uninjured. Cables
were 'crossed'.

Casey Lenox
KC
Phoenix

Hello,

a clubmate landed his ASH-25 with one of the center flaperons
disconnected and hanging in the full down position. The ASH has three
control surfaces on each wing. His reaction was that the glider had a
great rolling tendancy and needed full opposite aileron and rudder to
keep straight. It was only on final that his rear passenger noted one
flaperon hanging down, so the pilot selected some positive flaps and he
made a good landing.

I also know of a Standard Libelle pilot who suffered aileron flutter
due to some loose connection. Spectators said it was a very nasty
sight, but the landing was fairly ok.

In article .com, Mike
the Strike writes
Following the thread on landing with one spoiler, I wonder what
proportion of landing accidents result from mechanical failure or
jamming of primary flight controls and spoilers/dive brakes. I
personally know of a couple of failures - one spoiler handle sheared
off as the pilot did his pre-landing checks and he landed safely
off-field and another had a pencil jam in controls, limiting control
movement, but again landed safely.

With the exception of incorrect assembly, I have to believe that
asymmetric control failure or jamming must be an extremely rare cause
of landing accidents compared to the more common reasons we all know.

Any actual data or good anecdotes?

About 35 years ago a well known pilot was killed when one of the flying
controls, I think the elevator, was jammed by a spanner (wrench) which
had been lodged in the glider since it was built.
It seems the aero's he was doing freed this FB, which was later
identified as being "of Eastern European origin". It had a "witness
mark" on it which helped the investigators determine what had happened.
I think the a/c was either a Bocian or a Blanik.

The victim was a former RAF warrant officer who was my CFI at RAF
Andover in 1948. His name was Andy Goff.
--
Mike Lindsay

In article , Mike Lindsay
writes
In article .com, Mike
the Strike writes
Following the thread on landingFB, which was later
identified as being "of Eastern European origin". It had a "witness
mark" on it which helped the investigators determine what had happened.
I think the a/c was either a Bocian or a Blanik.

The victim was a former RAF warrant officer who was my CFI at RAF
Andover in 1948. His name was Andy Goff.

Apologies. Of course it was Gough not Goff. And it was 1958, not 48.
Gough.

Old age strikes again.
--
Mike Lindsay