Thread: Skymaster down!
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Unread 04-13-09, 10:45 AM
edasmus edasmus is offline
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Ernie,

I think your procedure to recover from an asymmetric flap configuration sounds logical. The only other thing I could mention would be an aggressive application of maximum power and a lowering of the nose to increase airspeed rapidly. With the sudden retraction of flaps on one side, the possibility of that wing being at or near stall would be likely which would increase the roll rate in that direction. Any increase in airspeed would at least slow the roll in the direction of the failed side assuming the yoke was turned fully in the opposite direction.

You may recall the famous crash of American 191 in 1979 with the erie photo in the Chicago Tribune just before the DC10 impacted the ground with the aircraft in excess of a 90 degree bank after an engine departed a wing on take off. It is my understanding that when the engine departed the wing it took hydraulic lines with it causing the leading edge flaps (slats) to retract obviously causing an aerodynamic imbalance. The initial rolling motion that followed was corrected by the flight crew as the airspeed was approximately 20 knots past V2. If my memory serves, the crew recognizing they had an "engine failure" followed procedure and allowed the aircraft to slow slightly to V2 which was the speed they were to fly in the event of loss of power on an engine. This slowing caused the one wing to stall and the unrecoverable roll followed. When the NTSB put flight crews in the simulator replicating the event, they were instructed to maintain the V2 plus 20 airspeed and every crew flew away to a successful outcome.
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