[article] EasyJet Test Flight In Near Nosedive Disaster

Tabnabs

Two EasyJet pilots struggled to bring their plane out of a rapid nosedive during a test flight over Norwich, an accident report has revealed.

In what was described by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) as a "serious incident", a pilot misunderstanding led to near disaster.

At one point the Boeing 737, on a test flight, was descending at a rate of 21,000 feet per minute with the nose 30 degrees down, the AAIB report said.

There was "confusion between the two pilots" with the 43-year-old captain incorrectly believing that hydraulic power - which was switched off for the test - had been restored to the flight controls.

The captain rolled the aircraft left at more than 90 degrees to try to stabilise it and made an emergency call to air traffic controllers before the plane eventually recovered from the dive at about 5,600ft.

Following the January 12 incident, the pilots abandoned their test and customer demonstration flight and took the plane safely back to Southend.

The report said the plane was at the end of its lease and had just undergone maintenance before being handed on to another operator.

In December 2008, the test flight captain had flown the plane to Southend and noted that the "amount of manual stabiliser trim wheel adjustment" required to balance the aircraft in level flight was only just within the approved maintenance manual limits.

After the December 2008 flight the captain had verbally requested that this matter be looked at but did not to enter it in the tech log.

As no written instructions were left, the small, moveable balance tabs on the tail of the aircraft were later moved in the wrong direction - a change which led to the "pitch-down incident" in the January flight.

The AAIB said easyJet suspended further check flights until it had carried out a review of maintenance procedures, check-pilot procedures and flight-check procedures.

An AAIB spokesman said there were two passengers on board but they were only designated as such as they were not part of the aircraft's flight crew.

He added: "However, they were on board in their professional capacity and were not fare-paying members of the public."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090304/tuk-easyjet-test-flight-in-near-nosedive-45dbed5.html

highlydebased

As usual, press overhyping something to a rediculous level

FlutterinBantam

Why do you say that, as a matter of interest.?

(Ridiculous)

N2

Was just thinkin the same! 30 degree nosedown and 21,000fpm in a 73,an unusual attitude is considered above 10 degree. Lads did well to get it back!

Cessna_Pilot

I have seen this report and the ROD did peak at 21000fpm at 440kts, recovering at 5600 feet having decended from 15000ft. So not much hype involved from the Media on this one, just wait till Sky get there hands on it though:rolleyes:

ch252

Customer Demonstration eh...Wonder did they purchase?:D

Mr Benevolent

Morons. Demonstrating emergency procedures without briefing it first. Leave that sort of flying to the test pilots. No 'customer demonstration' flight should ever include that sort of crap.

As an aside, how the hell did they lose control? The 737's flight controls are hydraulically boosted, not hydraulic only.

highlydebased

Confab wrote: »

Morons. Demonstrating emergency procedures without briefing it first. Leave that sort of flying to the test pilots. No 'customer demonstration' flight should ever include that sort of crap.

As an aside, how the hell did they lose control? The 737's flight controls are hydraulically boosted, not hydraulic only.

Something called manual reversion (cant remember exact name) or something...carried out as part of that particular flight test, basically where hydraulics to flight controls is switched off and the crew manually tests the integrity of the controls, obviously they are much MUCH heavier with no hyd!

yaeger

O this aint right....

15000 > 5600 =9400feet lost at given 21000fpm ...say 10500feet in 30 sec, so approximately for 9400feet lost it took 25 seconds or so, and 440kts.....
Aircraft would have broken up.

21000FPM is impossible, Aircraft would have broke up well before that.

More like a four minute struggle at ROD 2100fpm down to 5600 feet, with nose touching 30 degrees down at one point, and well into the clacker at 440kts, possible structural damage and stressing and lucky they recovered when then did. Over norwich or close to southend would suggest they would have been testing over the north sea but maybe right over town of norwich but i doubt it.

Doesnt seem like it went into manual reversion, Range on trim wheel was suspected JUST in limits so this would have caused serious control issues if not adressed and as such left them with a struggle.....

:eek: Blue up brown down

Mr Benevolent

21000 fpm is possible at 30 degrees nose down. Yes, they'd be into the clacker, but I don't believe for a second that the aircraft would have broken up or was even close to it. That's only 0.7 - 0.8 Mach at low altitudes. The 72, 73 and 74 have all broken Mach 1 on different occasions (unusual attitudes etc) and haven't broken up.

One thing - wouldn't turning off both hyd systems disable the stab trim? Maybe the STBY RUDDER system keeps powering it, I'm not sure.

andy_g

yeah neon your right it is manual reversion also it is possible with that much nose down att to reach 440kts it would be on the clacker as stated in other posts and very close to speeds used to test on the flutter test

FlutterinBantam

ROD 21000pm would certainly have the Flutther fluttering and clacking and..... we won't go there.:eek:

*Kol*

Iwould say the captain got caught off guard when the hydraulics were selected to off and the aircraft pitched nose down before he knew what was happening. It takes a lot of effort to hold the control column initially to bring the aircraft level. Somebody other than the PIC should switch off the hydraulics so that the pilot can prevent exactly what happened there. Also the manual reversion test should be performed at FL 350 not FL 150.

yaeger

Confab.....I stand corrected regards 21000fpm, but 100kts past VMO is close to structural stressing and possible loss of flappy bits especially if getting into dodgy dives and recoveries which no doubt pulled a few G.
Remember the air china 747 getting into unusual attitudes and nose dives, they lost some trailing edge devices and some paint work also.
All in all well recovered on all accounts...
Whats it they say... Experience is something you get just after you needed it. I believe the aircraft has been given the once over and is on its merry way to new customer, LOL one careful owner and carefully flown and only once gone supersonic on a track day but not proven :-)

N2

Confab wrote: »

Morons. Demonstrating emergency procedures without briefing it first. Leave that sort of flying to the test pilots. No 'customer demonstration' flight should ever include that sort of crap.

As an aside, how the hell did they lose control? The 737's flight controls are hydraulically boosted, not hydraulic only.

19 years flying and there's one thing I have learned and that's any one who flys has the ability to be tomorrows "moron"! Your only as good as your last landing.

FlutterinBantam

"Near Nosedive Disaster"

WTF what the fook is a near nosedive?

Nosedive-Disaster..aaah now we are getting some sense.

Aaah Near Nosedive-Disaster.

I have your drift there buddy.

Sorry it took me so long.