Superb book on the 737 Uncommanded Rudder Accidents

[Centaurus]

A book called "Flight 427 - Anatomy of an Air Disaster has just arrived on the book shelves in Australia. It deals with the saga of the 737 uncommanded rudder and apparent rudder reversals that may have been the cause of several 737 accidents and incidents. The author is Gerry Byrne, and I must say it is absolutely rivetting reading. 289 pages. $27.50 US. Copernicus Books.

It is not the usual journalistic drama stuff that you read in the media, but a fascinating account of the accident investigation teams and the politics involved. I simply could not put it down.

In my view it is vital reading for all 737 Classic and NG crews -especially the chapter on simulator training for the event.

[LEM]

Yeahh.... I've downloaded from the NTSB some time ago all the accidents/incidents of the 737, and I couldn't believe so many troubles that airplane has with the rudder.

If it was French made, uncle Sam would have grounded that machine long ago.

But of course, we don't give a s##t about dozens of deaths, when it comes to money!


:} money!:} money!:} money!:} money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eng1170]

I remember reading an article a while back in a magazine that Boeing are looking/evaluating a whole new rudder design that would be fitted to new builds and retrofitted to existing aircraft!!

Yes there is far more to this than meets the eye.

I won't say who I work for but our technical dept are already looking into the work that will be reqd to retrofit the 737 fleet !!

Do you have a note of the author/title or ISBN number of the book? As a 737 engineer I would love to get hold of a copy when released in the UK

[LEM]

I have found it after a couple of clicks on Amazon:ok:

[Lu Zuckerman]

To: LEM

But of course, we don't give a s##t about dozens of deaths, when it comes to money!

This is the operational philosophy of the FAA. When an airliner crashes the FAA will run a cost benefit analysis. They will compute how much the lives of a full load of passengers are worth factored against the cost of a fleet wide modification for that type of aircraft. If the cost of human lives is worth less than the cost of modification the modification will not be made. The US Department of Commerce runs a yearly calculation regarding the cost of a single human life factoring in earning potential, cost of living and several other factors and the FAA uses this figure in their Cost Benefit calculations. Several years ago this figure was $1,500,000. It may be more now.

:sad:

[Centaurus]

ENG1170. Flight 427 - Anatomy of an Air Disaster.
ISBN 0-387-95256-X.

[Iron City]

Lu Z: The value of a human life calculation was done away with years ago because so many people could not or would not understand it or use it as it was intended. It bacame a lightening rod for people with agendas and so waas dropped after the FAA declined to require all children to be strapped into certified child safety seats in commercial airliners.

[used2flyboeing]

yes - that was also the time the FAA decline to make an issue about pregnant women flying during sunspot cycles - Its like getting a chest X-RAY ..

As far as the 737 rudder - why do you think it is being called a "rudder enhancement " ? I have heard there is a totally new 737 rudder retrofit on the drawing boards at Boeing - anybody heard that ?

[wsherif1]

use2flyboeing,

Yes, there have been rudder modifications already installed on the 737, and there have been a number of incidents with the modified rudder!

Let Mr. Rayfield, the final controller handling United 585, tell you what actually happened by his sworn statements, in the ATC Chairman's Factual Report, (which was never included in the NTSB's final report!!!) Mr. Rayfield stated that United 585 pitched over into a vertical dive, it never rolled, it went straight in!!!

Jim Hall, the NTSB Chairman at the time, said that the B727's wake turbulence never affected USAir 427, ignoring completely the thumps and the clicks of the stabilizer trim wheels, recorded on the CVR, as they reacted to the wind shear in the B727's wake turbulence!

The USAir 427 Medical Exaiminer stated that both pilots' left legs were fully extended at ground impact and both left rudder pedals were completely sheared off their supporting structure. The aircraft impacted the ground in a steep left bank!!!

[Check 6]

I just finished reading the book on Sunday. Excellent!

:ok:

[Check 6]

Yes, Boeing put their "spin doctors" to work on overtime. The "fat man" theory was very inventive. Boeing also tried their hardest to prove "pilot error."



:rolleyes:

[Port Strobe]

I read the 1st part of this book today and I'm finding it very interesting. I'd like to know if anyone could point me in the direction of a diagram of the 737 PCU which would help greatly with my understanding of the problem, not that I'm lost, I just think it would help. Thanks.

[Check 6]

Article with PCU diagram (http://www.pulitzer.org/year/1997/beat-reporting/works/737-2/)

It took 10 seconds using google.



;)

[LEM]

Intersting article, nice pictures.
Grazie, uaglio' :D

[Port Strobe]

Thanks Check 6, I admit I never even bothered to try a general search engine because I (albeit wrongly) assumed that these things would be somewhat restricted post 9/11 and all that. I imagined that someone might have had a pdf or something or a link to some kind of specialist site. I stand corrected I guess is what I'm saying. I tried your link incidently and it's not working but I've searched Google and it's thrown up a few possibles, so I'll go have a look at them now. Thanks again.

[Check 6]

Port strobe, it is not working for me either, but it did work yesterday.

Cheers,

:)