Originally Posted by
Fly Aiprt
Another question comes to mind.
What would have happened in a real terrain avoidance maneuver with the stickshaker active ? Wouldn't it have run for 9-10 seconds, adding 2.5 units of nose down trim ? And so overwhelming the elevator authority ?
What's the pilot to do in that case ? Counter trim, with a risk of negating the MCAS raison-d'etre ?
Flip the trim cutout switches on the pedestal ?
If you have to counter/cut off the MCAS at the very moment it is supposed to be useful, why not have the freedom to counter it just by pulling on the yoke ?
Yikes- consider that most terrain avoidance will be at less than 15,000 feet, and by definition within a few thousand feet AGL depending- (as in flying into Juneau Alaska where a steep turn and descend is normal.) Unless flaps are down, MCAS will no doubt be active. IF- big IF the correction to a bird strike or similar does not disable MCAS, the bit about flipping a switch to revert to manual a few thousand feet or less above ground is no place to start cranking trim wheel the few dozen turns needed to reduce the nose down . .
Of course I'm sure the whiz bang kids in their safety analysis will have covered such a case ??? Trust but verify comes to mind !!