Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
First of all congratulation on being an instructor. We are all in Awe🤦♂️
I do not know what I did to you in my current or prevoius life so I can not understand why wou write such kind of stuff. I clearly mentioned my instructing higher up on this page to explain why decision making startegies may not be known to him. Because the are not taught (yet).
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
You claim that you don’t intend to criticise and At the same time say that they survived due to “luck alone”.
This is not criticism but a plain statement. If you land a plane at that speed on a less than ideal surface then the outcome will solely depend on luck.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
The fact that he diagnosed the problem, weighed his options, decided to land in a particular field and executed that decision was not luck. He may have rushed some of his way through it but it was planned and executed with a successful result.
And still he was lucky not to rip off his landing gear and overturn the plane during those bounces. Or run off the far end of the field.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
...you suggested that slowing down would be a good idea right?
I suggested that it might have been worth considering, especially if further structural damage was feared.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
While this will reduce the Load on the airframe, do you have Any idea how it would affect things like The balance and controllability at low speed?
I don't know and we don't know because it wasn't tried. And I didn't say anything about "low speed" but "reduce the speed a little bit" instead because that would have reduced the strain considerably.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
How are you so confident that slowing down wouldn’t have caused an unacceptable and unrecoverable loss of pitch authority or induce an unwanted and uncontrollable roll?
I am not confident of anything. But I was trained in decision making and therefore considering options and assessing the associated risks is part of handling a crisis. Option 1: going fast. Benefit: obviously in control. Risk: structural breakup. Option 2: slowing down a little bit. Risk: loss of control. Benefit: reduce the risk of structural breakup. I don't know how I would have decided becuause I was not there.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
Would you suggest That he climb up to altitude and test these things while hoping that the aircraft won’t fall apart in the meantime?
I am not suggesting anything but that would be option number 3: Without making a lot of changes climb to a safe altitude and slow it down there. To give you more margin for recovery in case of an apparent degradation in control. Sounds like something worth considering.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
Or should he just change the aircrafts speed and configuration from a known controllable state to an unknown state at low altitude and hope for the best.
I think/hope that it is common knowledge that changing the configuration (especially flaps) in a case of reduced controllability is not a good thing to do. So this would not be option number 4.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
There are plenty of example in the history of aviation accidents where the best outcome would have been to simply land it, anywhere.
The only ones I am aware of all had to do with fire. But I would like to learn about others as well.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
We are paid the big bucks because sometimes we have to make those big decisions.
Big bucks? Where?
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
There may not necessarily be a procedure for the particular situation.
No, there isn't. Every pilot will instantly be upgraded to test pilot when something like that happens to him.
Originally Posted by
InSoMnIaC
I’m sure this guy was not trained on how to handle a situation like this but managed to see the big picture - my aircraft has structural damage, I have controllability issues, I need to find a field to land while I still have control. The fact that he didn’t try all the “good idea” stuff posted here and simply decided to put it down is what may have contributed to the outcome.
And what would you write here if he crashed his plane during that hurried landing? He came pretty close to that, didn't he? Or if he lost control when he lowered the gear at the very last moment close to the ground. I bet you would be the first to write that he could have tried that first whilst still being at a safe altitude...