PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Gulf 072 report out next week?
View Single Post
Old 23rd Aug 2001, 03:43
  #18 (permalink)  
exeng
Mistrust in Management
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 973
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Post

ScanScanScan,

The tragic loss of the Trident at Staines was caused by the inadvertant (presumably) retraction of the L.E. droop at an inappropriately low I.A.S. This caused the A/C to stall. The stall on a 'T' tail A/C such as this resulted in an irecoverable stall known as a 'super stall' due to turbulent airflow from the wings reducing the effect of the elevator. This was a known problem on the Trident.

As usual in any A/C accident there were many other factors that contibuted to the outcome. C.R.M., unheard of in those days, was likely to be a factor in it's absence. (An impending industrial dispute had divided many crew in BEA). False stall warnings were common at the time on 'ground grippers', (hence the dumping of the 'stick push' in reponse to the stall). It was found that the Captain had suffered a heart attack, (who wouldn't if you were about to hit the ground and perish in a few seconds) but it may have been a causal factor if the heart attack occurred at the start of the event.

However I don't believe it was anything to do with a Somatographic Illusion as was likely, amongst other factors, to be at the root of the GF072 tragedy.


Regards
Exeng
exeng is offline