Ignition Override wrote:
You might want to read about the Boeing 747-400 which almost had a catastrophe climbing out of San Feancisco ( SFO) several years ago, due to a pilot's preoccupation with the ailerons instead of the rudder, as an engine suffered a compressor stall or surge (whatever).
Engine vibration made it difficult to read the flight instruments. The second crew was sitting at the rear of the c0ckp1t.
It is an interesting story.
As I remember this particular instance, the engine problem was an inboard engine (thankfully) and the pilot flying (F/O) was flying just exactly the way he had been taught; “…keep the wings level with aileron. If the wheel is not centered (i.e., level), add rudder on the down-side of the wheel, keeping the wings level with aileron control, until the wheel is centered.” The written training procedures for an engine failure on takeoff was something like, “…address uncoordinated flight with the use of wheel and rudder.” The verbal advice was, “because the rudder is a very powerful flight control, we don’t want our pilots kicking the rudder around indiscriminately.”
In the instant case, the airplane narrowly missed hitting the hills just off the departure end of the runway because the pilot was flying a cross-controlled airplane and adding to the drag while one engine was failing to provide proper thrust. Had it been an outboard engine causing the problems, the yaw would have been greater – requiring a greater lateral control input – adding significantly to the cross-control situation and a higher level of drag. Would this have caused a crash? I guess there is no way to tell – except that some say the airplane missed “mother earth” by a scant 50 feet as it was.
On the other side of the scale … there are folks who maintain that the Airbus accident (on departure out of New York) was caused by the pilot flying making very rapid high magnitude rudder inputs – first in one direction, then in the opposite direction. Ultimately, the tail failed. I guess the jury may still be “out” on whether this is an accurate description of what occurred, but the issue of rudder vs. aileron apparently continues.
My question is “what is wrong with keeping the ball in the center?”