F/O obsessed with wake turbulence; kicking rudders on previous flights...
Upon viewing the NTSB accident simulation video, it is obvious that the F/O had made overly aggressive and rapid aileron and rudder control inputs; ...a demonstration reminescent of a kid at play at a video arcade game.
"...[NTSB] Pilot Interviews Regarding the First Officer: An American Airlines captain who flew several times with the first officer on the 727 (when they were a junior captain and junior first officer, espectively) told Safety Board investigators that, during one flight sometime in 1997, the first officer had been “very aggressive” on the rudder pedals after a wake turbulence encounter. Specifically, the captain indicated that, when the airplane was at an altitude of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet, the first officer “stroked the rudder pedals 1-2-3, about that fast.” The captain thought that the airplane had lost an engine and was thus focused on the engine instruments. The captain stated that he then asked the first officer what he was doing and that the first officer replied that he was “leveling the wings due to wake turbulence.” The captain, who had his feet on the rudder pedals, thought that the first officer had pushed the rudder to its full stops.
The captain did not recall what type of airplane the 727 was following. He thought that the wake turbulence encounter required only aileron inputs to level the wings but did not think that the first officer had made any such inputs during the encounter. The captain recalled being startled by the first officer’s rudder inputs and indicated that they did not level the wings but created left and right yawing moments and heavy side loads on the
airplane. He further indicated that the first officer did not need to be so aggressive because the 727 was “a very stable airplane.”
According to the captain, he and the first officer discussed this event later in the flight. The captain pointed out to the first officer that his use of the rudder pedals was “quite aggressive,” but the first officer insisted that the American Airlines Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Program (AAMP) directed him to use the rudder pedals in that manner. The captain disagreed with the first officer and told him that the AAMP directed that the rudder was to be used at lower airspeeds. The captain told the first officer to review the AAMP when he returned home and to be less aggressive on the rudder pedals when they flew together.
American Airlines records indicated that the flight occurred during a 3-day trip sequence from August 31 to September 2, 1997.
...on a subsequent flight, the first officer modified his wake turbulence maneuver; specifically, the first officer used the rudder during the encounter but did not push the rudder to its full stop. The captain added that the first officer was still “very quick” on the rudder. The captain stated that he did not document or report this event at the time that it occurred. The captain further stated that he remembered the event with such clarity because he had never seen any pilot other than the first officer perform this maneuver.
The flight engineer who flew with the captain and the first officer during the 1997 trip sequence recalled that the captain and the first officer had a discussion regarding piloting skills but added that he was not part of that conversation. The flight engineer indicated that he did not recall anything remarkable (such as a yawing event associated with wake turbulence) that would have provoked the discussion. The flight engineer also indicated that the first officer did not discuss the incident with him but that the captain
made a “passing comment” to him about the incident after the flight.
The flight engineer did remember a different event involving the first officer that he thought also occurred sometime in 1997. Specifically, the flight engineer and the first officer (the flying pilot) were on final approach (about 7miles from the runway) in instrument meteorological conditions to LaGuardia International Airport, New York, when a Boeing 737 ahead of their 727 performed a go-around. The 727 encountered the wake from the 737. The flight engineer thought that the airplane rolled as a result of the wake encounter but that the bank angle did not exceed 30º. The flight engineer stated that the first officer made a “fast” decision to go around because of the wake. The first officer called for maximum power without “discussion or hesitation.” The flight engineer explained that the airplane’s tail went down as the nose of the airplane pitched up. The flight engineer stated that the go-around felt “weird” but that the first officer “flew the airplane to do what was necessary to keep the airplane under control.” The flight engineer
also stated that the event happened when the airplane was at an altitude of between 3,000 and 5,000 feet above ground level (agl) and that the airplane was not in immediate danger of ground contact. In addition, the flight engineer stated that the event was one of the more memorable ones of his career. The captain indicated that the first officer’s aggressive response to wake turbulence was out of character. Specifically, the captain described the first officer’s overall flying skills as “excellent” and did not recall aggressive movements or abnormal rudder inputs during other trips with him..."