Any of ya'll that have gone through FSI's Fort Worth Bell Center training have had the opportunity to experience a Microburst on approach. (If your operator allowed such variance from the prescribed operator dogma....). Few availed themselves for such chances to learn unfortunately.
A current Oil Company Aviation Advisor had that opportunity while a line pilot for an operator who looked down its very long nose at FSI and what it had to offer....attending only because required to by the customer.
In cahoots with an old Alaska flying buddy....we keyed in the Dallas-Fort Worth weather model that duplicated the American Airlines Crash of a DC-10.
The Microburst hit very late in the approach....I was so glad my young friend was driving.
Our young line pilot friend was quite surprised that he could not maintain height control despite pulling lots of power...and prepared to ride the wagon down accepting his fate. Sasless here....suggested he slow to Vbroc, pull max Q....and see what happened....he did.....we still headed down. He again was prepared to ride the wagon into the ground. I suggested he pull the collective up until the MR drooped...but he said we were at max power already. Sasless...reached down and pulled the collective up until the MR drooped....and coined my signature statement...."Limits are for normal operations asshole!"
We broke out...skimmed along what could have been corn stalks...missed hitting the ground by what felt like were mere inches...and then slowly climbed away regaining normal control.
I was impressed by the experience.....and much happier my young friend was driving.
Years later he admitted he failed to "appreciate" the experience at the time. Something about Sasless's teaching style I think he said.....but later in life admitted to himself it had been an eye opening experience....the flying part I assume.
Moral to the story.....you don't have to know why something is going wrong....but you are riding the wagon it is happening to. Far better you bend something by exceeding a limitation if it prevents a crash. Far more damage occurs when the aircraft smacks the surface at speed and out of control.
Our young lad was a product of the North Sea....had never seen real turbulence....thunderstorms were a very unusual occurrence...and he had never experienced an out of control aircraft.....and his training failed him.
"Thinking" was not the strong point of that operator's culture in those days....compliance to checklists, procedure, and briefs were.
If you suffer from "Dipped Shoulder Syndrome"....perhaps you might make item one on all your checklists....."Fly the Aircraft".....Step Two...."Think"....Step Three..."Fly the Aircraft".....then leap off into the action items after a suitable delay for the first three steps to take good effect.
Before we hang, draw, and quarter this Air Log crew.....lets consider how many airline crews do something similar despite all the aids to flying that exist at airports.
After all....these guys were just like the rest of us...out in the middle of the Oggin....with no aids. Which situation is it easier to make that mistake? Would you have made a similar attempt....how many times have you done so in the past and got away with it?