PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - stall warning and when to panic
View Single Post
Old 30th Dec 2013, 21:55
  #59 (permalink)  
Genghis the Engineer
Moderator
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 14,233
Received 51 Likes on 27 Posts
Back to the taking control thing.

A real world story of getting it right.

I was right hand seat, instructor, sat back arms folded but monitoring a very good student on his tailwheel (and an antique type) conversion. At 400ft just after take-off, we had a sudden loss of power. My student, not unreasonably said loudly and clearly "you have control Genghis".


I took control, called a Pan, and was manoeuvring to land back (eventually) on a disused crosswind runway. Partway through the manoeuvring - turning, stressed, trying to relate attitude to variably sloping hills around the airfield, and close to the ground, my student recalls noting that I was very close to the stall. His recollection is that he said something like "Genghis, check your airspeed".

I do not recall hearing that. I do recall at that point, glancing at the airspeed, realising from that and stick pressure and pitch attitude that I was close to the stall, and easing the nose forwards. Almost certainly I was responding to what he said, but too stressed to be consciously aware that that was what I was doing.

His clear verbal reminder to me almost certainly saved 2 lives and the aircraft.


I agree that a passenger should not be taking control from a qualified PiC under almost any circumstances. (Obvious circumstances when he might include PiC having a heart attack, or inviting pax to take control to have a go). However, it is excellent airmanship to clearly draw a safety concern to the attention of the pilot. The pilot then, who hopefully knows their aeroplane well enough to form sensible judgments, can do the right thing. In *some* aeroplanes that *might* be to continue to fly with the stall warner operating.

G
Genghis the Engineer is offline