The pilots who flew that DC-10 in Chicago when the engine dropped off the wing followed the procedures by the book, slowed to Vy, and crashed, as did the 10 crews who flew it in the sim during the investigation. They all bought the farm. The 11th crew sat back and noted that they were climbing at a healthy rate, and that as they slowed down the aileron was creeping toward the limits. They thought about it, stopped slowing to Vy, and just flew out, then landed successfully.
It is my understanding that the engine did not drop off of the wing which is survivable. But instead, it ripped from its’ mountings and rotated forward and upward and in the process collapsed the slats and failed the slat actuation cables and took out all of the hydraulics which is not survivable. The lift differential caused by the collapsed slats induced a rapid rolling motion that was not correctable by the pilots due to the lack of hydraulics. How pilots successfully flew this same profile in the simulator is beyond me.
