Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Flight Deck Forums > Tech Log
Reload this Page >

Flight Simulator Accident


Notices
Tech Log The very best in practical technical discussion on the web

Flight Simulator Accident

Old 29th December 2005 | 08:20
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: L'Alpe D'Huez
Flight Simulator Accident

Flight Sim Accident

Is anyone aware of any details of an accident that happened (allegedly in the USA) in a full motion flight sim where the hydraulic rams went out of control?

The pilots were not belted in and died being thrown around inside the sim.

Dates?
Type of Sim?
Accident Report?

Any info (or any similar related accidents) please.

Cheers
m-dot is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 08:34
  #2 (permalink)  
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
 
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,575
Likes: 4
From: UK
No news here, but it reinforces the 'SOP' of being strapped in before the hydraulic power is enabled
BOAC is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 08:38
  #3 (permalink)  
ZFT
N4790P
 
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,558
Likes: 233
From: Asia
Never happened.

Whilst there have been a few injuries due to uncommanded motions excursions – there have certainly been no deaths
ZFT is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 09:32
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 378
Likes: 0
It also happened a few years ago . The exercise at the time was an emergency descent and the hydraulic rams overextended and the sim fell over! The oxygen lines to the sim were also severed.

Two of the crew almost died due to the lack of oxygen at 35000 feet!
woodpecker is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 11:45
  #5 (permalink)  
Community Builder
25 Anniversary
 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,995
Likes: 512
From: UK
Two runaway incidents that I know of.
Both in full motion sims. One was frozen by the FE instructor - a crew member got a bit bruised. The second was unoccupied and under test - came off the jacks and ended up on its side on the motion hall floor!! A stark warning (should it be necessary) of the need TO FASTEN SEAT BELTS in the sim!! Things CAN get rough in there
Cornish Jack is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 12:56
  #6 (permalink)  
25 Anniversary
 
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,238
Likes: 69
From: EGNX
I believe it was a US Airways DC-9 simulator which was being put through during a series of violent manouevers.

Some or all of its mountings failed and the simulator crashed through a wall and fell a considerable distance to the street below. It was the impact that killed at least one person on board - the only time a simulator has claimed a fatality.

Not sure of location or date.
Doors to Automatic is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 16:26
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 511
Likes: 2
From: South Africa
Two of the crew almost died due to the lack of oxygen at 35000 feet!
Who operates the sim on Mt Everest?
nugpot is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 16:30
  #8 (permalink)  
Master Baiter
 
Joined: Nov 1998
Posts: 301
Likes: 0
From: Middle Earth
woodpecker That was brill
Nearly Man is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 18:11
  #9 (permalink)  
25 Anniversary
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,729
Likes: 104
From: The Winchester
I will run this one up the flag pole, from memory, and wait for the inevitable corrections/denials.

There was a very close call in a Hunter (Hawker) sim I believe many moons ago....the story goes that bottled air/oxygen was normally used in the sim to enhance realism, unfortunately one day there was a c**k up and a cylinder of Nitrogen was installed instead of breathing gas. Soon after donning his oxygen mask the occupant very quickly keeled over and very nearly died, only saved by the quick actions of the sim instructor.

Any further input? - I heard the story 25 plus (gulp) years ago.
wiggy is offline  
Old 29th December 2005 | 18:53
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 247
Likes: 0
From: Mostly FL360-380, M0.78
I experienced a wild ride in a 737 sim during my training. What was supposed to be a wind shear exercise turned out to be a very wild ride .. more like severe turbulence actually .. took the TRI some time and a lot of swearing to hit the emergency stop button.. luckily the sim stayed put in its mountings.
Jetavia is offline  
Old 19th January 2006 | 20:34
  #11 (permalink)  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 46
From: Brighton
Wiggy,

Yes, the Hunter sim story is true. It was at Chivenor, late 1960s. As you say, N2 was fed instead of O2. The puzzle was: the supply bottles are supposed to have different threads on the connectors to prevent that happening. I don't recall the findings of the enquiry.
kenparry is offline  
Old 20th January 2006 | 02:43
  #12 (permalink)  

Aviator Extraordinaire
 
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,396
Likes: 3
From: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA
I was in a 727 sim when we had a major failure of one of the struts. We had to be removed by the fire department because of the position the sim ended up in with the door nearly straight above our heads. Nobody got hurt and we got to the bar early that night.

I was the last one out as I was on the bottom in the left seat. First out was the instructor, then the FE followed by the other pilot and then myself.

(The FE did have a hell of a hangover the next day, that could count as an injury I suppose.)
con-pilot is offline  
Old 21st January 2006 | 08:57
  #13 (permalink)  
LGB
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 178
Likes: 1
From: -
NASA apparently had a fatal simulator accident in 1967 (a fire), although not an aircraft, but a spacecraft sim (Apollo program): http://www.rpi.edu/dept/NewsComm/Mag...residents.html

I heard stories about fatal simulator accidents, but I haven't been able to verify it. Maybe just (yet another) rumour.
LGB is offline  
Old 21st January 2006 | 10:12
  #14 (permalink)  
ZFT
N4790P
 
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,558
Likes: 233
From: Asia
Are our memories so short that the Apollo 1 tragedy is already confused with a simulator!!!
ZFT is offline  
Old 21st January 2006 | 10:15
  #15 (permalink)  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,032
Likes: 5
From: Under the clag EGKA
When I worked on sims, I was told that there had been some mishaps but usually when harnesses were not used. There were loads of stories about fatalities but no one could give chapter and verse. Just urban myths I reckon.
effortless is offline  
Old 21st January 2006 | 10:53
  #16 (permalink)  
LGB
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 178
Likes: 1
From: -
Originally Posted by ZFT
Are our memories so short that the Apollo 1 tragedy is already confused with a simulator!!!
I do believe NASA have had more than one fatal accident ever. If you read the second paragraph in the link, you will see that

... Low, who went on to become the 14th president of Rensselaer, was tapped by NASA in 1967 to rebuild the devastated Apollo program after three astronauts were killed in a simulator fire. ...

I didn't mention specifically Appollo 1, but the Apollo project in general, the simulator fire in particular. Unless it is false what is written in the link?

But then, I wasn't even born then, so what am I to know?
LGB is offline  
Old 21st January 2006 | 12:13
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 539
Likes: 0
From: LGW
LGB I think ZFT means that the Apollo 1 incident wasn't in a simulator, it was on the real Apollo 1 space craft which had a fire killing the three astronauts onboard.

But, at the time of the incident, the three astronauts were running a 'simulation' in the real space craft.
Getoutofmygalley is offline  
Old 21st January 2006 | 12:30
  #18 (permalink)  
Warning Toxic!
Disgusted of Tunbridge
 
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,011
Likes: 1
From: Hampshire, UK
Only in Pprune can a rumour with absolutely no truth in it run to 17 replies! It didn't happen. To call the Apollo tragedy that involved the sad loss of Grissom, White and Chaffee a 'simulator' accident' is slightly insulting to their efforts and loss- this was a real launch pad 'simulation', not a 'simulator'. Whatever the article said, it was poorly written.

It never happened. Time to stop wasting space?
Rainboe is offline  
Old 22nd January 2006 | 00:42
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: West of East
I believe that during WW2 an English pilot was 'flying' a Link Trainer and was killed during a strafing run by a German aircraft. I'm guessing this would have been the first sim fatality?
Crash & Burn is offline  
Old 22nd January 2006 | 10:18
  #20 (permalink)  
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,032
Likes: 5
From: Under the clag EGKA
Originally Posted by Crash & Burn
I believe that during WW2 an English pilot was 'flying' a Link Trainer and was killed during a strafing run by a German aircraft. I'm guessing this would have been the first sim fatality?
A sad loss and showed just how we sent 'em up too soon. Of course if the Airships hadn't insisted on close formation perhaps it may have been a different outcome all together. Bit slow for the Big Wing of course and had to form up a smaller wing with the DH82s when they weren't used for night fighting.
effortless is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.