UPS A300 crash, article quote.

[HardDrive]

"The cause was ultimately attributed to pilot error, according to the NTSB, which said the first officer put excessive pressure on the rudder pedal, causing the separation of the vertical stabilizer."

Alternative wording: "Pilot experienced severe wake turbulence, and took corrective action. In response, the aircraft fell apart faster than the French army when challenged by a group of Eagle Scouts."

From the following article: http://us.cnn.com/2013/08/14/us/alabama-cargo-plane-crash/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[Iciclehead]

Looking at the forward fuselage area, it seems quite intact and I am a little surprised the pilot and copilot were killed. I presume they were strapped in and it was just some pretty strong impacts that caused their demise?

In any event, my thoughts go out to their families....

Dennis

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

"The cause was ultimately attributed to pilot error, according to the NTSB, which said the first officer put excessive pressure on the rudder pedal, causing the separation of the vertical stabilizer."

This refers to the American Airlines A300 crash after 9/11. I don't think we know why the UPS jet crashed yet since it happened just this morning.

[widgeon13]

It will take somewhere around 9 to 12 months for the definitive cause of this crash, NTSB doesn't make "premature cause" statements.

As stated above the cause (quoted) was for the 2001 A300 crash in NY. Why they even reference that is beyond me.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

This refers to the American Airlines A300 crash after 9/11. I don't think we know why the UPS jet crashed yet since it happened just this morning.

I know. The quote still bugs me. It seems absurd that a pilot could provide inputs to a modern commercial and cause a catastrophic failure while simply trying to maintain level flight.

[widgeon13]

This is the NTSB summary. So the quote is accurate but still puzzling.

NTSB Number AAR-04/04
NTIS Number PB2004-910404
PDF

Executive Summary: On November 12, 2001, about 0916:15 eastern standard time, American Airlines flight 587, an Airbus Industrie A300-605R, N14053, crashed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, New York, shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, Jamaica, New York. Flight 587 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight to Las Americas International Airport, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with 2 flight crewmembers, 7 flight attendants, and 251 passengers aboard the airplane. The airplane’s vertical stabilizer and rudder separated in flight and were found in Jamaica Bay, about 1 mile north of the main wreckage site. The airplane’s engines subsequently separated in flight and were found several blocks north and east of the main wreckage site. All 260 people aboard the airplane and 5 people on the ground were killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. Flight 587 was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer as a result of the loads beyond ultimate design that were created by the first officer’s unnecessary and excessive rudder pedal inputs. Contributing to these rudder pedal inputs were characteristics of the Airbus A300-600 rudder system design and elements of the American Airlines Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Program.

The safety issues discussed in this report focus on characteristics of the A300-600 rudder control system design, A300-600 rudder pedal inputs at high airspeeds, aircraft-pilot coupling, flight operations at or below an airplane’s design maneuvering speed, and upset recovery training programs. Safety recommendations concerning these issues are addressed to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Direction Général de l’Aviation Civile.

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I know. The quote still bugs me. It seems absurd that a pilot could provide inputs to a modern commercial and cause a catastrophic failure while simply trying to maintain level flight.

The vertical stabilizer of the American Airlines plane had previously suffered damage during a maintenance procedure which resulted in an imperfect repair on the carbon-fiber part of the stabilizer by American's mechanics. This was mentioned in the days after the 2001 crash but was quickly stifled. I assume that Airbus and American Airlines wanted pilot error to be the cause--it's the cheapest alternative--and that's where it settled.

If a pilot can 'stomp' on the rudder pedals hard enough to cause structural failure of the vertical stabilizer then that implies, to the educated observer, that something in the design is flawed. Airplanes are designed to sustain such abuse, and worse, so the NTSB's contention that the copilot erred in applying excessive rudder inputs and caused the stab to separate is, frankly, shocking.

[Flieger]

Wait, are we talking about a 12 year old crash or a recent UPS one?

[A930Rocket]

This is old news and well know.

[BE911SC]

The 12-year old one for now. We'll talk about this morning's crash when we know more.