Loss of Control–In Flight (LOC-I), Accident Investigation, Causal Factors
The pilots of an A320 tried a different way of solving a recurring flight control problem and were startled by the results.
Persistent and increasingly frequent failures of the Airbus A320’s rudder travel limiter system had occurred for several months. Ultimately, when the normal procedure failed to stem a rash of failures during a flight over Indonesia’s Java Sea on Dec. 28, 2014, the pilot-in-command (PIC) tried a different method — one he had seen a maintenance engineer perform on the ground.
Increasing automation has introduced new situational awareness challenges for pilots.
Research suggests that targeted training could help pilots mitigate the startle effect.
Loss of Control–In Flight (LOC-I), Flight Training
FAA simulator requirements enable acceptably realistic recoveries from full stalls and upsets in commercial jets.
