A lot has been written over the past few years about pilots relying on the automation to fly the airplane to the detriment of actual hands-on-the-stick piloting skills. I have long been baffled by pilots’ reliance on the autopilot. But perhaps this attitude comes from my Air Force training early on and particularly from a black, black night at low altitude over the Atlantic Ocean. In October 1973, the war in Vietnam was winding to a close. For the previous three years or so, I had been flying the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter to Southeast Asia and all over the Pacific Ocean, supporting the US missions in that part of the world. Then, a new crisis: Israel had once again been attacked by Egypt, and the Air Force was tasked with supplying arms to Israel.
Final Turn in the Azores
Key Takeaways:
- During the 1973 Yom Kippur War airlift, a C-141 Starlifter crew experienced an elevator artificial-feel system failure, requiring manual control for critical flight phases.
- On a subsequent night approach, the autopilot and autothrottle system, when attempting a turn, initiated a dangerous nose-up pitch and rapid airspeed decay, nearly stalling the aircraft due to a delayed power increase.
- The pilot's quick manual intervention, relying on fundamental instrument flying skills, disengaged automation and applied full power, successfully averting a crash.
- The incident highlighted the critical importance of hands-on piloting skills and understanding basic aerodynamics, even in highly automated aircraft, as automation can sometimes fail or exhibit "rookie errors."
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