Flight Control Failures

Perhaps the classic example of a failed flight control system involves United Airlines Flight 232, a scheduled domestic passenger operation of a DC-10. On July 19, 1989, while in cruise at FL370, the jet’s center, tail-mounted engine’s fan disk failed. The pieces penetrated the engine’s containment shroud and severed the airplane’s hydraulic lines. Those lines quickly leaked out their fluid, eliminating any ability for the flight crew to reposition the airplane’s primary control surfaces.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Catastrophic flight control system failures, like United Flight 232's hydraulic loss, demonstrate the critical need for pilots to understand and utilize alternative control methods.
Common flight control failures often stem from mechanical issues such as jammed hinges, cable problems, or external damage, emphasizing the importance of diligent maintenance and preflight inspections.
Pilots can manage primary control failures (pitch, roll, or yaw) by leveraging alternative inputs like engine power, wing flaps, trim, and rudder, adapting strategies to the specific failure mode.
Effective management of engine power and airspeed is a crucial tool for pilots to regain control and gain time when dealing with any primary flight control system malfunction.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Using the only controls remaining—the left and right engines’ throttles—the crew managed to descend and approach the Sioux Gateway Airport/Col. Bud Day Field in Sioux City, Iowa, where the DC-10 crash-landed, killing 111 of the passengers and crew aboard. Survivors totaled 185, including the flight crew. Many lessons were learned from this accident, including alternatives to aircraft control when the primary systems have failed. To understand them, though, we first have to understand the systems themselves.