New To The Airplane

Even relatively simple airplanes, those with welded-down landing gear and a fixed-pitch propeller, can have complicated systems. Most of the time, everything works as intended by the manufacturer and all is well. On rare occasions, however, equipment failures occur. When that happens, its easy to say that excellent systems knowledge will save the day. The reality is somewhat different, and pilots often do not have the time or third hand with which to look up systems information in the airplanes documentation.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Monday, October 23, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A pilot's lack of systems knowledge and misuse of autopilot controls led to an uncommanded full airplane-nose-up trim condition shortly after takeoff.
Amidst attempts to troubleshoot the autopilot issue and comply with ATC, the pilot misidentified control switches and significantly reduced engine power.
The accident was caused by the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed with the mis-trimmed condition, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
The incident underscores the critical importance of comprehensive aircraft systems knowledge and effective emergency procedure execution for pilots, especially when operating new or complex aircraft.

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Even relatively simple airplanes, those with welded-down landing gear and a fixed-pitch propeller, can have complicated systems. Most of the time, everything works as intended by the manufacturer and all is well. On rare occasions, however, equipment failures occur. When that happens, it’s easy to say that excellent systems knowledge will save the day. The reality is somewhat different, and pilots often do not have the time or third hand with which to look up systems information in the airplane’s documentation.

As complexities increase, our knowledge of the airpane’s systems needs to increase accordingly. And as the level of cockpit automation grows, pilots may need regular refresher training to ensure they can resolve equipment failures in a timely manner. As we will learn, the need to understand an aircraft’s systems can be greatest when we first step aboard.