Idle speculation.
"Sydney Seaplane crash pilot's actions were 'totally inexplicable', says boss.'
It is probably happening, but it would be nice if the media could add an extra appeal to anyone who has video footage of the take off to provide it to the NSW police or, even the ATSB. This is going to be a tough nut for the ATSB to crack, unless they find a clear cut answer during the investigation and 'video' may be a great help.
One of the habits beaten into a pilot's head, from day one, is to check the correct sense and function of all control surfaces before take off. A sea-plane take off involves much use of ‘rudder’ and elevator, but not too much in the way of aileron - in the low speed ranges. In trying to understand why the aircraft turned so far into Jerusalem Bay one of the possible theories discussed (speculation) is a control ‘lock-up’ or, partial failure of either the water rudder/ rudder or the aileron circuit. Please note - this is only idle speculation at the moment; and, as the ATSB will carefully examine the control circuits as part of their investigation, the discussion is only ‘one theory’ - related to the aileron control; a notion explored, if you will.
That said, you can easily find on You-Tube recorded demonstration of DHC 2 water take off. The sequence of events is routine and standard – the power is increased to the take-off setting as the speed increases to ‘rotate’ (take off speed) you will note a momentary, full aileron control input, to either the left or the right, followed by a return of the control to neutral. This is a deliberate action, to ‘unstick’ the float from the water surface, which allows the aircraft to become ‘airborne’. Had the aileron not returned to neutral, but ‘hung up’ and created an unscheduled left turn? Did this lead to a heavy right turn input (to prevent further penetration of Jerusalem Bay) which ‘unstuck’ the left aileron – suddenly and rapidly, producing a steep turn to the right?
No one knows at the moment, but there is a need to discover why an experienced pilot would enter that Bay. The flaw is ‘if’ there was a control problem, then why not just land straight ahead? To which the response is, if there was a control problem, he was safer ‘airborne’ than try to land on one float, without aileron control. So it goes, round and round the table; but, FWIW, that is the current, BRB best guess speculation.
Toot- toot.
"Sydney Seaplane crash pilot's actions were 'totally inexplicable', says boss.'
It is probably happening, but it would be nice if the media could add an extra appeal to anyone who has video footage of the take off to provide it to the NSW police or, even the ATSB. This is going to be a tough nut for the ATSB to crack, unless they find a clear cut answer during the investigation and 'video' may be a great help.
One of the habits beaten into a pilot's head, from day one, is to check the correct sense and function of all control surfaces before take off. A sea-plane take off involves much use of ‘rudder’ and elevator, but not too much in the way of aileron - in the low speed ranges. In trying to understand why the aircraft turned so far into Jerusalem Bay one of the possible theories discussed (speculation) is a control ‘lock-up’ or, partial failure of either the water rudder/ rudder or the aileron circuit. Please note - this is only idle speculation at the moment; and, as the ATSB will carefully examine the control circuits as part of their investigation, the discussion is only ‘one theory’ - related to the aileron control; a notion explored, if you will.
That said, you can easily find on You-Tube recorded demonstration of DHC 2 water take off. The sequence of events is routine and standard – the power is increased to the take-off setting as the speed increases to ‘rotate’ (take off speed) you will note a momentary, full aileron control input, to either the left or the right, followed by a return of the control to neutral. This is a deliberate action, to ‘unstick’ the float from the water surface, which allows the aircraft to become ‘airborne’. Had the aileron not returned to neutral, but ‘hung up’ and created an unscheduled left turn? Did this lead to a heavy right turn input (to prevent further penetration of Jerusalem Bay) which ‘unstuck’ the left aileron – suddenly and rapidly, producing a steep turn to the right?
No one knows at the moment, but there is a need to discover why an experienced pilot would enter that Bay. The flaw is ‘if’ there was a control problem, then why not just land straight ahead? To which the response is, if there was a control problem, he was safer ‘airborne’ than try to land on one float, without aileron control. So it goes, round and round the table; but, FWIW, that is the current, BRB best guess speculation.
Toot- toot.