Loss of Controls
Loss of control in-flight has been one of the most significant causes of fatal aircraft accidents for many years. Loss of control usually occurs because the aircraft enters a flight regime which is outside its normal envelope, usually, but not always at a high rate, thereby introducing an element of surprise for the pilots.
CAUSES
Loss of controls inflight can be caused by:
- Poor maintenance
- Hydraulic malfunction
- Mishandling
- Severe turbulence
- Wake turbulence
- Airframe damage
- Indication problem
- Ice buildup
CONSEQUENCES
Loss of controls can cause many serious problems, such as:
- Discomfort or injury to the occupants before recovering airplane control.
- Structural damage
- Fatal or serious injury to occupants due to terrain impact and/or post-impact fire.
The effects of loss of control depend on the ability of the pilots to recover from the situation. This depends on:
- The nature of the upset causing loss of control;
- The experience and ability of the pilots; and,
- The aircraft having sufficient height.
Therefore, we must as soon as possible search for methods to increase our knowledge, update the memory items, and familiarize ourselves with emergency checklists.
Normally, the external threats cause accidents such as severe turbulence, mishandling, wake turbulence, ice buildup, among others.
So training all the possible emergencies on the flight simulator is crucial to avoid a lack of knowledge during a real emergency.