This C152 report [ local copy ] is not new but it has popped on on FB lately. It was a 2x fatal crash with no explanation, involving a sudden pitch-down, and even though this is obviously very rare it makes interesting reading because it is a very fast way for a passenger to kill you without leaving any evidence:
I find it surprising that it was impossible to counter this with the control wheel – it has a much longer lever arm
When my son was about 3 years old I put his car seat on the copilot side and we went flying with the Warrior. On final approach to our airport, thank god we were still about 600 ft AGL, the plane all of a sudden made a STEEP nosedive. My heart stopped for a moment when I realized that the little man pushed the right yoke forward with both his feet! and even a three year old does have some strengt in his legs, believe me … He let it go quickly when I screamed though.
Who could have expected that?
Alexis wrote:
Who could have expected that?
Good one Alexis. Will keep in mind when flying with my daughter. And yes, that would detinitly not be beyond her either.
Peter wrote:
it is a very fast way for a passenger to kill you without leaving any evidence
It could also be a reflex. Say she really pushed the cable without intent and the plane goes in a nosedive and she freezes up in terror and stiffens in position. No, it could not have been overpowered by the wheel but with a massive intervention with the pax to free the controls. But who will know at that moment where this is coming from.
I was not implying anything intentional, hence the “unintended” in the threat title. It just seems a very easy way to have an accident.
Most of the time there are no witnesses to a crash. So, the reported absence of reports of this particular problem might not mean anything – because everybody who did it “properly” got killed. And obviously loads of people have got killed in the C150/152 – they were made in large numbers.
I don’t understand how this works mechanically but someone familiar maintenance-wise with a C150/152 might know.
It seems strange design-wise that such a critical part can be so easily reached and manipulated unintentionally. Could have happened with me too: I’m tall and tend to stretch out my legs as far as possible.
Cobalt wrote:
I find it surprising that it was impossible to counter this with the control wheel – it has a much longer lever arm
That my first thought also. I can’t really believe that it happened that way. And only once in millions and millions of flying hours that the C152 fleet has accumulated?
And only once in millions and millions of flying hours that the C152 fleet has accumulated?
Yes that also struck me as odd…
A good case for a proper briefing of unexperienced front pax.
