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Old March 31st 06, 04:39 AM posted to rec.aviation.owning,rec.aviation.piloting
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Default Columbia crash...opinions


"Dylan Smith" wrote in message
...
On 2006-03-30, Mike Granby wrote:
Someone elsewhere suggested that the gust lock might have been in
place, as you don't see the ailerons moving.


Unlikely. The standard Cessna gust lock locks the elevators in an almost
full nose-down position - it's improbable he'd have been able to raise
the nose at all. It just looks like a classic insufficient
airspeed/mush/stall accident.

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Dylan Smith, Port St Mary, Isle of Man
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The factory control lock puts the elevator down about 10° from horizontal,
just enough to keep the wind from flipping the tail up. But you are right,
with it in place there is no way to rotate.

I think he just panicked and pulled back on the yoke.