On 8/8/2010 7:05 AM, a wrote:
A couple of days ago the NTSB found the 320 series to have too
sensitive a rudder, it can be torn off with peddle pressures. What's
especially of interest is the problem seems to persist even when crews
are given special training about the problem.

There are some details here.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...y-2001-crash/1

The more I fly and the older I get the more I want to be gentle with
the flight controls. Remember, fellow aviators, there are demons
lurking near the edges of the envelope.

I am not going to act all shocked that pilots can pull pieces off of an
airframe: these pieces include
1) Wings
2) horizontal elevator/stabilator
3) vertical stabilizer, and pieces hinged or connected to the above.

That includes EVERY plane that has a certificate of airworthiness.

It is more troubling if pilots can get into the danger area (maneuver
speed plus as you know) and still inadvertently pull bits off if
correctly trained. A very troubling thought: how many incidents had
ex military fighter pilots at the yoke?

Brian W