FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Pilot lost his prosthetic arm upon landing
Old Aug 14, 2014 | 3:10 am
  #7  
Howard Long
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Like LE, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with this. When hand-flying a landing, as this pilot was doing, there are continual coordinated yoke, throttle and rudder inputs from all four limbs as you are maintaining speed, glideslope and lateral position. It is a combination of ALL of these that lands the plane within limits. At the point of flare, you are also managing pitch and yaw.

With the crosswinds discussed in the report it would have made for a sporty landing even with full control. The pilot was right to concentrate on the yoke rather than the throttle (particularly with those crosswinds). Even once he was on terra firma after the bounce, the story would not be over, although almost all lateral movement is performed by the rudder (feet) when on the ground so attention could be made to cutting the throttle.

Certainly at the point of flare, there is not enough time to hand over unless the copilot has their hands ready over the yoke and throttle to take over, but even then it would take a moment to apply the correct pressure on the yoke.

In addition, I can't see how a go around could have been initiated at that stage of the descent given the PF's temporary incapacity (in that it requires throttle input).

Last edited by Howard Long; Aug 14, 2014 at 3:17 am
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