‘Dutch roll’ incident on Boeing jet is being investigated
How did the flight crew of the Southwest Airlines flight respond during the "Dutch roll" incident, and what was the aftermath?
During the "Dutch roll" incident on the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max flight, the flight crew regained control of the plane, according to the FAA's initial report. After the aircraft landed safely in Oakland, it was discovered that there was "significant" damage to the standby Power Control Unit (PCU), which controls the aircraft's rudder. No injuries were reported among the 175 passengers and six crew members on board.
Following the event, Southwest Airlines performed maintenance on the aircraft and found damage to structural components. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the incident. The FAA noted that other airlines have not reported similar issues, and the incident comes at a challenging time for Boeing, who are also investigating whether some fasteners on their undelivered 787 Dreamliner planes have been incorrectly installed.
The "Dutch roll" motion refers to an oscillating movement involving both yaw (the tail sliding side to side) and roll (the wings tilting up and down), which can be caused by wind or pilot input. Pilots are trained to recover from a Dutch roll, and most modern planes include a device called a yaw damper that can correct the condition by adjusting the rudder. In this case, the flight crew's actions in regaining control of the aircraft were crucial in ensuring the safety of the passengers and preventing further damage.
What information from the plane's flight data recorder and other sources are investigators using to assess the severity of the Dutch roll incident?
Investigators are using data from the plane's flight data recorder to determine the length and severity of the Dutch roll incident that occurred on a Boeing 737 Max 8 plane during a Southwest Airlines flight in late May2. The flight data recorder captures various parameters and events during flight operations, including altitude, airspeed, vertical acceleration, pitch, roll, heading, and engine performance data4.
In addition to the flight data recorder, investigators also have access to other relevant data, such as radar information and voice recordings4. They will analyze the data parameters recorded by the flight data recorder in conjunction with this additional information to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the incident and gain a clearer understanding of the contributing factors4.
The cockpit voice recorder, which records audio in the cockpit, could have provided valuable insights into the pilots' actions and communications during the incident. However, the recorder's limited two-hour storage capacity resulted in the relevant audio being overwritten, and it is no longer available for analysis.
Overall, the data from the flight data recorder, along with other sources of information, will help investigators assess the severity of the Dutch roll incident, determine the cause of the unexpected motion, and identify any potential safety issues that need to be addressed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
What are the characteristics of a "Dutch roll" incident as described by aviation experts?
A Dutch roll incident, as described by aviation experts, is an inflight oscillation event in which an aircraft rolls (tilts side to side) and yaws (moves tail left to right). This motion is not inherently dangerous but can be uncomfortable for passengers. Dutch roll is an aerodynamic condition that should dampen out naturally on certain aircraft like the 737. However, on some other aircraft, such a motion could cause a pilot to lose control. The name "Dutch roll" comes from an ice-skating technique common in the Netherlands. Pilots are trained to recognize and correct a Dutch roll, and planes are equipped with systems called yaw dampers to automatically address the motion.