The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and aircraft manufacturer ATR should act to improve aircraft system design tolerance to dual control inputs by pilots, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says.
The recommendations, issued Friday, were contained in the ATSB’s final report on a Feb. 20, 2014, event involving a Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) ATR 72 being flown from Canberra to Sydney. The report said that while descending through 8,500 ft, the airplane encountered significant wind shear, followed by a decreased tailwind.
The two pilots “unintentionally applied opposing control inputs to their control columns while trying to ensure the aircraft remained below its maximum operating speed,” the ATSB said. “These differential forces activated the aircraft’s pitch uncoupling mechanism.” This led to a pitch disconnect, which meant each elevator c…
