Metroliner Crash Malta

[yellowjack]

FuzzyLogic said:

yellowjack said:

Or is it just a coincidence, and neither crash has anything to do with stability problems with this particular design?

You should have a read of the accident report for the Cork accident.. Lets just say there was a lot of other factors involved over and above the aircraft!

Yes I understand that. But those other factors don't rule out the possibility that these are tricky aeroplanes to fly. I'm no expert, which is why I'm not suggesting I know one way or the other. There's a reasonable chance that someone on here might have direct experience of crewing one of these, hence the question. There do seem to be a remarkable number number of accidents with this type ending up wrong-way-up. Or at least on a quick Google that seems to be the case. Someone with proper aviation knowledge might be able to enlighten me as to whether the % chance of ending up all 'wheels in the air' in one of these particular aeroplanes is greater, or less than, the chance of the same result in another type within the small/medium twin turboprop class, given a similar set of circumstances?

[saaby93]

one accident per year>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Swearingen...
It doesnt say how many end upside down

[Jezzerh]

Well they do call them the 'Texas Lawn Dart'. I think I've also heard them called a 'Death Pencil'.

[Eric Mc]

Seems they might have a bit of a reputation.

[jamieduff1981]

yellowjack said:

FuzzyLogic said:

yellowjack said:

Or is it just a coincidence, and neither crash has anything to do with stability problems with this particular design?

You should have a read of the accident report for the Cork accident.. Lets just say there was a lot of other factors involved over and above the aircraft!

Yes I understand that. But those other factors don't rule out the possibility that these are tricky aeroplanes to fly. I'm no expert, which is why I'm not suggesting I know one way or the other. There's a reasonable chance that someone on here might have direct experience of crewing one of these, hence the question. There do seem to be a remarkable number number of accidents with this type ending up wrong-way-up. Or at least on a quick Google that seems to be the case. Someone with proper aviation knowledge might be able to enlighten me as to whether the % chance of ending up all 'wheels in the air' in one of these particular aeroplanes is greater, or less than, the chance of the same result in another type within the small/medium twin turboprop class, given a similar set of circumstances?

I'm starting off by distancing myself from any speculation about this particular incident.

To attain a certificate of airworthiness an aircraft needs to be stable. Nothing certified to carrying commercial passengers will just flip upside down if the pilot isn't looking. There are no Lancia Stratos type airliners.

Some perfectly safe aircraft can however exhibit a sharp roll if stalled whilst side-slipping. Many light aircraft will "drop a wing" when stalled generally, but this usually means rolling 15~25deg or so and it's no big deal really. To roll an aircraft this size inverted, it needs to be stalled in a very assymetric manner. This could be caused by very poor piloting (e.g. through extreme distraction or incapacitation) or quite easily achieved on multi-engine aircraft by stalling with assymetric power (e.g. one engine dead and the other at high power).

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

You don't need to sttall the aircraft to get it rolling like that.

Think about assymmetric thrust and the secondary and tertiary effects of yaw.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

You don't need to stall the aircraft to get it rolling like that.

Think about assymmetric thrust and the secondary and tertiary effects of yaw.

Legend has it that Metroliners can be a bit hairy if you lose an engine on take off at higher weights.