Hoot Gibson. 30 Seconds Over Detroit.

[trof]

I flew with Hoot when we were TWA pilots in the 70s and 80s.
His real name was Harvey, which he hated.
He was (maybe still is?) a really cool guy.
Claimed he didn't even spill a Martini in first class during this weird mishap.

On April 4, 1979, a Boeing 727-31 (tail number N840TW) operating as TWA Flight 841 took off from JFK International Airport, New York City en route to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. Over Saginaw, Michigan, while the plane was cruising at 39,000 feet, its #7 slat extended, initiating a sharp roll to the right. The roll continued despite the corrective measures taken by the autopilot and the human pilot. The aircraft went into a spiral dive, losing about 34,000 feet in 63 seconds. (For comparison, a normal rate of descent for an airliner would be 1800 feet per minute).

During the course of the dive, the plane rolled through 360 degrees twice, and crossed the Mach limit for the 727 airframe. It was later estimated from the flight data recorder that the plane was momentarily supersonic. Control was regained at about 8,000 feet, by the decision of the Captain to extend the landing gear in an attempt to slow the aircraft<1>, and following the #7 slat being torn off from the aircraft and symmetry of lift being re-established. The plane suffered substantial structural damage, but made an emergency landing at Detroit, Michigan without further trouble. No fatalities occurred among the 82 passengers and seven crew members. Eight passengers reported minor injuries relating to high G forces.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_841_%281979%29

[Suich]

1. Good grief!

That's some scary stuff. Wonder what the passengers had to say. Not sure if I believe the martini part, though!



:hi:

[Brother Buzz]

2. Why was the Captain drinking in first class?

I thought flight attendants delivered drinks directly to the cockpit.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. An interesting incident.

A number of lawsuits came out of it. I used to know a couple of the lawyers who were involved in the litigation of one of the cases, Quill v. TWA (which the plaintiffs won). The story I heard from one of them was that the leading edge flaps were partially extended to improve the aircraft's performance, then they retracted asymmetrically, causing the roll. I know the pilots insisted they hadn't done anything, and ALPA later contested the NTSB's probable cause findings.

[trof]

4. Hoot and I were drinkin' buddies as well as co-workers.

To the day he swears on a stack of bibles he didn't fiddle with the L/E flaps. Bit I guess I'd say that too.
;-)