FAA releases bulletin addressing V-Speed 'misunderstanding'
January 26, 2011, 05:04 pm
Due to confusion resulting from a 10-year-old crash caused by misuse of V-speed controls, the Federal Aviation Administration has release a special airworthiness bulletin addressed to pilots of all planes to inform them of the proper meaning of design maneuvering velocity speed.
The group cites a general misunderstanding of the V-speed on behalf of all pilots who believe that, as long as they are somewhere below that speed, they can maneuver the plane however they would like, including multiple simultaneous inputs. However, V-Speed, as the FAA defines it, is "the speed below which you can move a single flight control, one time, to its full deflection, for one axis of airplane rotation only (pitch, roll or yaw), in smooth air, without risk of damage to the airplane."
After investigation, the crash, which involved a commercial plane and resulted in the deaths of all passengers and five people on the ground, revealed that the pilot had exceeded the maximum structural design loads of the plane by making too many maneuvers. The FAA warns that this can happen with any plane, including home made aircrafts that don't have a published V-speed, and pilots should be aware of the danger.
Pilots face a number of hazards in flight including simple misunderstandings of aircraft functions. Given the number of risks flying entails, pilot insurance is an important consideration.
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