Considering how many times the F/O has used the rudder trim knob during his simulator training, it's rather bewildering how such a mistake could occur. Seems downright absurd to me honestly. Highly anticipating the "official" report on this one..... Regards,Paul Wood

Hmmm. I was thinking the same thing. If you've done a type rating on the 737, you've done enough V1 cuts that you can find the switch by hand. Also, why not just look for the door switch? Also, I've never flown a fail-active jet, but I wonder if there is less rudder trim use. I think ANA might have fail-active.

See sig

Thanks for the screenshot, I see what he did but still amazed he would hold it long enough to cause such an incident. Mark.

Another possibility, as turning the Trim Button would only get the plane skew a little but the Auto Pilot would immediately compensate, is that in reaching for the door button he accidentally disconnected the AP from the button located in the Yoke...

Great, here comes another useless mandatory threat briefing......(thanks to Helios for the first one, and the new superfluous warning lights) Not only are these two controls a completely different shape, they have a completely different feel when pressed. The door tends to click to a detent, and you can here the 'click' of the door solenoid. The rudder trim just mushes over to one side against its spring. You'd also have to hold it for quite a while for anything to actually happen, although you'd see the yoke deflecting to stupidly odd positions. Of course, when the A/P did eventually give up the ghost and disconnect, the plane would go absolutely wild since the 737's rudder is ridiculously powerful. So I can see how it happened eventually. I'll admit I'm personally guilty of the good 'ol 'B Hydraulics' vs 'Engine anti-ice' in the -200 though........doh! Turn off engine anti-ice and get surprised by the MC Hyd, MC Flight Controls......doh! What the......! In my defence I did immediately realise what I'd done (moron!), unlike a mate who ran through all the relevant checklists first....

I've been following other 737 typed pilots about how this could happen if the rudder trim knob got stuck in one direction which has happened to a few of them. I know in the King Air it has a lot of authority and would easily roll the aircraft over if we kept rotating it to a full deflection.

At least in the United States the door unlock position is never to be used inflight except maybe in an emergency. I don't know what the policies of the foreign airlines are.

At least in the United States the door unlock position is never to be used inflight except maybe in an emergency. I don't know what the policies of the foreign airlines are.

How do you go pee then?

After doing the security procedures to make sure the area is clear you open the door with the door knob.

20 bucks says this will be a catalyst to change the switch shape/location.

They've already done that once following the crash of a US Air 737. This one: http://aviation-safe...p?id=19890920-0 The old 737 rudder trim switch was a blade-shaped knob, but they reckoned that a jump-seat passenger kicked it over with his foot whilst putting his feet up on the centre pedestal of that US Air 737 which crashed, which is why from 1990 onward it was changed to have a little guard rail around it and a round fluted knob that is less easy to knock out of position by accident, although apparently not impossible it would seem! Al

After doing the security procedures to make sure the area is clear you open the door with the door knob.

That doesn't work in the 767 or the 777 without leaving the seat as the door is too far away. We always use the unlock position as this is our procedure as well.

Yes but we have to get out of the seat to go pee too so we're already up. We don't ever use the unlock position in any of American Airlines planes even 767 and 777, I believe that is the standard for all US airlines.

Yes but we have to get out of the seat to go pee too so we're already up

One pilot is not in the cockpit and the other leaves his seat to open the door ? That definitely doesn't work.What's the use of the unlock position other than to unlock the door ? Furthermore by turning the switch to the unlock position the F/A get's the only visual feedback that she can open the door from the outside.

Just FYI the All Nippon 737 does NOT have the same pedestal layout as the PMDG NGX. Much easier to confuse especially if you're not looking. See Here: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/11/switchep.jpg

One pilot is not in the cockpit and the other leaves his seat to open the door ? That definitely doesn't work.What's the use of the unlock position other than to unlock the door ? Furthermore by turning the switch to the unlock position the F/A get's the only visual feedback that she can open the door from the outside.

There is never only one person in the cockpit. When one pilot leaves a Flight Attendant goes into the cockpit. The remaining pilot always stays in the seat while the other one is out. Like I said in the U.S. The unlock feature is never used in flight except for an emergency.