Jack Roush Crashes Plane in WI

[Tommy]

This is a follow up to my earlier comment.

It can be challenging for a co-pilot to know when to intervene when the PIC is flying. This true story may give some of you a feeling for what can happen.

I was evaluating an instructor pilot in the twin engine T-38 jet trainer. I was the PIC but I was to play the part of his student pilot. He was to decide when to intervene with verbal suggestions, verbal commands or taking control of the airplane. Our very first maneuver after takeoff was to come back around for a simulated single engine heavy weight landing. This type of approach and landing is challenging because there is very little excess power available. Consequently, the keys to a good approach are to never let the airplane get lower or slower than desired. I was flying (as the student) and had it in my mind to do the best landing I could. Abeam the field I advised the instructor that I was reducing power on the left engine to idle to simulate its failure. Everything felt normal as we gradually slowed, descended to our final approach altitude (500’ AGL) and lowered the landing gear and some flaps. As we approached our fully configured final approach speed of about 160 knots, I pushed the power on the “good” engine up to the usual setting of 93%. A few seconds later I noticed our speed had dropped about 5 knots so I pushed the power up to 97%. Odd. Usually 93% works. A few seconds later we were 10 knots slow and had lost about 50’ of altitude. I pushed the power to Military (i.e., 100% RPM but without afterburners). I glanced down again to see we were 15 knots slow and 100’ low. I pushed the throttle on the “good” engine to Max (full afterburner) and started checking the engine gauges. Damn! The nozzle on the “good” engine was not responding. Even though the engine RPM was at 100%, the failed nozzle had reduced our effective power to about 85% and precluded the afterburner from working. We were now 20 knots slow and 150’ low. I grabbed the left throttle and shoved it to Max afterburner. A moment later I felt the reassuring push from the left engine as it kicked in. I pressed the mic button to declare an emergency and announce my intention to make a full stop landing. The rest of the approach and landing were uneventful.

Back on the ground I asked the instructor why he never said a word to the “student” as the airplane got lower and slower. He explained that if he had been with a real student, he would have intervened when the airplane was 5 knots slow. But because he knew I was really an experienced pilot, he assumed I would never fly the airplane into a situation that was genuinely dangerous. He thought I was deliberately flying low and slow, and he trusted me to not let things get out of hand. This tendency to trust the more experienced pilot has gotten more than a few crews into trouble. From that point on I told every pilot who flew with me the same thing: I will not deliberately do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable. If you start to feel uncomfortable, please say something because I’m likely not doing it on purpose.