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From: cfiaime@ihnp4.UUCP (Jeff Williams)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Most beautiful aircraft
Message-ID: <817@ihnp4.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Jul-85 10:26:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihnp4.817
Posted: Mon Jul 15 10:26:17 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 05:51:40 EDT
References: <2857@decwrl.UUCP> <808@ihnp4.UUCP> <693@dataio.UUCP> <866@ccice5.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 36

> 
> Didn't a roll also happen to a TWA 727 on a passanger flight over Lake Erie
> a couple of years ago?

In late 1978 (September, October), a TWA 727-100 did indeed do a roll.
According to the reports, the Captain ("Hoot" Gibson, by name) may have
asked for 1 degree of flaps to lower the deck angle of the aircraft
in order to increase aircraft speed.  He was up around 39000, which
is rather high for a 15 year old 727-100.  Anyway, the slats on the
wing are supposed to extend with 2 degrees of flap travel.  Number 7
(outboard) slat extended, causing the airplane to roll.  It was recovered
(on instruments) at around 10000 feet, and landed safely in Detroit.
The roll was over central Michigan.  TWA and Boeing figure that the 
airplane was overstressed about twice the certification load factors.
In addition to damage to the flaps, one landing
gear was also damaged.  The airplane was ferried to Kansas City
for repair or possible salvage.  With the exception of the damage noted
and repaired in Detroit (missing slat, gear damage), there was no damage
at all on the airplane.  It is still flying passengers for TWA.

Hoot Gibson denies that he asked for a 1 degree flap extension.  He
no longer flies for TWA.

As for flap extension to improve cruise...
This works for several airplanes, including the Grumman AA-5 series.
We found while flying charter that many times the Tiger flaps would
ride "up" several degrees.  We would flick the flap switch, extending
the flaps so they rode flush with the wing-root fairing.  It would
gain us almost 3 knots.  

The Brittian-Norman Islander is another example.  The factory was so
impressed with the improvement in cruise that it modified ALL Islanders
so that the 0 degree flap position is the old 4 degree flap position.

					jeff williams
					ihnp4!cfiaime