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So, I'm sitting near the back of a Mad Dog out of MSP, bound for ATL last Friday morning, first flight of the day. After buckling in, I see the right aileron deflected full up, while the left one is aligned with the wing, as you normally expect. No prob, I figure, when we push back and start up and get the hydraulics going, the aileron will line back up.
Push back, engine start, start taxiing, and the right aileron is still pointed at the sky. Taxiing, crew puts in takeoff flaps and slats, and the aileron is still pointed at the sky. CO calls out we're #1 for takeoff, and I see one more turnout before we're to the end of the runway. And the right aileron is still pointed at the sky. And the only thing going thru my mind is, "This isn't your day to die."
So I flag a passing attendant, and ask her if it is normal for the right aileron to be pointed at the sky like that. She looks at me like I'm speaking Martian, but looks at each wing and agrees they don't look alike, so she'll call the flight deck.
CO pulls into the turnout, and the FO comes sprinting back the isle, and asks me what is bothering me, and I point out the up aileron. He chuckles, and says "the MD-88 ailerons are controlled by trim tabs only, there is no direct control of the aileron. When we start our roll, airflow over the wing will re-align the aileron with the wing. The storms last night must have blown it into the up position."
The pax around me look at me like I'm from Mars, the FO sprints back. And, as he said, on the roll, the aileron slowly fell back to position, and the flight was normal. The PAX continued to look me daggers for delaying their flight.
And, I felt 2" tall.
So, what would YOU do? You get on an airliner, and some flight control or surface is totally whack compared to everything you know about how airplanes fly. CO announces #1, and the control is still whack. Do you
Push back, engine start, start taxiing, and the right aileron is still pointed at the sky. Taxiing, crew puts in takeoff flaps and slats, and the aileron is still pointed at the sky. CO calls out we're #1 for takeoff, and I see one more turnout before we're to the end of the runway. And the right aileron is still pointed at the sky. And the only thing going thru my mind is, "This isn't your day to die."
So I flag a passing attendant, and ask her if it is normal for the right aileron to be pointed at the sky like that. She looks at me like I'm speaking Martian, but looks at each wing and agrees they don't look alike, so she'll call the flight deck.
CO pulls into the turnout, and the FO comes sprinting back the isle, and asks me what is bothering me, and I point out the up aileron. He chuckles, and says "the MD-88 ailerons are controlled by trim tabs only, there is no direct control of the aileron. When we start our roll, airflow over the wing will re-align the aileron with the wing. The storms last night must have blown it into the up position."
The pax around me look at me like I'm from Mars, the FO sprints back. And, as he said, on the roll, the aileron slowly fell back to position, and the flight was normal. The PAX continued to look me daggers for delaying their flight.
And, I felt 2" tall.
So, what would YOU do? You get on an airliner, and some flight control or surface is totally whack compared to everything you know about how airplanes fly. CO announces #1, and the control is still whack. Do you
- Sit on your hands, and hope everything will be OK, or
- Do what I did, at the risk of being the fool, and ask someone.