Expert Opinion
AINsight: Focus on the Rudder and LOC-I Accidents
Improper rudder use can lead to loss of control in aircraft
Boeing 737-8.
Boeing 737-8. © Screenshot from “The Rudder—Critical, Powerful, and Often Misunderstood” video.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of focus on the rudder and its contribution to loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) accidents.

The month of April began with an article entitled “Use of Rudder” in Safety First, the Airbus Safety magazine, that issues a stern warning to pilots: “The use of rudder by the flight crew on Airbus aircraft is limited to the takeoff and landing roll, crosswind landings, or to counteract the yaw effect caused by an engine failure until the rudder is trimmed.”

Stuart “Kipp” Lau
Contributor - Safety
About the author

Pilot, safety expert, consultant, and aviation journalist Stuart “Kipp” Lau writes about flight safety and airmanship for AIN.

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