Flight 15184 Research Paper

1518 CST Flight 4184 was cleared to LUCIT intersection by BOONE control and were given a revised estimated time of 1545 for further clearance from ATC and after several radio transmissions were given clearance for a 10 nautical mile holding pattern with a reduced speed and right turns.

1524 Transmitted “entering hold” to BOONE control.

The crew then informed American Eagle that their estimated time for further clearance from ATC is 1545 using the automatic communications and recording system.

At this time the flight data recorder indicated the planes speed was 175 KIAS with zero degrees of flaps and the airplanes deicing system wasn’t activated for the first rotation of the holding pattern.

1527 Conversation between the pilots and a flight attendant were heard with music playing in

1557 The overspeed flap alarm sounds. Captain "I knew we 'd do that." First officer "I trying to keep it at one eighty." Flaps were retracted. While descending the nose pitched up to 5 degrees and the right wing started to drop. Then the right wing dropped 13.43 degrees and the autopilot was disengaged. The plane started to pitch down and the right wing rolled drastically. Captain “****” First officer “*****” and then only heavy breathing was heard.

1557 The right wing drop stopped at 77 degrees and the nose had dropped 3.5 degrees. The plane then started to roll back towards the left and the nose down angle stopped at 15 degrees nose down. As the plane was rolling back towards the left with a ring wing drop of 57 degrees the nose angle of attack increased to 5 degrees and the right wing dropped again. The captains steering column indicated he was using more than 22 pounds of force towards the nose up position. The plane continued to roll to the right in excess of 50 degrees per second.

Nose up inputs were both recorded on both steering columns throughout the rapid descent. The flight data recorder indicated that the angle of attack increased as the nose up elevator