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RV-7A down in NZ 01/01/18 - Accident report released

The "aside from" is *exactly* how they can botch up a "simple" roll, especially for someone who hasn't had much, or any, aerobatic training. It is *very* common for someone to ease off the stick deflection during their first roll, and end up with a roll rate near zero and inverted. When it doesn't look right, panic sets in, and the genetic programming in humans is to contract into a smaller space, which means hands come back towards the belly. Result? A split-S.

That makes sense.
 
Thanks for the above discussion. I, too, was in the "how can someone botch" camp, but now I understand. Also, the Flying article timeline, even at five second intervals, opens the door to some cloud surfing gone wrong, IMO.
 
I have over the years taken quite a few high time pilots up on their first acro flights. Most would be quite surprised at how things can go south. I try and emphasis unusual attitude recoveries. The learning curve for a higher time pilots is however quite steep and most adapt quickly. Trying to teach yourself however without getting instruction in the basics and unusual attitudes is a recipe for disaster.
 
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My first airplane, an RV-4, was destroyed, killing the owner and his friend, following a low-level botched aileron row, after having owned the airplane for 20 years! It can happen. The RV’s are very slick airplanes, and gather speed extremely fast when pointed downhill, especially when the power is still high. Add in low altitude, and it is not a view that the average pilot is used to seeing. The Darwinian reaction is to pull back, which only worsens the situation, adding g’s and more speed at the same time.

Vic
 
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