Legendary Captain

Chapter 279 Huge Hidden Dangers

"What's going on?" This sudden change caught Lu Xinyu, who was already on edge, completely off guard. It wasn't the flight itself that made him nervous; it was simply that his idol was sitting next to him, causing his muscles and mind to involuntarily tense up. Normally, such a change would only have surprised Lu Xinyu slightly, not elicited such a strong reaction.

"The flaps are asymmetrical!" Xu Qing controlled the aircraft with one hand while glancing at the flap position indicator. The indicator showed that one flap was indeed positioned at position one, following the action of the flap handle, while the other flap skipped position one and went all the way down to position forty.

Because the flaps on both sides are not in the same position, the wing will roll abnormally. Once this rolling moment exceeds the limit that the autopilot can correct, the autopilot will disengage automatically.

After Xu Qing's reminder, Lu Xinyu quickly discovered the problem of the asymmetrical flaps. He couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Mr. Xu, shall we continue?"

The low-altitude leveling maneuver was already difficult enough, but the asymmetrical flaps made directional control even more challenging. Even though Lu Xinyu had almost blind faith in Xu Qing, for safety reasons, he felt it necessary to consult Xu Qing's opinion.

As to whether the flap asymmetry will affect the grounding operation in a short time, and to what extent, only the person in charge can say for sure.

Perhaps, from Lu Xinyu's perspective, the asymmetrical flaps would make it impossible for him to operate. But from Xu Qing's perspective, the asymmetrical flaps weren't a big problem.

"It's nothing, just asymmetrical flaps. Just be careful with the roll maneuvers." Xu Qing wasn't too concerned about the increased difficulty of controlling the aircraft during rolls caused by the asymmetrical flaps.

Flange asymmetry is different from flap misalignment. If the flaps are misaligned, the flaps can be adjusted to the appropriate position by deploying the spare flaps. However, since there is no asymmetry protection during the spare flap deployment process, the spare flap function cannot be used when the flaps are asymmetrical.

In all likelihood, the aircraft will maintain its current flap configuration, with one flap at position one and the other at position forty, and land.

Actually, if it were just asymmetrical flaps, Lu Xinyu wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong with it. He had encountered all sorts of aircraft control system malfunctions while flying flights.

Issues included inconsistent flaps, asymmetrical flaps, the leading edge transition light being on, and the leading edge device failing to extend. In Lu Xinyu's understanding, given his abilities, he wouldn't simply consider the issue of asymmetrical flaps a troublesome problem. As Xu Qing said, he just needed to pay attention to the roll maneuver.

Of course, Lu Xinyu's belief was based on his strong confidence in his own abilities. For some other captains, asymmetrical flaps might be considered a rather difficult problem.

However, if it were simply a matter of flap asymmetry, it wouldn't be worth Lu Xinyu asking whether to continue the approach. The problem lies with the right-side engine, which will soon be shut down.

In the previous Star Trek 6333 flight, the right engine failed. Therefore, to recreate the situation, they will be shutting down the right-side number two engine shortly.

That's where the problem lies.

When the right engine shuts down, the thrust on both sides becomes inconsistent, causing the aircraft to generate a continuous torque that yaws to the right.

The deflection torque caused by the inconsistent thrust due to a single engine is mostly controllable, except under high thrust conditions. However, the situation changes in certain special circumstances.

For example, resuming flights.

During the go-around phase, there are prolonged periods of high thrust. Under high thrust conditions, thrust inconsistency becomes more pronounced, and the yaw moment naturally increases. At this point, the aircraft becomes difficult to control.

Therefore, one of the challenges for single-engine go-arounds is directional control during the initial climb phase. At the start of a go-around, as thrust and throttle increase, the control input must keep pace.

If the control input is not kept up during the single-engine go-around phase, the aircraft is very likely to tilt and crash to one side, which is extremely dangerous in low-altitude environments.

However, for ordinary pilots, a single-engine go-around might still be considered difficult. But for pilots like Lu Xinyu or Xu Qing, a single-engine go-around wouldn't be a challenge.

Based on Lu Xinyu's experience, he doesn't consider single-engine flight to be particularly difficult. In actual flight operations, Lu Xinyu has never encountered an engine failure, but during this training flight, he attempted to switch off one engine in a training environment.

Cutting off the engine here doesn't just mean reducing the throttle to idle; it means cutting off the engine start lever as well.

In single-engine situations, Lu Xinyu had piloted go-around maneuvers before, and as long as the control inputs were timely, the aircraft's direction could still be maintained well. Logically speaking, if Lu Xinyu could do it well, Xu Qing shouldn't have any problems.

Whether it's flap asymmetry or single engine operation, Lu Xinyu didn't think either of these faults would be difficult to handle in a single situation. The problem was that the two were combined.

Moreover, the deflection caused by the flap asymmetry is also to the right. The right engine will be cut off later, which will also cause a right yaw moment. The two will overlap, which is quite bad news.

"Mr. Xu, if we go around the gate in a bit, won't the aircraft be a little harder to control during the initial climb?"

If the approach continues, Lu Xinyu estimates that approximately 75% of N1 will be needed to maintain the aircraft's attitude on the fifth approach.

To be honest, with a thrust of 75, Lu Xinyu felt that the yaw torque generated by the aircraft itself was still controllable. But if it were to go on a second flight, then things would be hard to say.

The go-around state is inherently a relatively unstable state with high thrust and high angle of attack, at which point the yaw torque will be more pronounced.

Lu Xinyu wasn't worried about the rest of the time, but he was worried about the resumption of flights. If there were to be any safety issues, it would definitely be during the resumption of flights.

Some might think that if a go-around is dangerous, then just land; wouldn't that eliminate the risk? This is a very dangerous and flawed idea, as it implies that the pilot is presupposing a mandatory landing. Once this preconceived notion is formed, the pilot's judgment regarding the timing of a go-around becomes inaccurate.

An approach process cannot only consider landing; it must also take into account the go-around.

For example, if a thundercloud covers the go-around path, but the weather on the fifth approach is very clear and the approach can continue, a qualified pilot should coordinate with the control tower to change the go-around path to avoid the thundercloud. If coordination is not possible, the approach should be aborted.

That's right. Since the thunderclouds aren't over the pentagonal clouds, the plane will most likely land safely. But what if something goes wrong and the plane can't land? Should it just run straight into the thunderclouds?

A true pilot never considers the impact of just one aspect; he must have a comprehensive understanding.

Lu Xinyu considered that during a go-around, the yaw moment would reach its maximum due to flap asymmetry and the single-engine configuration. He wondered if this yaw moment might exceed the aircraft's roll control limits. In other words, even if the pilot used every possible method, they wouldn't be able to stop the aircraft from yawing.

If the yaw torque truly exceeds the pilot's control limits, then it's beyond human control and objective laws must be considered. In this situation, under the influence of these objective laws, humans must still show sufficient respect; otherwise, they would be courting death.

Lu Xinyu had never tried asymmetrical flaps with a single-engine go-around before, not even in a simulator. However, judging from the way the yaw moment directly disconnected the autopilot when the flaps were asymmetrical, it must have been really difficult to control, since one flap was set to 1 and the other to 40, a huge difference.

Because Lu Xinyu hadn't experienced it firsthand, he didn't know if the deflection torque would exceed the control limits. Without practical experience, he had no right to speak, so he could only ask Xu Qing for help with this issue; after all, Xu Qing was the operator.

Xu Qingzhen thought about it carefully: "I think it should be fine. Don't worry, if there is a problem with excessive yaw torque, I will reduce the thrust of one rocket appropriately. The airspace around Hamchi Airport is excellent, so even if we take off a little slower, it won't be a problem."

Xu Qing's meaning was simple: when necessary, he would reduce the thrust of the No. 1 engine, which would reduce the yaw torque so that the yaw torque would be within the controllable range.

However, in single-engine go-around situations, appropriately reducing the thrust of the only working engine can affect the aircraft's climb rate. Under single-engine conditions, the aircraft's climb is already quite simple; further reducing the thrust could even result in the aircraft barely climbing at all, which is extremely dangerous at airports with complex terrain.

Because many go-around procedures have a climb gradient set, if you don't reach that climb gradient, you may still trigger a terrain warning even if you fly according to the go-around procedure.

Fortunately, the terrain around Hamchi Airport is extremely flat, posing no terrain threat, and its go-around procedures do not require a climb gradient or rate of climb. Even if the climb rate is reduced slightly during the go-around, there shouldn't be any problems.

Lu Xinyu silently assessed the feasibility of Xu Qing's suggestion and felt it was feasible, so he nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to Mr. Xu."

Xu Qing pressed down on the rudder with one hand and adjusted the ailerons to reduce the control force. Otherwise, if he continued to exert force, it would easily cause his right hand to tremble uncontrollably.

"Of course, if we land safely, we won't have to deal with the problem of going around the clock." Faced with this situation, Xu Qing remained remarkably calm. After all, he had weathered countless storms and walked through the gates of hell several times; his mental fortitude was far beyond that of ordinary people. Xu Qing even teased Lu Xinyu, "To be honest, your company's plane is to blame for this situation. With so many people watching, you could have at least used a better plane. Instead, you've given me an asymmetrical flap right off the bat."

Lu Xinyu broke out in a cold sweat, but Xu Qing's words made sense. The plane certainly met the release standards, but it was true that it had failed at a crucial moment, which was quite embarrassing.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Mr. Xu." Lu Xinyu blushed and quickly changed the subject: "Then let me make some contact and request permission to remain in place and handle the malfunction?"

Based on previous estimates, the 30-plus nautical mileage of the peninsula was quite ample. However, if the special circumstances of handling flap asymmetry were added, it would be stretched thin. Therefore, Lu Xinyu felt it would be better to request to remain in place, complete the checklist for flap asymmetry first, and then turn to the peninsula. In this way, things wouldn't seem rushed at the peninsula.

"Okay, go ahead." Xu Qing agreed with Lu Xinyu's consideration; it was indeed a bit rushed to go to the Fifth District now.

Having received Xu Qing's approval, Lu Xinyu immediately contacted the control tower: "Control tower, Star Travel 6333, we are currently experiencing a flaperon asymmetry. Please hover in place to handle the situation."

"Okay, Star Travel 6333, relay this to the Pentagon." The control tower hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Star Travel 6333, are you still proceeding as planned?"

The implication was whether the plan to cut off one engine would proceed as scheduled.

The asymmetrical flaps were definitely not part of the plan. Given this unexpected turn of events, it would be reasonable to temporarily cancel the plan to cut one engine.

If the crew decides to temporarily suspend the subsequent activities and proceed with a normal dual-engine landing, the control tower needs to contact the event organizers in a timely manner and explain the situation to the observers below.

Otherwise, it would be bad if a group of people were waiting below to see what happened, only to find out that both engines had landed.

Those in the private lounge also heard the crew report that the flaps were asymmetrical, and some knowledgeable people quickly realized that the problem of the deflection torque caused by cutting off the second engine later was a problem.

"Xu Xian, is this flap asymmetry problem serious?" Wen Jingshu was not a professional and was not very familiar with some of the so-called special affairs terms. She could not tell how serious the current flap asymmetry problem was.

Xu Xian frowned slightly: "But the flap asymmetry isn't too serious, but if a single engine is involved, it could become severe. I don't know which side the flap asymmetry is causing the deflection to. If it's deflecting to the left, it's manageable; it might even be able to offset some of the deflection torque from the single engine. But if it's deflecting to the right, it will be difficult to control, especially during a go-around."

Xu Xian had a very sharp eye and quickly grasped the key point of the problem, which was exactly the same as Lu Xinyu's concerns.

Xu Xian's explanation was easy for experts to understand, but to laymen, it was like a foreign language, completely incomprehensible.

Wen Jingshu opened her mouth slightly, clearly not understanding. However, she was too embarrassed to ask Xu Xian again, so she could only give a soft "hmm".

Watching Xu Xian and Wen Jingshu chatting as if no one else was around, seemingly acquainted, Yun Shang couldn't help but narrow his eyes. Could it be that this Xu Xian kid has some connection with the Wen Group?

If Xu Xian were indeed working for Xingyou Airlines—which, in principle, belongs to the Wens Group—the two are worlds apart in size. Yun Shang wouldn't care about offending Xingyou Airlines. But offending the Wens Group would be a much more serious matter.

The Wen Group's main business wasn't originally the aviation industry. He figured that if they were to clash with Star Travel Airlines and Chimelong Airlines during their upcoming expansion, the Wen Group would likely not engage in a life-or-death struggle with them. However, if Xu Xian was related to Wen Jingshu, the heir to the Wen family, then things would be unpredictable.

By this point, Yun Shang was already somewhat regretting involving Xu Xian in this matter. Previously, Han Qi's departure from Kunlong Airlines was partly due to Xu Xian. If the Wen Group were dragged into this because of Xu Xian, then his attack on Qingyuan Group would be a complete failure.

Ultimately, Yun Shang never imagined that Xu Xian, such an ordinary person, would be involved in so many things.

At this moment, Chen Yi, the Vice President of Operations at Blue Sky Airlines, pushed through the crowd and approached Cheng Guangyu: "Director Cheng, the ultra-low-altitude leveling operation is already extremely difficult. If we add asymmetrical flaps, the uncertainty increases significantly. I hope you can notify the control tower and tell Xu Qing to cancel the later plan to shut down one engine."

"Do you think this situation is dangerous?" Mei Tingting asked, tilting her head.

Chen Yi nodded: "It's extremely dangerous! Xu Qing doesn't need to take this risk."

Upon hearing Chen Yi's words, Mei Tingting fell silent.

"President Chen, if you want to speak to Xu Qing, I hope you can talk to him directly. My words may not be effective. I can contact the control tower and connect your audio to the frequency so you can speak directly to Xu Qing." Director Cheng knew Xu Qing's temperament very well. Although he was the Director of the Aviation Safety Department and a prominent figure in the civil aviation industry, his position as the Director of the Aviation Safety Department was completely ineffective with Xu Qing.

But Chen Yi is different!

When Xu Qing first joined Blue Sky Airlines, Chen Yi was the chief pilot of Blue Sky Airlines and could be considered Xu Qing's senior. The two had a very good relationship.

For someone as sentimental as Xu Qing, it would probably be more effective to speak to someone close to him.

"No problem!" Chen Yi glanced at Mei Tingting, and only after seeing that Mei Tingting did he agree to Cheng Guangyu's request.

Just as Chen Yi agreed to persuade Xu Qing, Lu Xinyu's voice came through the speakers: "Tower, after we deal with the flap asymmetry, we will continue flying as originally planned."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi's expression stiffened, and he subconsciously looked at Mei Tingting.

Mei Tingting smiled and said, "If he thinks it's alright, then let him be."

It was obvious that Chen Yi was following Mei Tingting's lead. After Mei Tingting said that, Chen Yi nodded and retreated back into the crowd, not mentioning again his promise to persuade Xu Qing.

At this very moment, two young men are lying on the barbed wire fence surrounding Hamchi Airport, one of them holding a remote control for a drone.

"Luckily, there were a lot of people and drones this time, otherwise it would have been really difficult for us to sneak in." One of them said, looking at a drone flying in the sky above the airport.

These two individuals are aviation enthusiasts and were not among those invited by the event organizers, thus preventing them from entering the airport. However, they possessed their own drone equipped with camera equipment, and taking advantage of the crowded and chaotic airport environment, they managed to blend their drone into the swarm of drones belonging to the media reporters.

"Keep an eye on the five sides. As soon as the plane is about to land, we'll control the drone over the runway and get a close-up shot from the front," the man said excitedly.

Another person expressed concern: "I noticed that the reporters' drones were all lined up on either side of the runway. I guess flying drones directly over the runway isn't allowed?"

In their field of vision, they discovered that although there were many drones belonging to the media reporters, they were all hovering above the sides of the runway, with none hovering above the runway itself.

If they could hover over the runway in the best shooting position, they don't believe the reporters wouldn't crowd there. The most likely reason why no drones have crossed the line is that the airport prohibits drones from hovering over the runway.

If they were to operate drones over the runway, wouldn't that break the rules?

But the other person didn't care at all: "We'll just take a quick picture secretly, it'll be fine, no one will notice!"

After this special operation is over, this book will also come to an end. Compared to the previous book, this one is written more smoothly, and I feel it's quite good.

My next book might be about Han Qi, so I can finish the Captain Trilogy in one go—that's what my editor suggested. But I want to write something unrealistic; we'll see when the time comes.

(End of this chapter)