Page 10 - Sept 2015 Volume 19 Number 9

showed a slow turn toward the south. My best guess was that I was in a left bank. I decided to put in about an inch of right stick and wait to see how the trends developed. If they increased toward a downward spiral, I would reverse inputs immediately and double it until the trends reversed. I could feel the blood pounding in my neck. I had to force myself to breathe.I moved the cyclic and waited a couple of potatoes; no change. Airspeed was up to about 70 knots and the VVI showed 400 fpm downward but was steady. Why was that? Think! If I were in a right turn, I reasoned, both rates should have increased a lot very quickly. Must be that I had only put in enough right stick to stop the increase in left bank but not enough to roll out. I gave the stick another inch or so to the right. My ears rang. I fought down the bile in my throat.Slowly but perceptibly, the airspeed noise began to diminish. The ASI needle began to unwind and the VVI needle started to rise. I kept right stick in until the VVI reached 500 fpm upward, then centered the cyclic and hoped I’d allowed enough for the lag in the VVI. Altitude showed 400 feet and climbing.The VVI maxed out at about 800 fpm and then immediately began to fall off. Airspeed decreased to 50 knots and then began to increase again. Right bank, right bank! I screamed at myself. I displaced the stick half-way to the left and fought the temptation to pull back, as the VVI plummeted through 1,000 fpm downward. Airspeed noise was increasing and the altimeter unwound rapidly. I muttered another prayer while I waited for the VVI needle to stop falling. Or to impact the water, whichever came first. Dead man waiting to die, I thought.English Field Aviation Half Page4/C Ad8 • TWIN & TURBINESEPTEMBER 2015