SouthJet Air Flight 227

SouthJet Air Flight 227 was a scheduled passenger flight from Orlando International Airport, Orlando, Florida to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia. On April 27, 2012 the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 operating the flight experienced a controlled belly-landing in an open field in Clayton County, Georgia following a catastrophic loss of pitch control. The accident caused the death of four passengers and two flight attendants.

Background
The captain of the flight was 47-year-old Whip Whitaker, who had been with SouthJet Air for twenty-six years. He had a total of 20,045 hours of flight time, including 6,320 hours in the MD-80. The first officer was 36-year-old Ken Evans who, at the time, had 9,872 hours of flight time including 3,294 hours in the MD-80.

There were three flight attendants on the flight: Ellen Block, Margaret Thomason and Katerina Marquez.

Accident
Flight 227 took off from Orlando International Airport in heavy rain and corsswinds of 30 knots. After departure the flight was instructed by the departure controller to turn left, maintain a heading of 170 and an altitude of 9,000 feet. Less than thirty seconds after takeoff Flight 227 encountered severe turbulence and passengers reported overhead luggage falling out. The plane exited the pack of turbulent at aproximately 90 seconds after takeoff and resumed the climb; all was routine

As the Flight 227 neared it's destination the controller at Atlanta Area Control Center instructed the flight to descend and maintain an altitude of 30,000 feet. First Officer Evans acknowleged the change in altitude with no indication that anything is amiss. Seconds after Evans's transmission the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recorded a loud "bang" followed by a report from Evans indicating a problem with the elevator. The following is a transcript from the CVR:

Captain Whitaker: "What is that?"

FO Evans: "The elevator feels really stiff sir."

Captain Whitaker: "Alright Margaret get everybody strapped in tight."

A few seconds later the flight data recorder (FDR) recorded a sudden pitch down motion and an altitude loss of aproximately 11,000 feet.

FO Evans: "Full left turn sir."

* Screams in the cabin*

Captain Whitaker: "Pull back, throttles back!"

GPWS: "Sink rate, pull up. Sink rate, pull up. Sink rate, pull up."

FO Evans: "No control on my side, no control at all sir!"

Captain Whitaker: "[inaudible] Hydraulics..."

A transmission was made to Atlanta ACC stating that Flight 227 had an issue with hydraulics and pitch control.

Captain Whitaker: "Center this is SouthJet 227 we've lost our hydraulics and feels like our pitch control."

Atlanta ACC: "SouthJet 227 Atlanta confrom you've lost your pitch control?"

Captain Whitaker: "Turn on your backup pumps, backup pumps."

Captain Whitaker: "That is affirm we are in an uncontrolled descend."