EC95-43251-4 Aug. 30, 1995, a the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 transport aircraft landed equipped with a computer-assisted engine control system that has the potential to increase flight safety. In landings at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on August 29 and 30, the aircraft demonstrated software used in the aircraft's flight control computer that essentially landed the MD-11 without a need for the pilot to manipulate the flight controls significantly. In partnership with McDonnell Douglas Aerospace MDA, with Pratt & Whitney and Honeywell helping to design the software, NASA developed this propulsion-controlled aircraft PCA system following a series of incidents in which hydraulic failures resulted in the loss of flight controls. This new system enables a pilot to operate and land the aircraft safely when its normal, hydraulically-activated control surfaces are disabled. This August 29, 1995, photo shows the MD-11 team. Back row, left to right: Tim Dingen, MDA pilot; John Miller, MD-11 Chief pilot MDA; Wayne Anselmo, MD-11 Flight Test Engineer MDA; Gordon Fullerton, PCA Project pilot; Bill Burcham, PCA Chief Engineer; Rudey Duran, PCA Controls Engineer MDA; John Feather, PCA Controls Engineer MDA; Daryl Townsend, Crew Chief; Henry Hernandez, aircraft mechanic; Bob Baron, PCA Project Manager; Don Hermann, aircraft mechanic; Jerry Cousins, aircraft mechanic; Eric Petersen, PCA Manager Honeywell; Trindel Maine, PCA Data Engineer; Jeff Kahler, PCA Software Engineer Honeywell; Steve Goldthorpe, PCA Controls Engineer MDA. Front row, left to right: Teresa Hass, Senior Project Management Analyst; Hollie Allingham Aguilera, Senior Project Management Analyst; Taher Zeglum, PCA Data Engineer MDA; Drew Pappas, PCA Project Manager MDA; John Burken, PCA Control Engineer. 29 Aug 1995 NASA Photo / Read MD-11 PCA Project Description
