Former F-14 Pilot Crashes Simulator Due to Unconscious F-14 Habits

John Chesire, a former US Naval Aviator and airline pilot, recalls crashing a Boeing B-737 in a flight simulator due to his F-14 training habits.

Chesire had been flying F-14s, where an engine loss would require a specific response to prevent entering a flat spin. However, when he transitioned to the B-737 simulator and experienced an engine failure, he reverted to his F-14 recovery controls, causing the aircraft to crash.

The pilot realized that he had been unconsciously pulling back on the yoke and increasing the angle of attack due to the seat being positioned too far from the rudder pedals. After adjusting the seat, Chesire never had a problem with simulator crashes again.