I need ideas on how a plane could crash because of a spilled juice.?

Question

i'm writing a satire and there is one scene when a spoiled and clumsy girl accidentally spills her drink on a (my problem) while nagging the pilot and so makes the plane malfunction. any ideas?

Answer 1

I often perform aircraft accident investigation and have spilled any liquid depending where it is can be a problem.  For example on some B-747 commercial aircraft the forward galley sits above a main electrical buss.  If ice and other liquids spill and run between the floor joints it can and has shorted out the electrical system.

This has also happen in the cockpit by spilled coffee on the radio rack that sits between the pilots.  Cause a crash not likely, but be a problem yes.

Aircraft have to many back up systems to casue a full system failure leading to a crash.

Answer 2

After spilling the drink on the pilot's lap, distracting him because he has to clean up, she opens up the air vent and throws the bottle out the window, only for it to hit the engine and kill it. (in this case, it would have to be a twin-engine aircraft, and the number two engine, which is on her side. If it hits a propeller, it could shatter the blade, and if one side has more power than the other, the aircraft will "yaw," or turn more to the left than to the right, and could cause a crash)

Answer 3

Im assuming because she is naging the pilot, then it is a small GA aircraft due to the open cockpit.

Spilled juice- or any distractions can be dangerous if flying solid IFR and even more at night.

Does it have to be a malfuction- if the pilot is flying solid IFR at night, while performing a turn, looks away- due to the spilled juice- could easily get himself into an unusal attitude.

Up  next is the john denver sceniro- while trying to reach back and grab the cup at low alititude.. pushes on the rudder to get some extra leverage and snap rolls the aircraft into the ground.

A spilled drink in a small aircraft will not really cause much damage.. other than a stain to the carpet, but distractions are much more deadly.

Answer 4

She spills her drink on the pilot, he jumps up and hits his head, and the plane crashes, because no one else is aboard.

Answer 5

destroys the control panel, malfunctioning the plane.

Answer 6

Autopilot control panel.

Answer 7

Well, after the drink is spilled, the pilot could be reaching for a napkin, etc. and accidentally push the throttle(s) to full, causing him to react by pulling up on the yoke, thus causing a cluster _ _ _ _ of reactions that could cause a plane to go out of control, or....

the drink is spilled on the pilot's lap, causing him to attempt to stand, or at least thrust his pelvis up and forward, then (see paragraph above),

and last and least... the drink is spilled on the controls and causes an electrical fire, making the fuses pop, taking out the cabin lights or controls with it, thus causing a catastrophe within the cabin...

I hope you let me (us) know what (and who) you end up using.

Rots a ruk.........

Answer 8

Make the scene like this.Girl spills a pint of coloured juice accidentally on pilots face.Pilot pulls back throttle and losses power not realising it.Aircraft nosedives and crashes!

Answer 9

she spills it on the primary controls leading to instrumental failure followed by loss of hydrolic pressure to ailerons and ruder  witch loose control of the air plane putting it into a nose dive straight climb or roll followed by loss of engine and falls for a mere 1 min before hitting the ground

Answer 10

There is more truth here than you might realize.

Some large Boeings are having a problem with a drip tray over the electronics being cracked, and spills from the forward galley leaks down and shorts out things. One plane lost generator power from both engines, and had to land on emergency battery power.