Synopsis

On the morning of October 9, 2002, Northwest Airlines Flight 85 was en route over the Bering Sea when the lower segment of its rudder unexpectedly shifted to the left. The pilots managed to guide the aircraft to a safe emergency landing in Anchorage, Alaska, utilizing engine power for directional control. Investigation revealed the incident stemmed from a fatigue failure within the rudder's hydraulic control module, which caused a section of its metal casing to fracture.