Narrative:

I observed another airline's transport category twin-engine jet enter into an unusual attitude, lose control, and recover. When first observed at approximately XX47Z, the subject aircraft appeared to have been on approach to runway 26, approximately 2 mi from touchdown. Our aircraft was located about 100 yards from the beginning of runway 25 on the parallel taxiway facing east. This position placed us in full view of the occurrence. The subject aircraft caught my attention and I commented to the captain, 'look at that guy, he's climbing like a rocket!' the aircraft appeared to be in a go around attitude and climbing aggressively. From that point, the aircraft's pitch attitude continued to increase to slightly beyond vertical. Forward airspeed and vertical climb reached '0.' the aircraft then did a tail skid for about 2 seconds in a near vertical nose-up attitude. It then appeared to fall off toward its left wing in a slightly inverted attitude. The nose continued to fall with the aircraft in a spiral, possibly a spin, to a straight down nose-low attitude. After a 'long' second or two, the aircraft pulled out and recovered to straight and level flight approximately 90 degrees left of its original heading. The aircraft then resumed controled level flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FO WATCHED ANOTHER ACR ACFT LOSE CTL, REGAIN CTL, THEN FLY ON.

Narrative: I OBSERVED ANOTHER AIRLINE'S TRANSPORT CATEGORY TWIN-ENG JET ENTER INTO AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE, LOSE CTL, AND RECOVER. WHEN FIRST OBSERVED AT APPROX XX47Z, THE SUBJECT ACFT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN ON APCH TO RWY 26, APPROX 2 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN. OUR ACFT WAS LOCATED ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM THE BEGINNING OF RWY 25 ON THE PARALLEL TXWY FACING E. THIS POS PLACED US IN FULL VIEW OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE SUBJECT ACFT CAUGHT MY ATTN AND I COMMENTED TO THE CAPT, 'LOOK AT THAT GUY, HE'S CLBING LIKE A ROCKET!' THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE IN A GAR ATTITUDE AND CLBING AGGRESSIVELY. FROM THAT POINT, THE ACFT'S PITCH ATTITUDE CONTINUED TO INCREASE TO SLIGHTLY BEYOND VERT. FORWARD AIRSPD AND VERT CLB REACHED '0.' THE ACFT THEN DID A TAIL SKID FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS IN A NEAR VERT NOSE-UP ATTITUDE. IT THEN APPEARED TO FALL OFF TOWARD ITS L WING IN A SLIGHTLY INVERTED ATTITUDE. THE NOSE CONTINUED TO FALL WITH THE ACFT IN A SPIRAL, POSSIBLY A SPIN, TO A STRAIGHT DOWN NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. AFTER A 'LONG' SECOND OR TWO, THE ACFT PULLED OUT AND RECOVERED TO STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT APPROX 90 DEGS L OF ITS ORIGINAL HDG. THE ACFT THEN RESUMED CTLED LEVEL FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.