Can a commercial airplane such as the Boeing 747 land without the use of its elevators?
This is a situational question. This depends on multiple factors, such as these: When the elevator failed, what position was it in? What other type of controls are still functioning. If the elevators are not working, chances are a hydraulic failure caused damage to some of the other parts as well. The only answer I can give here is yes it is remotely possible, but there must be other circumstances in the favor of the plane for it to happen. Lastly, there was an incident where this occured, not on a 747 but on a DC-10 (UA Flight 232) where a total hydraulic failure left the pilots with only the throttles to control the aircraft. Fortunately, the ailerons, elevators, and rudder all froze in such a position that it made an emergency landing. However, upon impact it broke up due to the inability to control airspeed, bank angle, pitch, and descent rate. Contributing also was the inability to lift the nose (done by the elevators) upon approach. The right wing smashed into the runway, caught
