Look Ma, No Rudder

[Joseph Subits]

I’ve never flown a 737 or any airliner for that matter but found two quotes in this article a bit odd. Makes the rudder sound like a non-essential piece of equipment:

“John Cox, a pilot and longtime aviation safety expert, said that although the rudder is normally used to steer the plane only on the ground, it may have to be used in flight to correct an abnormal swing to one side caused by engine failure or a heavy crosswind while preparing to land.”

“It’s not normally used to steer the jet while in the air. That’s done by turning the pilot control column like a steering wheel, which moves flaps on the wings called ailerons to turn.”

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/ntsb-investigating-recent-boeing-737-rudder-failure-on-landing/#:~:text=Both%20those%20crashes%20occurred%20when,is%20not%20such%20a%20problem.