Germanwings A320 crashed in France :(
Discussion
FrankAbagnale said:
It would make sense to me that the door automatically unlocks in an event where an unnatural flight path or descent is happening.
A locked door on a plane is the lesser of two evils as it locks terrorists out but also locks those with bad intentions in.
If you're feeling suicidal in the flightdeck you could easily make the aircraft certain to crash in a couple of seconds. You don't need to lock your mate out as part of an elaborate scheme, you could do it with them sitting right next to you. A locked door on a plane is the lesser of two evils as it locks terrorists out but also locks those with bad intentions in.
You only really need to lock the other guy out if you're trying to get somewhere in particular.
Esseesse said:
I mention that only because my perception is that the left leaning will try to regulate away problems (often resulting in loss of freedom), the right will try to punish away problems.
Most of these rules originated in the USA after 9-11. I don't think it's much to do with lefties. audidoody said:
Putting it simply - aren't these Airbuses so over-engineered with super-computers and redundant backup systems to the backup systems that they are 99.999999 per cent crash-proof apart from deliberate human intervention and catastrophic structural failure?
Well, the short answer is No.There are of course plenty of things that go wrong that require input from the pilots and crew to remedy.
danjama said:
There's no need to be rude. I had my suspicions based on the evidence available to us. I'm certain others with even limited aviation knowledge also had a bad feeling, but it's something we don't like to contemplate until necessary.
Is it not a bit early to be closing the case though. Have you read an accident report or something?wc98 said:
basically yes. one of the very few apparently informed posts on pprune is here http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/558654-airbus-a... it explains how the aircraft reacts in an overspeed situation ,which would support recently leaked info from voice recorder .(possibly leaked by someone with links to airbus,prior or current ,to dispel mechanical failure rumours).
That doesn't really make sense. You've just linked to a page on pprune. What does over speed have to do with this thread or information from a voice recorder? IainT said:
I think the point is an autopilot managed emergency descent would have a lower airspeed - the systems aim to maintain something like 275kts although I'm going from a scan through the pp thread last night so it might be wrong!
Right but the emergency descent is initiated 100% by the pilots. It's not really evidence to support the initial statement that the aircraft is capable of doing it by itself. If you have a depressurisation in the cruise and do nothing, the aircraft will just fly happily along at the same flight level until it runs out of fuel like the Helios crash. It's only 1980s technology.
Blaster72 said:
hornetrider said:
Wills2 said:
Press conference confirming co-pilot put the plane into the dive/descent, Pilot locked out trying to gain access.
Pilot suicide then. Jesus. What an absolute f
king .The co-pilot apparently didn't utter a word from behind the locked door although they could hear him breathing normally.
How do they know he was conscious?
El Guapo said:
Chain of events reported in the NY Times is being confirmed by the Marseille prosecutor in a press conference.
First Officer in cockpit, captain locked out, descent commanded by the person at the controls.
Seems an odd thing to do for many reasons.First Officer in cockpit, captain locked out, descent commanded by the person at the controls.
If you are indeed intent on killing everyone there are much easier ways to do it than the elaborate and slow way this bloke is allegedly to have done.
I suppose if you are willing to crash a plane, it's not unreasonable you will do it in an illogical way?
How terrible for all involved.
Farmerpalmer said:
Cheese Mechanic said:
So, could this door "override" be disabled in the cockpit , or is it just a load of guff?
Apparently the "override" can be disabled from the inside.If this allegation of pilot suicide is true, i suspect modern aviation will change again, to try to prevent this occurring again.
Oakey said:
You're really struggling to come to terms with the possibility this was a deliberate act, aren't you?
To be fair the report so far says it "appears deliberate".It's based on noises and the fact that one pilot couldn't get in the flight deck and the aircraft descended at a constant rate.
However, the fact that the sounds are apparently good enough to hear the co pilot breathing normally and passengers screaming makes some kind of decompression and misselection of controls due to hypoxia very very unlikely.
SilverSixer said:
So this co-pilot planned a suicide, but it was dependant upon the main pilot needing to go for a wee during a less than 2 hour flight? How many times has he flown, planning this suicide, when the pilot hasn't left the cockpit for a wee? Surely a pilot going for a wee on short flights like this is vanishingly rare? If I were a (co-)pilot I'd be planning my drinks and personal evacuations to positively avoid needing a wee during a flight. I do that just driving a car every day.
Or did the pilot go for his wazz and the co-pilot, out of nowhere, thinks "right, here's a though, what better opportunity to myself and 150 other people"?
Eh? Beyond weird.
It is odd, perhaps he was waiting for the landing to do it but took his chance when the captain went out. Or did the pilot go for his wazz and the co-pilot, out of nowhere, thinks "right, here's a though, what better opportunity to myself and 150 other people"?
Eh? Beyond weird.
As I said earlier, there are much easier ways to do it than this elaborate longwinded method but someone planning suicide is probably not acting rationally in the first place.
Perhaps we'll find out more about his reasons now that he's been named and the press are camped outside his house.
Asterix said:
It's madness.
So many affected by this.
It takes it to another, horrifying, level for the loved ones of the deceased. The family of the FO, I can't even imagine how they feel. Pilots will have a level of suspicion and worry over who they're flying with and the general public will lose confidence and be afraid of it happening again.
Accidents are one thing, and it's a risk we all take getting out of bed every morning - this though... it's unreal.
It's happened a few times though and it doesn't seem to have put anyone off flying.So many affected by this.
It takes it to another, horrifying, level for the loved ones of the deceased. The family of the FO, I can't even imagine how they feel. Pilots will have a level of suspicion and worry over who they're flying with and the general public will lose confidence and be afraid of it happening again.
Accidents are one thing, and it's a risk we all take getting out of bed every morning - this though... it's unreal.
Guam said:
This does raise an interesting point, how often are Pilots put before a shrink for a mental MOT?
Any Pilot on here feel like commenting on that aspect?
Never.Any Pilot on here feel like commenting on that aspect?
I know of a few pilots that have committed suicide. One from my airline, a couple from other airlines. We have people that develop mental health issues like any walk of life.
I do a medical every year but it's nothing to do with mental health.
When I joined my airline I did some psychometric testing but that's more about personality type.
Edited by el stovey on Thursday 26th March 15:01
My father was a 747 Captain for BA. Back in the 80's I flew with him to Australia with a stop off in BKK for two days.
His co-pilot seemed a nice enough chap, but had a breakdown in his hotel room on the stopover, smashed the room up and was found huddled in the corner in a fugue like state.
They carted him off and that was the end of his career.
He seemed fine on the first leg, turns out he had been passed over for Captaincy, he was having an affair with a stewardess and his wife found out.
I'm thankful he didn't have a break down on the plane, but it shows it can happen to anyone, which is scary.
His co-pilot seemed a nice enough chap, but had a breakdown in his hotel room on the stopover, smashed the room up and was found huddled in the corner in a fugue like state.
They carted him off and that was the end of his career.
He seemed fine on the first leg, turns out he had been passed over for Captaincy, he was having an affair with a stewardess and his wife found out.
I'm thankful he didn't have a break down on the plane, but it shows it can happen to anyone, which is scary.
Cobalt Blue said:
Hands up, anyone who thought that the media couldn't sink any lower? https://twitter.com/alauraschneider/status/5811279...
Oh I always assume they have much further to sink. I worked with Fleet Street journalists once - it's all about the headline and the scoop. Oakey said:
Well his Facebook page says he's in a relationship and there's a photo on her profile of the two of them together posted on the 14th March so I don't know where this idea he is single and jealous the pilot is boffing a trolley dolly has come from
WTF. You've been on his Facebook page? What were you looking for? Have you been on the rest of the crews Facebook pages? What about the passengers?
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