Airbus 320 Dusseldorf de Barcelona CRASHED French Alps

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March 26th, 2015 at 1:55:23 PM permalink
Dalex64
Member since: Mar 8, 2014
Threads: 3
Posts: 3687
In this case, I'm not sure there would be time. You'd have to have pilots standing by 24x7 in control rooms.

The next guy might crash the plane even faster - put it into direct law and point it straight down at full thrust.

I think that instead of having a button in the cockpit that disables the keypad for 20 minutes, that when the AC is turned on, each pilot puts in a pin number. You can't change the pin number while in flight, and can't disable the keypad. If electrical power is interrupted during flight, the pins are cleared and the doors are unlocked.

I know this still allows for the possibility for a pilot to be grabbed when he is out of the cockpit. Another idea would be to move the cockpit door back to encompass the first lav, or make a smaller portable lav in the cockpit for the pilots so neither of them ever have to leave it. Some of those planes have a jumpseat in the cockpit, put it under that.

I don't know if that airline had the policy where a pilot had to be replaced in the cockpit by another member of the flight crew before they left.

None of those solutions would help if one person just overpowers the other.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan
March 26th, 2015 at 2:41:11 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18633
Quote: Dalex64
None of those solutions would help if one person just overpowers the other.


For whatever reason, the guy didn't want to bash the other pilot over the head with a heavy object while they were in there by themselves. That makes him seem oddly squeamish under the circumstances of what he actually did.
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
March 26th, 2015 at 2:56:08 PM permalink
Dalex64
Member since: Mar 8, 2014
Threads: 3
Posts: 3687
I don't think it was squeamishness. I think what he did was the easiest thing, and had the highest chance of success. To overpower the guy next to you in a physical confrontation, you might lose. You might have to smuggle a weapon. All this guy had to do was wait, and press a button.

No need to smuggle a weapon in the US, the pilots can carry guns.

The more I think about what this guy allegedly did, the more sad and angry I feel.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan
March 26th, 2015 at 3:38:34 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18633
There is still a possibility the co-pilot was unconscious. All they verified was he was heard breathing. He never said a word.

That, of course doesn't explain setting the descent. Although it would explain why he didn't open the door.
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
March 26th, 2015 at 3:48:43 PM permalink
Dalex64
Member since: Mar 8, 2014
Threads: 3
Posts: 3687
I've heard several things about doors.

1 - the only way to open it is through a button press from the cockpit
2 - there is a keypad outside the cockpit, but before the code works someone inside the cockpit has a few seconds to disallow entry by pressing a button.
3 - keypad, with mode selector in the cockpit. A press of a button in the cockpit disables the keypad for 20 minutes, or until the unlock button is pressed. The normal mode is door locked, keypad working.

None of those or all of those might be real, depending on if they really exist that way and if so which ones are installed on any particular plane.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan
March 26th, 2015 at 3:54:46 PM permalink
rxwine
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 188
Posts: 18633
Okay, here's another thing what is it with the possibly Malaysian pilot and this pilot, both taking their time. Both could've dived after they were able to control the airplane.

Yeah, we still know little about the other plane, but if that was a suicide, it was a prolonged one as well.
You believe in an invisible god, and dismiss people who say they are trans? Really?
March 26th, 2015 at 4:06:59 PM permalink
Dalex64
Member since: Mar 8, 2014
Threads: 3
Posts: 3687
I think with the other one, he deliberately wanted to disappear without a trace. Why? No idea.

I think he disabled the other pilot, went dark, crossed over to the other body of water, turned the plane south, put on the autopilot, and depressurized the plane.

Hours later, the fuel ran out, shutting everything down, the RAT popped out, turning some things back on, and the ACARS system made one final ping.

I can't explain the complete lack of debris, though.
"Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan
March 26th, 2015 at 5:54:41 PM permalink
Ayecarumba
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 89
Posts: 1744
Quote: rxwine
Okay, here's another thing what is it with the possibly Malaysian pilot and this pilot, both taking their time. Both could've dived after they were able to control the airplane.

Yeah, we still know little about the other plane, but if that was a suicide, it was a prolonged one as well.


Agreed. The behavior goes against the suicide theories. If it was important to crash in a certain location, it could explain it, but there doesn't appear to be anything significant about eventual crash sites in either case.

Perhaps there is an insurance payout that gets voided if it is ruled a suicide? Clearly slamming the plane into the Earth would be too obvious.
March 26th, 2015 at 10:43:25 PM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Suicide? Wasn't the first case, won't be the last.

Weapons? Consider that FedEx co pilot who went 'one minute' over his flying time limit and so had to hurry to get Fed Ex permission to fly as a nonRev in the jump seat. He brought a guitar case aboard that concealed a few hammers. He obviously had the initiative in the attack but the crew of three resisted him and the pilot maneuvered the plane in an acrobatic manner to throw the attacker off balance with pilot radioing for immediate armed intervention if he was able to return to the FedEx base. Burned out pilot with possible loss of his job wanted to collect on his life insurance but failed.

German Wings is a low cost carrier; that means Low Salary Carrier. Did it mean a failed career of advancing too slowly only to find that the carrot at the end of the stick was way too small? Depression? Pilots can't take meds and fly usually.

Now EgyptAir the guy was being sent home, never to return to the USA, he was losing his side income, he would be disgraced and the man who fired him the USA list was on board the aircraft. He clearly killed everyone on board despite Egypt wanting to blame some minor bolt.

Its very rare but it can be very easy. Look at AF... all those pilots and no one realized the idiot was holding the nose up in a stall?
March 26th, 2015 at 11:07:00 PM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
breathing seemed normal, not labored or faint or irregular.

Its such a rare occurrence there is not much use planning for it. Doors, locks, time delays... heck the engine off switches are reachable in a few seconds. Push the control stick hard over, let speed climb to overspeed then turn off the engines and tell a Boeing pilot to recover from that surprise?

In a fly by wire ... hit alternate mode and do the same thing?
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