Airbus A320 Crashes in Alps

mcast · 26 Mar 2015 at 13:35

Scary that someone can get dumped by their girlfriend and then kill 150 people.

squerble · 26 Mar 2015 at 13:36

UberGinge said:
Are pilots going to be screened more frequently for depression then following this? Assuming that is what they ultimately put it down to.

Pilots put themselves in over £120,000 of debt to train. Add to this stressful working conditions with long hours, AND the fact that GermanWings pilots were due a 40% pay cut, you can see how that could affect someone's mental state.

robbiemc · 26 Mar 2015 at 13:37

Raymond Lin said:
Much easier than say it can survive x Newton of forces.

Not many people can understand that though, I'm surprised the media hasn't said that the door could withstand x number of elephants against it

InvaderGIR · 26 Mar 2015 at 13:45

OldCoals said:
I would imagine a nose dive from 38,000ft may grab your attention too.

It wasn't in a nose dive, it was in a controlled descent, very different. :rolleyes:

Belloni · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:00

When "base" contacts them, surely the cabin crew can also contact them to raise an alarm, is it just the pilots?

Peerzy · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:02

Belloni said:
When "base" contacts them, surely the cabin crew can also contact them to raise an alarm, is it just the pilots?

I might be wrong but don't all comms go through the flight deck (so the two pilots). The pilots and cabin crew have no way of contacting anyone on the ground from outside the cockpit (didn't a number of flight attendants phone 911 using personal mobiles during the 9-11 attacks as it was the only method of contact they had?).

neil_g · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:02

mcast said:
Scary that someone can get dumped by their girlfriend and then kill 150 people.

WTF?

squerble · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:04

Belloni said:
When "base" contacts them, surely the cabin crew can also contact them to raise an alarm, is it just the pilots?

All comms through the flight deck.

new boy · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:08

Cant imagine what its like to see yourself slowly descending your your death.

wilber · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:08

I actually felt physically sick reading this on the news earlier.

Those poor poor people.

sbi5ar · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:08

Kerplunk said:
‘I don’t think that the passengers realised what was happening until the last moments because on the recording you only hear the screams in the final seconds’.

I really disagree with this - I'm almost certain you can see the cockpit door in this class of aircraft, and I don't know about you, but the captain banging on the door would send me into a massive panic!!!

Such a horrific thing to happen! Makes me sad and really angry at the same time.

TheGamingGeneral · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:08

Perhaps there should be a third person on the flight deck? As I understand it, there used to be a flight engineer who sat behind the pilots and that position has been automated since the 90s (I believe)?

I am not suggesting bringing back the flight engineer as such, but some sort of sit in observer/back up may be an idea?

MooMoo444 · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:11

It could be something as simple as one of the cabin crew sort of 'trading places' with the pilot/co-pilot when they need to relieve themselves. Two people in the pilot cabin at all times would be a plus, surely. Wouldn't even need to be able to fly, but they would be there to open the door in an emergency like this.

squerble · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:11

GeneralD said:
Perhaps there should be a third person on the flight deck? As I understand it, there used to be a flight engineer who sat behind the pilots and that position has been automated since the 90s (I believe)?

I am not suggesting bringing back the flight engineer as such, but some sort of sit in observer/back up may be an idea?

It'd cost too much to employ people to do it, plus you still don't get rid of the risk because the new flight observers could be nutters themselves.

MooMoo444 said:
It could be something as simple as one of the cabin crew sort of 'trading places' with the pilot/co-pilot when they need to relieve themselves. Two people in the pilot cabin at all times would be a plus, surely. Wouldn't even need to be able to fly, but they would be there to open the door in an emergency like this.

This is observed by all airlines based in the US, I believe. Some Euro carriers do it too.

balky12 · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:12

GeneralD said:
Perhaps there should be a third person on the flight deck? As I understand it, there used to be a flight engineer who sat behind the pilots and that position has been automated since the 90s (I believe)?

I am not suggesting bringing back the flight engineer as such, but some sort of sit in observer/back up may be an idea?

I'd let a random member of the public ride shotgun. They would definately want to arrive at their destination in one piece..

hellarda · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:13

balky12 said:
I'd let a random member of the public ride shotgun. They would definately want to arrive at their destination in one piece..

Or the one who looks most scared of flying...

hellarda · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:14

squerble said:
It'd cost too much to employ people to do it, plus you still don't get rid of the risk because the new flight observers could be nutters themselves.

But the likelihood of 2 people being nutters in the same cockpit?

squerble · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:14

hellarda said:
But the likelihood of 2 people being nutters in the same cockpit?

What if the nutter can overpower the other?

balky12 · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:16

squerble said:
What if the nutter can overpower the other?

Lets stick another 2 people in there.

2 members of the public on the flight who are scared of flying.

MooMoo444 · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:16

squerble said:
What if the nutter can overpower the other?

Least there would be a struggle, instead of one of the pilots able to sit in silence and ignoring everything.