Airbus A320 Crashes in Alps

konicky · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:20

Belloni said:
This is why I don't get the audio and only screaming in the last few seconds?!?

I guess they didn't know for sure what the outcome would be until the final moments. No way to tell what the co-pilots intentions were if it was a controlled descent.

ScottehBotteh · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:21

If a member of the flight deck wants to take control of a plane theres very little that can be done to prevent it.

Why all the pointless 'what ifs' ?

slick rick · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:21

Could they put a biometric lock on the cockpit door with all the airlines flight crew's fingerprint saved into it so a pilot could open it from the outside if need be?

balky12 · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:22

slick rick said:
Could they put a biometric lock on the cockpit door with all the airlines flight crew's fingerprint saved into it so a pilot could open it from the outside if need be?

Too easy for terrorists. Captian takes a toilet break. BAM! Dead and his finger cut off.

slick rick · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:23

balky12 said:
Too easy for terrorists. Captian takes a toilet break. BAM! Dead and his finger cut off.

But a terrorist could just barge in behind the pilot with the current system couldn't they? I mean the door will still be unlocked briefly?

It does seem like a catch 22 situation.

Glaucus · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:23

slick rick said:
Could they put a biometric lock on the cockpit door with all the airlines flight crew's fingerprint saved into it so a pilot could open it from the outside if need be?

On the radio today an "expert" said it could be over ridden and within the time frame of the descent. So the co pilot must have blocked the door somehow.

How true this is, I have no idea. I don't trust these "experts" at all.

I can understand suicide, but why kill others.

And god for everyone on board that must have been hell on earth, as they would know what was happening, that rate of descent and pilot trying to break the door down.

squerble · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:25

They should have an exit code (that's a one-time deal) so a pilot sets an exit code on the way out. They can get back in without override using that. You can retain the emergency code used by CC if the pilots are incapacitated (and therefore unable to override).

Or just put a bog IN the flight deck like on the 747.

balky12 · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:28

squerble said:
Or just put a bog IN the flight deck like on the 747.

I always thought this would be the most logical, but retrofitting would not be possible.

Just install those absorbable seats they use in Le Mans racing or the suits they use in F1. Just sit there and pee.

hellarda · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:28

squerble said:
Or just put a bog IN the flight deck like on the 747.

Doubt there'd be room in an A320 or similar sized aircraft

slick rick · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:28

Glaucus said:
On the radio today an "expert" said it could be over ridden and within the time frame of the descent. So the co pilot must have blocked the door somehow.

How true this is, I have no idea. I don't trust these "experts" at all.

I can understand suicide, but why kill others.

And god for everyone on board that must have been hell on earth, as they would know what was happening, that rate of descent and pilot trying to break the door down.

It is truly terrifying. Its sad enough when someone chooses to take their own life, but to take others with you, just utterly awful.

2StepSteve · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:31

I keep thinking about what it must be like, looking out the window and seeing the mountain range getting closer and closer, being powerless to do anything about it. It's all just awful.

Spacedeck · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:33

Glaucus said:
I can understand suicide, but why kill others.

Very true. I guess it's all in their mind-set. I see it as some people can easily end their own life. Then you may have other people that wouldn't like to take the chance of taking their life which may not be certain death or without pain. If he truly was depressed, he could have done it this way because he knew there would be no turning back / instant death.

However, making other people suffer with you just isn't right.

balky12 · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:34

2StepSteve said:
I keep thinking about what it must be like, looking out the window and seeing the mountain range getting closer and closer, being powerless to do anything about it. It's all just awful.

Least the actual end would be painless. Going from 400mph to zero in a matter of inches would be instant death.

None of this drowning or burning malarkey.

Rroff · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:34

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.

Always comes down to money

but its mad IMO not to have a system in place where atleast 2 people are in the cockpit at any one time.

kwerk · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:36

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?

An air marshal on every flight, but placed in the cockpit with a laptop with access to small cctv cameras every 10 feet in the passenger compartments, and access to law enforcement intel. So and so in seat 26 looks suspicious, look up his name, look up his record, his twitter, whatever. You have a plane worth 100s of millions and hundreds of lives on board and it's too expensive to have a dedicated security guard?

Blackjack Davy · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:40

Ironic that a security device designed to keep terrorists out can keep a deranged pilot... in.

I seem to remember a Egyptian flight years ago that air crash investigation concluded was pilot suicide but the Egyptian authorities refused to accept the conclusion that one of their pilots would do that? This was long before 9/11 and he was believed to have... issues.

Belloni · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:42

Spacedeck said:
Very true. I guess it's all in their mind-set. I see it as some people can easily end their own life. Then you may have other people that wouldn't like to take the chance of taking their life which may not be certain death or without pain. If he truly was depressed, he could have done it this way because he knew there would be no turning back / instant death.

However, making other people suffer with you just isn't right.

I can only assume it's one last "screw you world"...

slick rick · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:43

Blackjack Davy said:
Ironic that a security device designed to keep terrorists out can keep a deranged pilot... in.

I seem to remember a Egyptian flight years ago that air crash investigation concluded was pilot suicide but the Egyptian authorities refused to accept the conclusion that one of their pilots would do that?

I believe there have been a few such incidents, unfortunately.

Zethor · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:47

The copilot was a terrorist.

Ironically, he's described as "deranged" or "depressed" and whatnot. Had he been a Muslim, most of the comments would have been in the "religion of peace :rolleyes:

" tone.

xGBHxPegasus · 26 Mar 2015 at 14:48

slick rick said:
I believe there have been a few such incidents, unfortunately.

Apparently 9 from 1976 to 2013.

http://news.aviation-safety.net/2013/12/22/list-of-aircraft-accidents-caused-by-pilot-suicide/

Airbus A320 Crashes in Alps

Wise Guy