Airbus A320 Crashes in Alps
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Yup, agreed. Sometimes all it takes is just the presence of another person there to deter these things.
I never saw this as an issue, but when I explained it to a colleague they too found it odd. He immediately questioned whether or not he'd fallen unconscious but remained breathing, but I find it hard to believe he could trigger a descent and hold down the reject entry button like that.
Perhaps he was so at peace with the fact his life was about to end?
What's a plausible alternative?
It won't be an air marshall, easjet have already said it's a member of the cabin crew. Does the US air marshall go in the flightdeck when the pilot takes a leak? I don't think he does? I think his job is to blend in with the passengers, so it would be a bit obvious if he went in the flight deck every time a pilot went for a pee.
So he wouldn't have helped at all. If you flew with the knowledge one was on board you would turn the air off. Or just reject him banging on the flight deck door. On the 320 all he could do with his gun is go into the toilet and fire through the toilet wall or galley. They could hope to kill the pilot and then gain entry but it's unlikey it would change much.
Playing devils advocate but whats the freak chances that he did fall unconscious at the time of adjusting altitude which caused the knob to slip to the left then his arm flopping onto the door lock position? Not even slim, minuscule?
The normal breathing does still make me wonder too. Even if he planned it, he would still be breathing heavy knowing whats coming? On the other hand, when i've fainted before the GF has told me my breathing was silly heavy and wouldn't he of missed the flight if he was feeling bad in the first place?
Also why no screaming to the last minute? I was watching the news reporter on GMB this morning and the whole plane would have been able to see/hear the captain. Also no say of what the captain/flight crew was saying at this point on the flight recorder. Their theories?
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I don't know the layout of their emergency equipment but the fire axe on ours is in the FD. You really don't want a fire axe in the cabin. I wouldn't fancy the chances or breaking them either with it. I haven't looked but I don't think it unlocks the door either in anyway that would stop you locking it again.
it appears the captain punched in the emergency number into the cockpit door to gain entry, but the co-pilot deployed the five-minute over-ride
No access to the axe seems a good enough reason for not using it then.
I thought i read that depressurization would unlock and keep it unlocked (possibly even open the door) My thinking would be at risk of an explosive secondary decompression.
You would still need an emergency override that the pilots would control, for forced landings like US Airways Flight 1549
I don't think peoples initial reactions to these kind of things is 'OMG WE ARE GOING TO DIE'.
You might be a bit frightened, tense, anxious at the pilot banging on the cockpit doors. Also whilst flying over the Alps you do fly 'quite close' to them. If there is a problem you might expect to fly just that bit closer to them.
They probably didn't realise that they were flying into them until near the end.
There's actually a pin pad that they could've used to over-ride the lock, but apparently that was disabled within the cockpit also. They need to remove the function.
Just to add. The switch is under a gate so would need to lift that up in order to get access to the switch
Soldato
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Getting a bit conspiracy theory now.
But in a way I know what you mean. What I found strange is how quickly the voice recorder was recovered and analysed. Then we had this strange leak of information to NY times.
Fast forward a few hours and police have found evidence of some kind.
I can't think of a single plane crash so bizarre and wrapped up so quickly.
Soldato
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They are certainly feeding the media quickly.