AF 447 Cockpit voice transcripts and modern technology

[Bruce]

For those of us who have flown at one time or another or still do, this is quite a read of the cockpit transcripts and as to how technology can possibly confuse young low experienced pilots.
Even an experienced high hour captain failed till the last second to comprehend what was happening.

The basics are still the basics. Newton’s laws of motion and Bernoulli’s principle didn't get tossed because of technology and fly by wire.

And if your just a passenger, it gives you something to think about just when you feel technology has conquered pilot error.


http://www.popularmechanics.com/technol ... 47-6611877

[Rocky]

Bruce,
What a tramatizing read. Amazing the co-pilots ignored stall warnings even when plane's ecu's removed it's own restrictions against stalling
(to alternate law), when pitot tubes iced. Those co-pilots were fighting controls(without even knowing it) from lack of CRM, the captain certainly would have corrected if he was on the flight deck. Also amazing there was NOTHING WRONG with the plane's flying ability.

[Rawleigh]

These are known problems with the over automation of the Airbus aircraft that have been brushed under the carpet. My friend who is an ex Air Force captain who flies 767's for American Airlines has discussed this at length with me. Basic stick and rudder flying is forgotten. Rely on the computer, put your brain in neutral! There have been a number of crashes caused by this syndrome with over automation. the asynchronous controls are another issue that deprived the pilot of input as to what the co-pilot was doing. I try to fly Boeing whenever I can, as I don't trust Airbus's computerization.

[Bruce]

Rocky,
Even the pilot ignored the stall warnings when he hit the cockpit. Had he tossed aside one of the co-pilots and assumed command, the flight might have been saved. Unfortunately at 2000'when he realized as much, there was not enough height to nose over, gain speed and lift.

If you have zero visibility and hear the stall warning horn go off, the first thing you look at is the attitude indicator and altimeter.

Seems they ignored the basic flight principle indicators.

I wonder which is worse.
Diving nose first into the sea or pancaking into it? I guess neither if no one survives.

[Skipper Dick]

Rocky,
Even the pilot ignored the stall warnings when he hit the cockpit. Had he tossed aside one of the co-pilots and assumed command, the flight might have been saved. Unfortunately at 2000'when he realized as much, there was not enough height to nose over, gain speed and lift.

If you have zero visibility and hear the stall warning horn go off, the first thing you look at is the attitude indicator and altimeter.

Seems they ignored the basic flight principle indicators.

I wonder which is worse.
Diving nose first into the sea or pancaking into it? I guess neither if no one survives.

I can tell you from experience that when an aircraft hits head on into water, the force is like doing a belly flop into a pool. We had a C-123 with a USO show on board going into Cape Lisborne, Alaska lose control while on base leg and hit head on into the Arctic Ocean. The cockpit was pushed all the way back to the forward bulkhead and the tail section and main fuselage broke loose. No one survived and we only recovered 5 of the 23 souls on board in that murky and ice cold water.

Water at a fairly decent speed is like a concrete wall.

Dick

[jspiezio]

Like they say, "If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going'.