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Germanwings Intentionally Crashed? Cockpit Door Locked Out One Pilot
The New York Times is reporting the cockpit voice recorder indicates one pilot refused to allow the other back into the cockpit as he crashed the plane intentionally. (www.nytimes.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Did anyone mentioned the need for a simple "relief tube"? USAF fighter ferry flts w/tanker support often exceeded 5+00 hrs....all had a "tube"!
30 minutes into flight..a toilet break? Of no
consequence,but unusual..
consequence,but unusual..
I'm not even sure that having 2 in the cockpit is a failsafe. For example, in the Egyptair 990 suicide crash the pilot re-entered the cockpit but was unable to correct the situation in time. As pointed out by others, somebody in the cockpit determined to bring a plane down can probably work around any safeguard. The best thing you can do is try and screen out people who might do this. It's been pretty successful if one considers the number of pilots through history in contrast to the number of times an event like this has occurred.
As you say there is no fail safe when somebody is determined. You cannot protect from everything. 2 in the cockpit might be a deterrent at best.
I'm not a commercial pilot but perhaps a security card situation carried by both pilots. Both cards would need to be inserted into a software console before and after autopilot is engaged. If pilot leaves cockpit he removes his security card. And autopilot can not be disengaged until second security card is reinserted. The same software app may also control the hatch rather than the present method. Pilot must insert card then pin and he's in and both pilots together are in control.
And what do you do if for whatever reason one security card gets lost or is unreadable? They would fly on autopilot until the lights go out?
You have more trust in technology than I do. That seems to be the Airbus thought train though. I like the idea of human pilot over ride ability to all systems, personally.
In this case, we humans built A door more stout than it was and found out 15 years later that a flight deck crewman could not reenter. Why? Because another crewman locked him out with an electronic code. I like the American solution of always having a minimum of two flight crew in the cockpit at all times during operations.No system is perfect and men and machinery will fail from time to time. Only The Supreme Being has access to perfection.
In this case, we humans built A door more stout than it was and found out 15 years later that a flight deck crewman could not reenter. Why? Because another crewman locked him out with an electronic code. I like the American solution of always having a minimum of two flight crew in the cockpit at all times during operations.No system is perfect and men and machinery will fail from time to time. Only The Supreme Being has access to perfection.