A new article (Vanity Fair) on AF447....a long, but worthwhile read.

[Mooneymite]

Pardon me if this has been posted already:

http://www.vanityfair.com/business/2014/10/air-france-flight-447-crash

 

 

 

Business

 

October 2014

 

The Human Factor

Airline pilots were once the heroes of the skies. Today, in the quest for safety, airplanes are meant to largely fly themselves. Which is why the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447, which killed 228 people, remains so perplexing and significant. William Langewiesche explores how a series of small errors turned a state-of-the-art cockpit into a death trap......

[RobertE]

Wow.  Magnificently written.

[John Pleisse]

The best explanation and recreation done...this show is great.....this show's account of 447 is exceptional. The first officer was a nervous nelly.    >> to 30:37

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTuagG3aW_g

[Ratherbflying]

Wow.  Magnificently written.

William is the son of Wolfgang Langewiesche, author of Stick and Rudder.

http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Rudder-Explanation-Art-Flying/dp/0070362408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411640361&sr=8-1&keywords=Stick+and+rudder

[Oscar Avalle]

excellent article!

[pinerunner]

This really got to me. What a stupid way to crash. I've felt for a while now that automated technology was dumbing down the endusers.  For instance computer users who only use icons and never learn an actual command. I a lot of my friends at work (research scientists) think I'm odd for ever bothering with the command line on our computers and for writing simple scripts, but it gives me more control and I feel more sure of whats actually going on. 

 

I was chatting with a local pilot the other day who turned out to be an airline pilot and he was pretty disgusted with what he saw in the industry. Sounds like they were passing over more highly qualified applicants to get a new generation of copilots that they could start off cheap and train as they pleased.  And I've got a friend with loads of time flying heavy transport for the Air National Guard who's finding it hard to get the job he'd like with FedEx. He ought to be a no-brainer but could it be he's OVER-qualified.

 

 

[Ned Gravel]

I really liked the way this article touched on all of the factors that lead to the decision-making scenario of the whole affair.  Non-judgemental.  Full of verifiable fact.  

 

I am doing my IFR re-ride on Friday.  My take away?  Don't rely on the STEC 50 to do the holds.  

 

From practice recently, I have watched myself lose or gain 50 feet while hand flying the turns under the hood.  And when wind is in the game, increasing or decreasing the turn rate is sloppy.  Today I will improve both of those aspects in the four hours I have set aside for prep time.

[Mooneymite]

An interesting aspect was the loss of "command" in the cockpit. Without the captain, neither pilot ever took the lead....when the captain finally arrived, there was no sense that he'd assumed command.

A totally egalitarian cockpit....to the end.

CRM gone amok.

John Lauber was just beginning his proselitzing when I was out at NAS Moffatt. I doubt he ever foresaw such a mis-application of his principles.

[cliffy]

Best article I have ever read!

Hits the nail on the head as far as all the automation goes.

[Awqward]

A totally egalitarian cockpit....to the end.

CRM gone amok

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité to the end!