Germanwings Flight Carrying at Least 148 Crashes in Southern France

[Admiral Yi]

I'm thinking now a bus is a city bus and a coach is an intercity bus.

Amiright mongers?  Amiright?

[mongers]

I'm thinking now a bus is a city bus and a coach is an intercity bus.

Amiright mongers?  Amiright?

Broadly.

[jimmy olsen]

Someone reprogramed the autopilot, so I guess that settles it. It was deliberate.

http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-europe-germanwings-plane-crash-updates-20150326-htmlstory.html

[sbr]

Now that tim has made it official I can finally get some sleep.

[jimmy olsen]

Jesus! 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32063587

Passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added.

I don't see how this can be true if the pilot was trying to break down the door, wouldn't that be obvious?

Passengers were not aware of the impending crash "until the very last moment" when screams could be heard, Mr Robin said, adding that they died instantly.

[11B4V]

What if the lock malfunctioned?

[jimmy olsen]

What if the lock malfunctioned?

It says he manually reprogrammed the autopilot to bring the plane from 38,000 feet to 100, the lowest level.

[11B4V]

What if the lock malfunctioned?

It says he manually reprogrammed the autopilot to bring the plane from 38,000 feet to 100, the lowest level.

Maybe he thought he cleared the mountains.

[Martinus]

I may be tires (only slept 4 hours, ending a big transaction) but isnt't the "fatalities per km" metrics a bit misleading? I mean planes naturally are used to travel much longer distance so why the metrics may make planes look good, if you take into account fatalities per trip (flight, train ride etc.) planes stop looking so good. Or am I wrong?

[Monoriu]

I may be tires (only slept 4 hours, ending a big transaction) but isnt't the "fatalities per km" metrics a bit misleading? I mean planes naturally are used to travel much longer distance so why the metrics may make planes look good, if you take into account fatalities per trip (flight, train ride etc.) planes stop looking so good. Or am I wrong?

I think they can try no. of deaths per hour travelled on each transport mode.  Per trip isn't fair.  If A's daily commute takes 10 minutes and B's take 3 hours, of course B is far more likely to experience an accident along the way. 

[The Brain]

Maybe they should check pilots for crazy. Just a thought.

[Monoriu]

All airlines should require that there should be at least two people in the cockpit at all times.  That should be effective immediately.  If you want to pee, you need to get someone to take your seat first.  Isn't 100% proof, but is better than nothing. 

[PJL]

I may be tires (only slept 4 hours, ending a big transaction) but isnt't the "fatalities per km" metrics a bit misleading? I mean planes naturally are used to travel much longer distance so why the metrics may make planes look good, if you take into account fatalities per trip (flight, train ride etc.) planes stop looking so good. Or am I wrong?

Yes, that's correct, and that's how insurance companies work out transportation risk, rather than the more widely used fatalities per mile.

[Martinus]

Plus, the risk on planes is much less linear than on other ways of transport - the take offs and landings are usually the most risky. So if you "commutted" by plane for 50 miles each day for 100 days you would have a much higher risk of dying than taking one 5000 mile trip.

[Syt]

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/geld/schadenersatzrecht-riesige-unterschiede-zwischen-tod-und-tod-1.2411262 (in German)

Germanwings will have to pay damages to the families of the victims. In case of mechanical failures there's a limit of 150,000. However, if the crash is caused by an "illegal act," then there's no limit. Funeral costs will be covered, naturally, but then things will diverge a lot. Biggest item will be the loss of income for the family. In case of a top manager this can be a lot, in case of a school child or baby not so much. Emotional damages are handled very restrictively by German law; 8000.- EUR is already considered very high. In 2007, a German court determined the emotional stress of someone dying of a heart attack and struggling 15-30 seconds to be worth 5,000.-