Germanwings Flight Carrying at Least 148 Crashes in Southern France

[alfred russel]

Some dude on CNN was saying that if a pilot leaves the cockpit, someone else from the flight crew is supposed to go in there in order to prevent situations like this.

Lufthansa guy says that only applies in the US not in Europe.

Ordinarily this would be a place for smug comments about the US being better than Europe. But, this regards airline security, and anything that justifies the US mode of operations in that space is a disaster.

[Admiral Yi]

From what I read, the only way for the pilot to be unable to enter the cockpit would've been to be intentionally locked out by the co-pilot.  In that case, it's pretty obvious why the French prosecutors already reached their conclusion:  there is simply no other remotely possible explanation.

I thought someone mentioned auto-locking cabin doors.

Although I do think it's the most likely explanation.

Assuming that's correct, I wonder if the dude went with the long, slow descent to increase or decrease the passengers' terror.

[lustindarkness]

Ugh, horrible news.

[DGuller]

I thought someone mentioned auto-locking cabin doors.

They are auto-locking, but there is a PIN lock, and the pilots know the code.  The code will open the cockpit door, unless someone on the inside locks it out.

[viper37]

I wonder what the point of Hollande, Rajoy and Merkel flying there and looking sad is. This accident surely doesn't have a political component, so what's their role in this?

it's expected of politicians to go on the site of a multiple-victim tragedy.  when they don't, they are referred as heartless bastards.  Stephen Harper got a lot of shit from the media because he didn't go himself visit flood victims in Quebec, and there was zero casualties.  Imagine when there are victimes and politicians don't visit the families on site.

[Martinus]

This is the second time within 12-13 months.  Not much we can do about pilot murder suicides.  Unless all flights require 3 pilots in the cockpit. 

Wasn't too long ago that they did. But they absolutely can do something about suicidal pilots, nothing that's a 100% of course, but screening your safety personal is required everywhere in aviation I would hope.

I would assume cheap airlines (like this one) would not spend a lot of money on professional shrinks for pilots - they would just (no pun intended) wing it, even if there was a specific regulatory requirement to do the screening.

[Liep]

Some dude on CNN was saying that if a pilot leaves the cockpit, someone else from the flight crew is supposed to go in there in order to prevent situations like this.

Lufthansa guy says that only applies in the US not in Europe.

My guess is that there will be a bit of a re-think of that policy ...

Norwegian just did. It makes sense and doesn't come with extra expenses.

[mongers]

Remember there was also the case of the Egyptian pilot a few years ago who is suspected of 'suicide-mass murder', I forget the name of the airline*.

Maybe procedures do need to be change or perhaps more importantly corporate culture that might put too much pressure on pilots and asks them to work for too little?


* Egypt Air 990
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt_Air_990

[crazy canuck]

You think the co-pilot killed a plan load of people over a labour dispute?

[mongers]

You think the co-pilot killed a plan load of people over a labour dispute?

No but being an airline pilot was once a prestige job, now terms and conditions are much worse for many pilots, so if you're earning noticeably lower wages than in the past that can put pressure on people's expectations of what they get out of life.   

[crazy canuck]

You think the co-pilot killed a plan load of people over a labour dispute?

No but being an airline pilot was once a prestige job, now terms and conditions are much worse for many pilots, so if you're earning noticeably lower wages than in the past that can put pressure on people's expectations of what they get out of life.

iirc the co-pilot was 28.  The days of an airline pilot being a prestige job were long gone before he decided to become a pilot.

[Tamas]

You think the co-pilot killed a plan load of people over a labour dispute?

No but being an airline pilot was once a prestige job, now terms and conditions are much worse for many pilots, so if you're earning noticeably lower wages than in the past that can put pressure on people's expectations of what they get out of life.

He was 28.

And of course it was a presty job when I bet there was 10% of planes in the air.

And I read somewhere that you need to keep a lever pressed in the cockpit to keep the door closed. No way that is done accidentaly.

[Malthus]

You think the co-pilot killed a plan load of people over a labour dispute?

Why not? I regularly commit mass murder when I don't get a bonus.

It's a wonder I still have my job. 

[Zanza]

I would assume cheap airlines (like this one) would not spend a lot of money on professional shrinks for pilots - they would just (no pun intended) wing it, even if there was a specific regulatory requirement to do the screening.

Germanwings is a budget airline, but it is also part of the Lufthansa group. I am sure they had stringent rules for their pilots and actually enforced them as well.

[mongers]

I would assume cheap airlines (like this one) would not spend a lot of money on professional shrinks for pilots - they would just (no pun intended) wing it, even if there was a specific regulatory requirement to do the screening.

Germanwings is a budget airline, but it is also part of the Lufthansa group. I am sure they had stringent rules for their pilots and actually enforced them as well.

Yes, I think Lufthansa would be one of those organisation that would try to do it's best in handling personnel; on the other hand I wouldn't trust Ryanair further than I could throw Michael O'Leary, but I'd be willing to give that a go if there was lots of hard airport concrete about.