Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 Accident
News and Commentary
Could it happen here?
Bob Scheiffer: Are there rules in place and what are they?
Chesley “Sully” Scully: We have two wonderful advantages in the U.S.. About 75 percent of airline pilots are military aviators, They have been screened by the military. And they are screened a second time to be commercial pilots. The rules require 1,500 hours of flight time – 2 times what this pilot had. So anybody doing this job are well trained to be suitable. And those not from the military are screened multiple times.
Bob Scheiffer: Could a pilot conceal what a medical condition?
Chesley “Sully” Scully: What happens is that U.S. pilots do undergo examination and professional pilots are the most scrutinized profession. U.S. pilots are required to list every single doctor vist and for what purpose. There may be some hiding going on but since 2010 there has been a program of self reporting that enables taking certain kinds of medications
Globally we have agreed international standards each country. However, each country must mandate that pilots adhere to these criteria.
It is the U.S. that had the two pilots in the cockpit rule already in place.
Two on the flight deck: «A show to reassure the public»
BY DELPHINE ALLEVOÛE
SOURCE: «Une parade pour rassurer l’opinion»
TRANSLATION: MillennialMonitor.com
INTERVIEW – After the crash of the A320, Erick Derivry, president of the National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL), talks about the new recommendations for securing cockpits and the shortcomings of the BEA against which a complaint.
LE FIGARO – What do you think of the recommendation of the European Aviation Safety Agency to establish the permanent presence of two “authorized” in the cockpit?
INTERVIEW – After the crash of the A320, ErickUn vrai foutage de gueule. Pour nous, il y a «violation du secret professionnel» ., president of the National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL), talks about the new recommendations for securing cockpits and the shortcomings of the BEA against which a complaint.
Erick Derivry – This is an autocratic action taken urgently, a parade to reassure more a measure opinion that makes sense. It responds to a legitimate concern – a threat – but is it a good choice?
Apart from a third pilot on board to come to replace one of the two in the cockpit the time of his absence, what is a hostess or steward could do in such circumstances, no technical skills, facing a behavior deviant?
This measure raises a lot of questions, especially from an operational point of view. I know that we are in the middle of emotion, but is it reasonable to enact a general protocol from a particularly singular accident so if premature because the investigation is not complete?
Of course this is only a recommendation, which is therefore not required. But it’s like, because it comes from an official body. What would the company tomorrow if they had not followed and that such an accident happened again?
Should we return to this secure the cockpit door?
It is a measure decided after the attacks of 11 September 2001 and for which we already had at the time raised the issue. Today we see that, if it solves any intrusion attempts, it did not anticipate all safety issues, it induces a new threat.
Therefore think about a new security. This problem was resolved on some aircraft such as 747 or A 380 where the flight deck is in the secure area. The pilot does not have to go out.
Why file a complaint Tuesday against the BEA?
Leaks in the press, first in the New York Times and then in the Bild, are totally unacceptable.
BEA orchestra a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to say its opinion on the readability of the contents of the black box recordings which is broadcast overnight by American journalists. And Sunday morning, Bild publishes transcription of “Voice recorder”. A real foutage’s mouth : Un vrai foutage de gueule.
For us, there is a breach of confidentiality. This information is exclusively dedicated to the investigation and may in no case be made public. Even before informing the families.
The pilots agreed to be questioned on their work because they know the usefulness to the investigation. But on the sole condition of confidentiality for the survey and families.
The SNPL is also calling for real change within the BEA, why?
We want reform. Certainly the BEA has strong technical expertise, but we are left each time with the same problems in case of accident: the legendary squabble between the technical investigation of the BEA and the judicial investigation.
And especially the extreme lack of independence of the BEA whose members are appointed by the government. No independent expert may be recruited from outside. Besides the BEA does not include any pilot participation. Is that conceivable?
The act of Andreas Lubitz challenges the psychological needs of the pilots …
Again, this accident will put into play confidence and monitoring of pilots. However, contrary to what is said, examinations for physical and mental abilities are more frequent than once a year.
After the recruitment stage with its psychological and psychological interviews, the annual review of the pilot (every six months for the 60-65 age group) by an approved medical expert antenna, an annual visit to the occupational medicine.
There are also five other occasions annually that assess skills: five controls, four of which are simulator and in flight.
Excluding the aspect of technical knowledge, these controls involve great psychological part. The experts identify everything in automation management but also of crew, communication and decision-making.
These are moments of truth, opportunities to collect psychologically questionable signals. Behavior problem seen even by facial expressions.
Except suicidal tendencies in the circumstances …
Experts say these problems themselves: it is extremely difficult, excluding lengthy consideration, continuous and intrusive, to determine a suicidal tendency.
Besides that we can gauge the psychological state of someone on the declarative, according to what he will say. And if, apart from the professional environment controls, a community physician detects these disorders, it brings to light the lifting of the pilots confidentiality. But again, is it reasonable to ask such a question facing a singular event?
Medical confidentiality is general and absolute
Only certain exemptions are provided for by law: obligation to report births and deaths, beatings, work accidents, etc.
If the patient is suffering from a contagious disease or if the condition is likely to cause an accident (eg, incompatible with driving visual disturbances), her doctor must do everything to convince her to take the necessary measures. Continue reading…
Europe’s Despair and Disbelief
The European Community rests in a suspended state of despair and disbelief today. An aircraft and her passengers – symbols of 21st century modernity – drifting as spoiled confetti below a crevice of the French Alps. At this startlingly horrific moment the Western Nations more fully coming to grips within this 21st century that the enemy most deadly to it’s urbanity is the terrorism that is hidden behind a neighbor’s door.
Flight Interactive
The sound recordings contained in the black box led to the last moments before the crash of the Airbus in the Alps. Interactive graphic…
Mystery of a flawless pilot
LUIS DONCEL
Montabaur, March 27 – The investigation of the crash of Germanwings which crashed Tuesday in the French Alps had a brutal twist Thursday. All eyes and questions went to the small town of Montabaur, in the German Rhineland-Palatinate. After the French prosecutor Brice Robin said tragic flights co-pilot deliberately “willed” to destroy the aircraft. Continue reading…
Germanwings 4U9525 crash zone
Hoist and research
Hoist and research Germanwings 4U9525 crash zone
Research and identifications are continuing on the area (2 hectares) of the crash of flight 4U9525 Germanwings company. Investigators are divided into pairs composed of criminal identification technicians and police or gendarmes mountain.
German Wings aircraft by the co-polot the largest German airline draw conclusions and want to introduce the two-person rule in the flight deck. In the future, no pilot is allowed to stay longer alone in the flight deck – Matthias von Randow, chief executive of the Federation of German Air Traffic Management (BDL), said on Thursday evening. The concern about the Lufthansa-Konzern, Air Birlin , Condor and TuiFly.
Lufthansa CEOs disbelief and despair
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr in press conference said that the first officer,the aircraft controlled deliberately into the mountain. He speaks of the “worst of nightmares” in which such a tragedy it could not have imagined.
In France, the investigators in Seyne-les-Alpes now give information on the progress of their work. The press conference of the prosecution begins Marseille. The Marseille prosecutor is certain: The co-pilot deliberately destroyed the aircraft. The first officer initiated the automatic descent after the captain had left the cockpit. “That can only be a conscious action,” said the prosecutor. Continue reading…
Marseille Prosecutor Details Investigation
The prosecutor Brice Robin, Director of Public Prosecutions in Marseille, confirmed on Thursday that the first officer, whose name was Andreas Lubitz, had locked himself in the flight deck before the final impact. Taking advantage of the absence of the pilot.
He then voluntarily activated the button to move the camera. One question remains:Is it a suicide or an attack? Continue reading…
Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz in a private vacation photo
“In our worst nightmares never imagine”
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr
European newspapers on Friday morning have only the slimmist of details on the copilot of the Germanwings aircraft – in particular his mental state of mind. One four or five word sentence factoid which appears to have been first reported in the German daily Bild is echoing across the European press with this paper quoting that paper – that paper quoting another paper. To basically report on nothing.
All journos actually have on offer is visuals of French police in Montabaur carrying boxes and blue bags out of the copilot’s parent’s home.
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Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 Accident
Source: «Le suicide et l’attentat donneraient exactement le même plan de vol»
TRANSLATION: MillennialMonitor.com
INTERVIEW – Pilot locked out of the cockpit, no distress signal Patrick Magisson, A320 pilot, member of SNPL investigator and accident.
It is too early to conclude that the suicide theory and assumptions are possible, such as a terrorist attack.
Le Figaro: According to information from the New York Times, one of the pilot remained locked out of the cockpit during the descent of aircraft.
Is it really completely impossible to open the cockpit door from the outside?
PATRICK MAGISSON: I would like first of all to express my anger in the dissemination of this information, which is not confirmed at this stage by the Office accident investigation.
This leak is unacceptable. And I already foresee the ordeal that will live pilot of families, harassed by journalists seeking to know if they were suicidal.
Getting back to your question, since the attacks of September 11, the cockpit doors are designed to prevent the intrusion of outside elements.
They therefore can not be opened from the inside. On some ultra-modern aircraft, the door is designed to be opened in case of reaction during a defined period of time the driver to be able to take control if you feel unwell.
In the event of cabin depressurization, the door also opens automatically on some aircraft. Some companies also plan to never leave a single pilot in the cockpit. If one of the two must leave the flight deck a crew member takes the place of the absent driver.
It is not possible at this stage to know what the rules were in force on board the A320 Germanwings. Each company keeps this information secret, disseminate outside is too risky.
Le Figaro: The suicide theory pilot seems, at this stage the most likely?
PATRICK MAGISSON: It is far too early to draw such a conclusion, even though we can not exclude it. What we know is that the plane crash was the result of human will.
The design of the aircraft does not allow anything else. What we do not know is why? Yes, there are times when some colleagues chose to commit suicide in flight.
In light aviation, it is a phenomenon that happens very often, in the same way that some commit suicide by car.
It seems unlikely that the crash was the result of a failed emergency landing. In an emergency situation, the driver will attempt to land on a large plot and flat. The terrorist argument is also not excluded.
Then we would have a similar scenario to that of September 11 with a terrorist in aviation. Suicide bombing exactly as would give the same flight plan.
Le Figaro: Are pilots trained to respond to a suicidal colleague?
We train regularly to deal with loss of consciousness or severe illness of the co-pilot, but not suicidal desire. We are trained to manage it, to take his own orders, etc.
But with a colleague who would be suicidal and locked up in the cockpit, our ability to act is much lower. Although the aircraft in which you are browsing is equipped with a satellite phone, no one can take control of the external device;
In this misfortune, this tragedy could perhaps afford to be aware of the need to follow more the psychological status of pilots. We have annual medical visit. However between these two visits much may happen.
Transportation safety analyst Mark Rosenker tells CBS News that the report in the New York Times is extraordinary information and needs to be confirmed:
Either what happened and what we are hearing happened or not. but without this type of a leak and type of speculation we need to have the truth and quickly.”
Rosenker says at 38,000 feel the plane would be on auto pilot and opportunity to leave and go to the lavatory.
What systems are in place to make sure this would not happen – that the pilot could not return to the flight deck?
Typically in the U.S. there is a requirement to have two people on the flight deck. We’ve seen the choreography before. The pilot interested in leaving the flight deck will signal to the flight attendant to move a cart in front before the pilot opens the door. The flight attendant looks through the key hole or has an opportunity to open the door. It is not a requirement in Europe. Although a country may require it. Not sure what theEuropean Safety Administration is suggesting or the Germans.
The part found on Tuesday the black box, the cockpit voice recorder was, though damaged, but evaluated, able to hear voices and sounds in the cockpit, said the BEA chief Jouty.
But there was still “no explanation” for the cause of the crash. After the second black box, the flight data recorder was further searched feverishly.
According to the French president Hollande the “shell” of the black box has been been found but not the device itself. Previously, there was speculation that the device had been found destroyed.
The basic rule for such a heavy misfortune can until the final clarification of the cause of the crash months, if not years pass. Only within a year the investigating authorities must submit an interim report at least. VIDEO
Crash Germanwings Flight 4U 9525
Live Blog – Tuesday, 24 March
The crash of an aircraft Lufthansa subsidiary German Wings in southern France numerous German have perished. The Airbus A320 was en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf and fell between Grenoble and Nice from. Information on the cause of the crash is not known.
Crash Germanwings Flight 4U 9525
Dangerous Recovery Mission – Tuesday, 24 March
“It can take several hours,” says PGHM of Briançon. The area would be one to two acres. Relief aid must stabilize the debris because if they drop, they could hurt teams. A task made more complex that “progress is needed between the debris without really touching, to avoid penalizing the subsequent work of the investigators.”.
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