Why Planes Fall (T.V Documentary) SBS - Tuesday 18th May

[Akumas]

The two part documentary 'Why Planes Fall' will be shown on SBS's 'Cutting Edge' program. The program is on every Tuesday. This Tuesday (18'th of May) will have the first part of it. Next Tuesday (25'th) will have the second part.

Here is some information.

8:30 pm
SBS Sydney
Cutting Edge - Why Planes Fall (60 mins )
Genre: Current Affairs

Why Planes Fall looks at the reasons why modern air accidents occur. The majority of modern airline crashes are not caused by aircraft problems such as mechanical flaws or computer failure, but in 70% of cases, by human error. In the 1970s NASA pioneered the idea that in addition to acquiring training in how to fly, pilots needed to know how to handle stress and conflict on board planes. This documentary includes compelling re-enactments of what took place in the cockpit in the moments before a number of famous crashes.



It will be shown at 8.30PM on SBS in all capital cities (?). Consult you're T.V guide.

Here is a scan from my local t.v guide.

http://img15.photobucket.com/albums/v46/Akumas/airlines/whyplanesfall.jpg

For more information visit http://www.sbs.com.au/whatson/index.php3?id=665

[Chocks Away]

It looks like a "must see" and certainly, if it's along the lines of The Black Box (BBC/ABC) series, they'll be alot of essential info there.

...the day you stop learning is the day you should be pushing up a Daisy... :p

[ovum]

What a top show that was...cheers for the pointer Akumas :ok:

[Buster Hyman]

Thoroughly enjoyed it, however, I don't know if I'd pay money to see actors re-enact a CVR.:confused:

[Akumas]

Not a problem, I'm off to watch it now :) (well in 13 minutes.)

[HotDog]

Good to see a program that very obviously employed some expert factual advice. Looking forward to the next episode.

[DirtyPierre]

Does anyone know if you can purchase a copy of the "Black Box" series?

They are a must see for all aviation professionals. Maybe we should tie Dick to a chair and make him watch all episodes until he understands why accidents happen.

[turnleftnow]

When the credits were rolling they showed an actual takeoff, and some of the interactions between ATC and the pilots were both in French! Wonder if they have looked at the safety aspect of that yet???:confused: :confused:

[Flight Detent]

I've spent quite some time operating out of CDG (lived in the airport Sheraton for the first six weeks), and the frogs speak french ALL the time.
It's quite different taxiing or flying in french airspace when one has absolutely no idea what anybody else is doing!!

The controllers even initially speak french at most everybody, until one responds in English, then they change, but for you only!

Never loved that TCAS system so much as during that time!

Cheers:confused: :yuk: :mad:

[Ozgrade3]

Did anyone video the 1st part, would love to get a copy, was at work and only saw a snippet.

[Disco Stu]

Firstly I dislike the distraction of having to read what the dialogue is all about, it means you don't get to look at the visuals. There were some bits that were quite funny in the direct translation, but thats the french language for you.

The bit about egpws was excellent if you ignored the subtitles and looked at the visuals. Some cutting edge stuff there that will eventually be in our cockpits. The translation of what the human factors lady was saying was almost incomprehesible (again as a result of direct translation) but I suspect it was important. It was good to see Prof Reason given a slot to say his stuff (and in english too!!)

The "recreation" of the CVR data was theatrical at best, don't you just love those hairy chested pilots wrestling and fighting the aircraft. I seem to have more success when I caress the old girl.

There was some good stuff shown but not explained last night, maybe next week.

Disco Stu

[Buster Hyman]

Stu, I knew they were poor actors when I saw them sweating!!!:p :p :p

[amos2]

Biggest load of aviation crap I have ever seen!!!...

if you turkeys were impressed by that nonsence you'll be impressed by anything!!

Oh Boy, Oz aviation has really dumbed down!!

:confused:

[Capn Bloggs]

Disco Stu,

Don't hold your breath about EGPWS. The radar terrain display is a joke, and yet another distraction from good airmanship that the rest of the NPA-expert (not) world needs like a hole in the nead. CFIT occurs because the crew don't know what they are doing: radar displays of the terrain (in some cases drastically incorrect) will be simply another distraction. Don't get me wrong: I think the predictive Terrain Avoidance is great.

The database around here ain't all that great either: the same old places are giving "Terrain" and "Pull Up", just like before.

[WALLEY2]

Amos2,

One area that was a good a presentation on aviation airspace safety analysis was the visual representation on "the lines of defence"

This is the safety analysis that needs to be provided for the proposed NAS changes and when you see the lines of defence being weakened or removed then great care and study is required. Basically the "holes are bigger and in less barriers" so they line up more often. Hard to explain but the visual shown was the best 3d setup I have seen.

For that alone I thought it worthwhile.

[DirectAnywhere]

I thought it was probably a good program considering its target audience - which isn't aviation professionals, for whom it would have been grossly oversimplified.

One of the interesting things for mine though was the United(?) LOFT sequence. The LHS pilot seemed to be giving a lot of leading statements such as, "I think this. What do you think?"

I'd be interested to know what others think of this. I always try and avoid leading statements during my own LOFTs (and in the aircraft) as I believe it tends to colour the inputs you get as a result of your own previously expressed opinions. Comments anyone?

[Buster Hyman]

amos. All I can say is that when you are faced with a dearth of aviation programs on free to air telly, you'll love anything that comes along. I thought the Boeing/Airbus comparison was quite a good idea. Getting their thoughts & philosophies at the same time was a good way to see any differences in opinion.

[Capt Fathom]

Direct
You said yourself it was over-simplified and not aimed at aviation professionals. And the United LOFT scene bore that out. In fact, you may have noticed that in all the simulator scenes, not one person wore their shoulder harness. But the general public wouldn't know about that either!.

[DirectAnywhere]

I must admit I didn't notice that Captain F. I did however notice that everyone was wearing their uniform in the simulator, with ties and all.

I guess I should have taken the hint from that!!:rolleyes:

[Capt Fathom]

Then again, thinking about it a bit further. If there was a camera crew in the simulator, they probably had the motion switched off. In which case, they wouldn't need harnesses on would they. :confused:

[triadic]

The program was excellent... even the theatre filled a role which would have been understood by the non flyer.

To date there has been no CFIT accident to an aircraft fitted with a working EGPWS. That has to show the value of the kit.

One aircraft in South America flew into a hill with the EGPWS u/s or deactivated (?)

Lack of situational awareness is always a factor in a CFIT accident and EGPWS seems to fill a very significant role in giving the crew good SA.

[Capn Bloggs]

Triadic,
When you start using the radar scope terrain display, you'll realise how useless it is. If a crew has enough time to peer at it when scarpering around below the MSA, then they won't be having a CFIT anytime soon, because they have their finger on the pulse. The ONLY beauty of the system is that the warnings it gives are now based on APPROACHING DISTANT high ground, and not just a rapidly decreasing rad alt. For that, it is great, and it will reduce accidents. But the radar terrain display is in my opinion a furphy and shouldn't be used.