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Old 21st Nov 2018, 08:01
  #33 (permalink)  
Bob Viking
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Near the coast
Posts: 2,371
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beardy

FDRs are there for accident purposes. I assume you’re actually talking about some form of useage monitoring system.

Whilst these systems are monitored they are looking for levels and exceedances for fatigue reasons. In this case there was no fatigue issue (until the jet settled onto the runway!) so no ‘flags’ would have been raised.

Also, consider who would be looking at the data. Pilots don’t sit down after flights and pore over fatigue statistics. That’s an engineers job. Can we honestly say that an engineer would know if the pilot had rotated at too slow a speed?

There are many issues here but sadly I think it is the collective responsibility of the pilots that could have prevented it.

In the UK we have a Sqn QFI role to ensure flying skills are kept well honed. I suspect (I do not know for sure) based on knowledge of the USAF that this role may have been lacking.

On the Raptor fleet I wouldn’t be surprised to find a culture based around tactics and aircraft awesomeness and a lack of focus on flying skills due to a belief that the aircraft ‘flies itself’.

I fear similar mistakes could be made on other fleets with ‘awesome’ aircraft. Even in this day and age the Sqn QFI role still has its benefits despite what many might think.

BV
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