Originally Posted by
WillFlyForCheese
Right now - it’s pure speculation either way. The airline cannot say whether the engineer was or was not on the flight deck when things went bad. The CVR will reveal whether he was there - right now it’s all speculation.
Well yes and no. The presence of the engineer on the flight isn't speculation - the airline has confirmed that.
The reason why the engineer was on board isn't really speculation either, unless we're suggesting the airline might be lying about that.
Whether the engineer was on the jump seat and, if so, what part if any they played in the events, are the only unknowns. My money would be on none.