Originally Posted by
FCeng84
Please indulge my adding a few comments. Today’s commercial aviation has embraced use of automation to enable optimization for performance. This has led to configurations that do not have certifiable handling characteristics without at least a minimum level of computer augmentation. On these airplanes there is no way for pilots to select complete manual. The higher level automation provided for workload relief can be turned off but not the lowest level of automation required to provide acceptable handling qualities.
I am glad to see this topic being broached. The present incident has in common with other LOC incidents the feature that the crew is faced with an all of nothing situation. Continue to rely on automation which may exacerbate a bad situation, or choosing to go manual which may be a time consuming and unfamiliar transition in a situation where time is of the essence. This is akin (worse) that a car driver having to disable power steering and brakes because of a malfunctioning cruise control. Surely there should be a lower level of automation the pilot could revert to but still giving him/her power assistance with the control surfaces, and some degree of automatic recovery, while bypassing higher level problems. This lower level should involve only the most basic, reliable components. Does Airbus do this already?