Originally Posted by
infrequentflyer789
Not sure I would bet against it all hanging off of one Rad Alt either...
Ten years ago, you would have won your bet:
Boeing Issues Reminder After Netherlands Crash
The Dutch Safety Board today said the altimeter was a factor in the crash that killed nine of the 135 passengers and crew onboard. The Boeing 737-800 plane crashed Feb. 25, within a mile of the runway, while trying to land at Amsterdam's Polderbaan of Schiphol Airport. Another 80 were injured in the accident.
Boeing's reminder applies to all the 737 planes it manufactured, not just the kind involved in the crash.
Events of the flight's final moments became clearer today, with the release of the preliminary accident report.
At 1,950 feet above the ground, the altimeter showed the plane to be at negative-8 feet instead, according to safety board chairman Pieter van Vollenhoven.
As a result, the plane's automatic pilot system responded as though the plane were landing, reducing power the way it would if it were nearing the ground. The crew apparently failed to notice that the airspeed was dropping dramatically, according to the report. The plane's ability to fly continued to deteriorate for more than a minute and a half without the pilots taking action.