Megan,
You are describing the helicopter industry....where standards are flexible as one allows them to be.
I spent most of my time in the more backward locals known to Man....and the Industry.
The thing I noticed was professional standards followed the decline of personal standards.
That was as true of the customer as it was the operator and the staff of both.
Just as the only person who can cause you to lose your integrity is you yourself........so it is with your professional standards.
When you accept a lowered standard....that becomes the new standard....and in time follow that path and there are no standards.
I am still searching to see where this perception that anyone has said an Autopilot was a Co-Pilot that could be left alone to take care of business all by its lonesome.
No where have I seen a comment that described an Autopilot as being autonomous and is anything but a system that is to be used by a Pilot to ease the workload of mechanical tasks assigned to it by the Pilot.
As to redundant humans in the cockpit....that is not relevant to the tragedy under discussion.
Nor is the issue of confusion between humans as to who is actually in command.
As far as we know....perhaps even use or abuse of the Autopilot system may not apply.
Last edited by SASless; 20th Feb 2020 at 04:33.