The FDR has given investigators definitive information of an autothrottle defect where a split throttle situation occurred. To a competent crew it should be nothing more than a minor technical inconvenience. Yet in this case the incompetency of the crew to handle a split throttle situation must surely raise eyebrows.
Described in Post 310 of this thread is the utter confusion I witnessed among the two pilots in the simulator - in particular the very experienced captain - when an autothrottle clutch motor was failed while both thrust levers were at idle as part of speed control. As power was increased with flap and gear extension and only one throttle opened up, the stunned crew did nothing and watched the aircraft roll into a spiral dive to oblivion.
At the time I found it hard to believe such a simple defect could quickly turn into a major loss of control disaster. Now it has happened in real life in the form of the Sriwijaya 737. One wonders how many other experienced airline captains are out there that simply can't fly.
Last edited by Centaurus; 10th Feb 2021 at 14:00.