Originally Posted by
Auxtank
I keep coming back to the (speculated and in no way confirmed) fact that they were TOD.
TOD in the 738 is fairly benign;
A few buttons punched on the FMC- VNAV Checked, etc and on the MCP- ALT put in (and depending on whether it was VNAV or only LNAV - V/S - can you really go sooo wrong doing any of that? Other FMC Inputs at that time pertain to Flap select for Landing, etc - nothing to do with anything directly connected to changing the physical config of the aircraft at that time.
and the Checklist is only;
Pressurization
Recall
Autobrake
Landing Data
Approach Briefing
So there's nothing mechanical there that moves anything physical on the airframe. (Apart from Autobrake dial on the MIP)
It's so wierd - TOD is like the last phase of flight where something suddenly goes so completely wrong. The only thing you can do on the MCP (and that's the only thing you actually touch apart from selecting your Autobrake setting on the MIP) at TOD to crash the aircraft is dial in ALT 0 and V/S 8000/FPM. That will get you spat out. But to do that the bloke sitting next to you - checking your work - would have something to say about it. And if it was me - I'd challenge you as to why you'd dialled in those Extreme MCP ALTS and V/S and if you wearn't making sense I'd probably knock you out and have you removed from the cockpit.
It doesn't make sense - it just fell out of the sodding sky. For me that makes it Mech Fail. Something went 'Twang' and it became unrecoverable (with the best will in the World being flown up front) but I have absolutely no idea how or why.
RIP
Spoke to my son this morning (B738 pilot here in Australia) and the consensus amongst his colleagues echoed your sentiments above
I suspect it's chicken and egg speculation now, until the recorders are recovered and read:
How did the crew's actions at TOD contribute to this catastrophic event, or had something failed on the plane just prior to TOD
My thoughts are with the families of those lost
Retired B driver