Originally Posted by
NoelEvans
You have a lot to say that might be very, very relevant.
But let us factor in one word: "FATIGUE".
It would be very, very, very interesting to find out how fatigued that crew, especially the RHS Pilot, were that day.
A very good Pilot could be acting as if she/he was over the drink-drive alcohol limit if totally sober but fatigued.
Multi sectors add to fatigue for sure. The fundamental need of a pilot, that being someone who is actually interested in the proceedings, is to ensure that as the situation changes, that they alter their operation to maintain an ALARP risk level. This was the 3rd leg of the day? for sectors of less than an hour? Would they be as fresh as on leg #1? Would human performance have decayed to the point of random unmonitored inputs? Maybe... if so, "Houston, we have a problem", as we are essentially unable to conduct flight operations with any semblance of system reliability. We can and should consider scheduling and corporate stressors to the crew to determine the condition they were in, but, goodness, the dude has his life in his own hands, and making sure that, assuming he was "fatigued" or otherwise that flicking switches and levers in an eye pleasing manner should give corresponding system response. The more fatigued we are, the more critical doing that as a matter of course is. Apparently, not bothering to do that can end up in the funny pages. The RHS guy should be old enough and experienced enough to understand his own condition and his training and experience should have provided him with interventions to manage fatigue. There is always a chance of subtle incapacitation, presumably. there was no intent to do what was done. Never mind, his problems are over for now, either for eternity, which is a long time apparently, but not infinite, or he is already back in another round of experience, dependent on your views.