Originally Posted by
what next
There are later Citation 560 models (the 560XLS and XLS+) whose autopilot has an automatic emergency descent mode. One prerequisite for that are electronically controllable engines (FADEC) which this 1990 model did not have, unless retrofitted at some later stage.
But there is a much easier and non-technical way by which some of these accidents, including the one over the Baltic Sea referenced above, can be prevented: Employ a second pilot. Money seems to have been no issue here, the aircraft owners could even afford to donate hundreds of thousands of Dollars to politicians. What are a few hunderd Dollars per flight in comparison to that?
I have no clue what caused this accident at this time, but perhaps it was low cabin pressure / hypoxia. A second pilot may help in some situations or cross checks, but if there is not enough oxygen to keep one pilot conscious, how would a second pilot remain conscious unless there is a mandate that they are more physically fit / able to stay conscious with lower oxygen levels?
Are there any deficiencies in cabin low pressure warnings that could be addressed to provide better alerting BEFORE the O2 levels fall too low to keep the pilot(s) conscious enough to hear them?