Identification
Paxboy is right. Even thought I am not even close to being a pro fpilot lying A-320s, I am identifying with the pilots (or my, what does a weekend Cherokee pilot have in common with 13000+ hours pilots on B767 and A-320?). So please donīt look at me as being pretentious. I just love aviation.
But in my identification I see myself first trying to decide about landing in Congonhas on those conditions: heavy plane, wet slippery runway without escape, locked down right reverser, etc, etc. Then it is difficult for me to accept that a experienced pilot would move just the left TL to idle when landing, "forgeting" about the right one. They are there, close together, I just donīt believe one would select one and leave the other alone (am I in denial?). Then there is that call do "deccelerate, deccelerate" and the first officer saying "canīt do it, canīt do it". What was that?...
That plane first flew from Confins (Belo Horizonte) to Congonhas and landed there OK. The first officer landed with the right engine on idle.
Then the same two pilots of the disaster flew it from Congonhas to Porto Alegre and landed there OK too. Then they came back.
Yes, I am using my imagination, and I am identifying with the pilots, I guess trying to protect them. Then comes the thought: but this is the third time this happens. Yes, I am also wondering what Congonhas, Airbus and TAM are going to do about it. I understand that TAM has decided that it will no longer fly with a reverse locked out, but I am not sure. I understand that Airbus has an upgrade in the warning system in such situation with light and sound warning the pilot forever until the situation is corrected. But for some reason it did not make it mandatory and TAM did not upgraded it. Congonhas is grooving the runway and decreasing its traffic. Increase the lenght of the runway in the air?...
So, besides human error, I am waiting to know what else will change to prevent a fourth disaster like this.
Thanks to all for allowing me to be here.
Last edited by marciovp; 13th Aug 2007 at 02:30.
Reason: to add information