T-bag, as BOAC has already councelled, be prepared to be surprised. A 2 A/P system can be fail operational - if one fails, you still have the other. It is only after the first one fails that the A/C becomes fail passive. if you are used to 3 A/P systems you may have been told differently, but that doesn't make it universally correct.
As to deliberately spreading the touch down box, sorry AnthonyGA, that sounds like moose breath to me.