Thanks raredata and freightdoggy for you honest contributions.
We all appreciate it.
And remember, I personally DO NOT BLAME THE PILOTS and consider it an "honest" mistake on their side (with the information I have in hand, it seems they did try to follow the checklist reasonably appropiately).
Between the pilot and the copilot they had about 22 years of flight experience (it takes two to tango, albeit 19 from the pilot and only 3 for the copilot). And, presumably, they only forgot to flip this one important switch just once.
They are not the only pilots in the world to ever forget it. They are just the ones that, every 10 years of so in the industry, have other factors aligned to produce the result (TOWS inop unkwoningly, wind/weight/density/thrust, unable to recorver, etc).
Hopefully mandatory TOWS tests before each flight and other measures will be implemented that makes it harder for everyone to make this kind of mistakes in the future.
And today, it's been a month and two days from the date of the accident. And against their own regulations, as it's common with them, the CIAIAC adds another case in which not even a preliminary report has been published (this month, they have about 5 cases "overdue").
Remember that nobody expects these preliminary FACTUAL reports to be highly accurate or contain much information. Just to state facts that, as of today, are fairly well known and proven, without drawing (necessarily if it's too early) conclusions etc.
But no. They have to keep everything "ultrasecret" (if it was up to then) and not publish anything until "they, the experts" consider when and what we mere mortals can know and what WE CAN'T.
Last edited by justme69; 22nd Sep 2008 at 13:53.