Spanair accident at Madrid

[justme69]

Thank you, Bis

Just for the record, I do understand some of the "subtleties" involved, like checking the RAT reading and RAT air intake anti-ice heater having more to do than simply showing potential air/ground logic faults. The autothrottle computers would appreciate having the correct temperature readings for the calculations.

I do not know if the MD80 have alarms for when the heater fails while on the air, but I know some similar (but more vital) devices like the pitot do.

Again, for short, I guess I didn't specify that by testing TOWS shortly before takeoff, I meant right before the engines are started is close enough if that's the most convinient time to have the flaps up and move the throttle to switch activate position w/o bothering/endangering anyone.

"Overnight" daily checks done by maintenance are, from my point of view, a good thing as it provides with a less stressful and rushed enviroment in which an engineer expert rather than a pilot can test systems more deeply. Some times, I understand other systems are better tested while flying and/or performed by the crew.

And I do understand that a better managed, very supervising company, where knowledge is spread and advanced during time, etc, etc, can strongly contribute to a safer operation where a "simple", "silly" mistake like forgetting to lower the flaps is LESS LIKELY to happen.

I guess I didn't make myself clear. My problem is with "inmediately" blaming the company/management with something that COULD be the sole fault of the pilot. Granted it's not always the case. Perhaps even not the most common, I concur.

My problem is with those that do not believe that the pilots EVER can do anything wrong because, if they do, it's only because other humans working in the airline, regulatory bodies, or at Boeing, or at a maintenance subcontractor made them.

My problem is with those that think that fogetting to set of the flaps at least 55 times in the USA in the past 7-8 years (voluntarily reported), means automatically that in all cases tons of airlines must have crappy training, bad safety culture and poor supervisory skills, and they should all be put in jail for that. Except the pilots, who simply "followed along" blinded from the dangers of not lowering flaps.

We are all humans and we all make mistakes. As long as pilots only forget to lower flaps once in their career, I'm ok with that. I can not, in good faith, demand for much better. Hopefully, when they do, the TOWS won't be inoperative. I can, though, reasonably demand for a better TOWS than the one involved in this case.