el #
1) The flap system has NOT FAILED. evidence so far suggests that pilots have NOT set flaps.
Agreed, but I did clarify it with:
If the Flaps don't get deployed, we have a major system / SOP failure.
Re the Engineers, I am afraid that is my observation, with quite a few years of Airline Ops, a good number as Capt - and increasingly so. Defect in book (e.g. an ECAM Message), ECAM Message in MEL cross refers to MEL procedure, MEL actioned PDQ, or if "No Maint Actions required" then Flt Crew expected to accept it under ACF.
It is the MEL sections, under the above scenario, that are supposed to "trap" insidious deeper problems...
I am not saying that the Spanish / Spanair / MD-80 philosophy is the same since I work under a different authority / airline / type(s). But I am saying that from my experience, the apparent chain of events as far as the RAT Heater / Engineering actions went, is much as I would expect, and certainly not enough
as far as those individuals were concerned to have been e.g. negligent enough to carry any responsibility in law.
NoD