@Intruder
Does the 737 have a "Retard" annunciation? I thought that was an Airbus thing...
Contrary to what a few others have said (their replies relate to Retard function) there is no aural 'RETARD' annunciation, which is what I think you were asking. There is a visual 'RETARD' on the FMA only, but if they failed to spot speed decaying to 40kts below Vref, then there is little chance that that would have been spotted. [I see BOAC has also highlighted that at the same time
]
As regards 4 seats in the flightdeck of a 737, Rainboe is most likely correct with regards to BA's fleet of classics, but I would guess the 4th position installation would come down to the company's individual specification. I know our NGs have only 3 seating positions with seat harnesses. The metal pan behind the LHS is probably where the 4th position would be.
I have also been through the manuals as best I can, and I cannot see anywhere this Autothrottle logic as posted by Boeing recently where failure of the left RA automatically will cause a transfer to the right RA.
(And I realise that the left RA hadn't failed in this accident, rather it was giving an erroneous reading, before anyone bites my head off
)