Can someone explain to me how a pilot who got 3.5 hours sleep in 24 hours, and flew 98 hours in the preceding 30 days is not considered fatigued? I realize TCAS, ED and the propaganda machine were in action long before the preliminary report about the MEL accident was released but still...
Now keep in mind that EK does not take into account the 2+15 hour pickup time prior to EACH departure, nor do they consider even 1 minute after 'chocks-on' , nor any groundschool, SEP, simulators or the ever present Pelesys as duty time. Plus the fact that rosters change frequently and for Airbus guys in particular, the crazy rosters are fatiguing at even 80 hours a month. Hell, they are still shoving crew into hotels like in Nairobi, where proper rest in often unattainable!
When TCAS matter of factly stated during my Commanders propaganda meeting that the ATSB did not view fatigue as an issue (shortly after he stated that the ATSB was still investigating matters and nothing was yet released) it made me wonder. It seemed to me that EK was actively pursuing a pre-emptive strike against anyone who might view things differently.
It is my belief that fatigue and mixed fleet flying on the Airbus (which is definitely more challenging than our Boeing types), were 2 factors in that accident.
How do 2 pilots, with good records and experience, miss something as seemingly obvious as a 100 tonne difference in weight with the associated lower speeds and power settings? Not to mention that the 2 augmenting pilots also were unaware of this discrepancy. (No slag on any of the 4 pilots intended)
If anyone believes they are so good that something like this cannot happen to them, then they are sadly mistaken especially considering present fatigue levels at EK. In all likelihood, a similar event will repeat or something traumatic will happen to 2 pilots 'in the heat of the moment', such as a slow response to an adverse flight condition (usually takeoff or landing) and once again EK will defend their indefensible position that Fatigue is not an issue at EK.
Sorry to be so long-winded WK, I can't help myself at times. The fatigue problem and rostering debacle at EK are a frickin big issue to me.