PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - NTSB investigating possible nodding off of Northwest pilots
Old 15th Mar 2010, 23:10
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PLovett
 
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OK, please excuse me if the answer has already been provided but I don't feel up to scanning 34 pages to find out.

Can somebody who knows the A320 FMC (or whatever they call the thing) tell me what happens when it comes to the end of the programmed route?

I am assuming that the crew had programmed in the destination and that the aircraft was flying on LNAV and VNAV (or, again, whatever it is called) and that without the crew dialling in a lower altitude the aircraft would have continued on to Minneapolis, but then what?

Does the thing give a Gallic shrug and say, "...it is all to hard..." and head for Toulouse? Does it wander in circles? Does it revert to heading and altitude hold mode and wander off into the distance?

Despite my pitiful attempt at levity it is a serious question.
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