First of all both links provide on here fail to open. Perhaps there is too much traffic on the server.
Now if I go by the excerpt of the report I see on the forum, Air France is in a lot of trouble. There are simply too many things going wrong at that airline lately.
Now I say if there was no actual problem with the aircraft except for a momentary discrepancy between the LH airspeed and the standby airspeed (what about the RH airspeed), I can’t believe the two pilots in control stalled this aircraft and flew it into the ocean from 38,000 feet in a stalled configuration when it seems everything was working properly including the engines which seemed to respond to pilot inputs.
Why was the autopilot “OFF” for 90 minutes?
Were they just hand flying it for fun?
Did they have a technical problem with the AP?
Why wasn’t the captain advised immediately about the AP problem if indeed there was a problem?
Regardless while in RVSM airspace without auto flight shouldn’t they have advised ATC of the problem and either climb above RVSM airspace (doubtful the A-330 can) or descent below which means they would have had to divert back most likely to the main land.
Too many things that just don’t add up to a proper operation of an aircraft and to think the pilot flying was pulling on the yoke instead of pushing, what the hell was he thinking. People couldn’t believe the two pilots stalled a Dash 8/400 in Buffalo a couple years ago but you could always point to a piss poor commuter airline with lack of training, low time pilots with bad pay and bad working conditions but here we are talking a major world known airline with supposedly good training and pilots with experience. They are extremely well paid with very good working conditions and yet they can’t even recognise a stall and fly it into the ocean?!
I just don’t get it!
I go to the simulator 3 times a year (because I’m qualified on 2 types) and I can assure you that not only does our company train us on stalls but it is mandated by TC to do so. These include stalls at low altitude while levelling off at MDA in a landing configuration, stalls on departure in takeoff configuration with an engine out and high altitude stalls. We also practice for unusual attitudes which will be extreme at times in conjunction with the lost of the PFD, HUD or both PFDs where one as to revert to the STBY attitude indicator. I don’t understand why this wouldn’t be part of any airline training.
I’ll repeat myself again and I say if in the final report it comes down to a pilot error in which the 2 pilots stalled the aircraft and flew into the ocean from 38,00 feet a major clean up at Air France is warranted.
In the mean time I’m glad to have reserved by airline ticket on Air Canada to Paris next month and not on Air France (too bad I could have deadheaded on the A-380).