Back to BASICS
Let's return to Basics:
When I started flying a long time ago, the very first thing my FI taught me was 'in any abnormal situation: FLY THE AIRCRAFT'.
When I see the altimeter winding down real fast and the VSI confirming that with a high neg reading, first thing I ask myself why I'm going down and the only answer can be
> I'm in a severe ND attitude (which they were not, as they could see on
the artificial horizon with a glance).
> a severe downdraft by meteorolical cause (but NOT several thousand
ft./ min!)
> no or nearly no lift (which was the cause, as we now know).
How can I create lift? By building up speed, so NOSE DOWN.
Really quite simple.
If the AF pilots didn't do that, they EITHER
> paniced (not so far away; I've seen it happen) OR
> reacted by the book: Nose up and GA pwr (Standard procedure, as
written in several postings).
I wouldn't blame the pilots for either reaction, the first is normal (panic is caused by simple overstress in an abnormal situation and cannot be 'trained away', only the level of entry into the panic state can be hightened) and the second leads to the question if the system OVER-trains todays pilots. Could it be that the system presents a so specific solution to every situation, that the simple basics of flying disappear behind the 'DO THAT, WHEN THAT HAPPENS'?
Does the system train away common (flying-) sense?
Please don't hang the subject up to high into technical terms, try to put yourselves into the pilots and stick to basics.
Leaves two questions:
> The captain arrived quite fast after the beginning of the situation. He
was not fighting the situation (as was the PF), and not trying to assist
(as was the PNF). What would he do? My guess is, he'd try to get an
overview of the situation the aircraft is in first thing. He should have
recognized the stall and ordered a ND attitude. Did he and the PF didn't
comply (panic?). Or did he not, than why not.
I hope the CVR script will reveal that.
> Could the crew break the stall, even if they had recognized it? With an
AOA of more than 40° that wouldn't have been to easy: With practically
no clean airflow over the elevators (close to a flat spin), those may not
have responded to a ND input, even if it had be given. Would they have
had the time to throw out the LG or even deploy the thrust reversers in
order to get a ND momentum? And would the FBW systems have let
them?
The whole story focuses onto one simple subject: The technocrats are over-stressing the pilots. It over-emphasizes specific reactions to specific situations (which computers can comply to much better and faster).
We know of enough incidents (that the pilots were able to walk away from), where cpmpletely unorthodox reactions saved the day.
The solution? Have airplanes be flown be computers (only) or ... return to basics and focus onto what we were trained for in the firt place:
FLY THE AIRCRAFT!