Hello Chris,
Originally Posted by Chris Scott
takata,
(Wondered where you were...) This AW&ST article:
Air France Crash Suggests Inadequate Training | AVIATION WEEK
– which PJ2 has provided a link to on the Tech Log thread, states that the less-experienced co-pilot was the PF in the RHS. I know nothing of Air France protocols, but is it possible that he was the P2 or even the P1U/S (pilot-in-command under-supervision) on the GIG-CDG leg, and that the more-experienced co-pilot was acting as the relief pilot? How does a junior co-pilot get regular landings, if so qualified? This one seems to have been qualified. (I am assuming that the relief pilot is the one who occupies the P3 seat for T/O and landing, and in the cruise moves into the seat of whichever pilot is taking a rest-break.)
You wondered where I was? Simple: I took my "rest-break"...don't you remember my planned Alsacian two weeks vacation? Now, I'm catching up with the 50+ added pages in between!
About AW&ST article linked by PJ2, the crew as described seems based on the previous (bad) press headline stating that "AF447 Baby pilot killed 228" that followed the 27 May BEA update.
In my opinion, this theory is nothing more than speculation as the BEA obviously refrained from saying precisely who was in command when the event started (precisely for avoiding such kind of headlines pointing at one crew "failure"). All we do know for sure is that both FOs were in charge at that point and that the Captain was resting.
Nonetheless, this new fact was a confirmation of what we have already deduced in 2009 based on a classical AF long-haul operation: usually, the Captain will take the second rest-break, the senior FO will become PF in RHS and the junior FO will take the LHS as PNF. Reading carefully the BEA update, it will become clear that the meteo briefing reported was obviously conducted by the senior FO, which was also the PF during the preceding cruise leg and take-off.
This is possibly the reason why there was no early hand-over (between FOs) up to the very last moment (as the actual PF was the most qualified on type onboard). Hence, the very late hand-over could be simply due to the junior FO and Captain switching seats (and I fully agree that it would be some kind of desperate move).
Considering that the aircraft was stabilized in attitude with barely no g-load variation, it would make sense if the Captain was disposed to try something himself after constating that his senior FO failed to recover: "go ahead" said the FO. If the junior FO has been the PF until then, I suspect that the senior FO would have tried some imputs much sooner.
Speculations about who's body related to salvaged cockpit seats is based on what? There was strictly no communication about the first (and later) bodies recovered in relation with any flight deck element.