Originally Posted by PickyPerkins
They were never trained to use manual trim. It wasn’t even mentioned.
(Sorry for the typos above about your name)
Did you find any detailed informations about this crew training?
Just have a look at the the two or three pages above and you'll see that manual trim use is a
mandatory training as for being able to fly this aircraft in particular flight control modes. Did they ever had the real oportunity to experience it? Who know, but I really doubt it. Nonetheless, they were all certified pilots for flying this aircraft in all configurations.
As for the manual, there was a very short part about stall at cruise :
Originally Posted by FCOM 3.04.27
The aural stall warning may also sound at high altitude, where it warms that the aircraft is approaching the angle of attack for the onset of buffet. To recover, the pilot must relax the back pressure on the sidestick and reduce bank angle, if necessary. When the stall warning stops, the pilot can increase back pressure again, if necessary, tu return to the planned trajectory.
So, how would you interpret "relax back pressure on the sidestick"?
Would not one use the trim wheel?
Originally Posted by PickyPerkins
From where did the BEA get their 107 kts ground speed on impact with the sea?
Don't they have retrieved the DFDR? It should have recorded the acceleration at impact (assuming all those accelerometers). Hence, a basic function will give the ground speed at impact, if not provided directly by the GPS.
PS: onset of buffet... buffet may be expected close to stall speed, but
gums was also certainly talking about a completely developped stall, where 1 g stall is fully achieved, that may be quiet in such a large and basically very stable aircraft.