Originally posted by OE ...
I would think PNF would have been PIC in the Captain's absence. He had by far the greater total hours and hours in type, of the two, IIRC. Although, he had just come off "vacation"-- here another need to examine the French wording... off several weeks vacation, or was it that his mandated turn-around rest had been a little short of the required hours? Did I read correctly that PNF had just completed a [short?] rest in the rest cabin; did the Captain ask if he had gotten enough rest?
Interim Report No.1 refers to the crew as a "whole", and indicates that they flew out of Paris on the morning of 28 May 2009 (AF446?).
The passenger list provides the information that the Jnr F/O had his wife onboard. There is also a question mark regarding her possible presence on the FD.
There has been discussion a page or two back which suggested that the Capt actually appointed the PF (RHS) as his deputy before leaving the FD. Also, since the accident (
takata reports) that AF policy has been changed and that the Snr F/O will sit in the LHS and assume command when the Capt is not on the FD. This action would tend to confirm that the Jnr F/O was both PF and PIC.