Wasn't the crew of the West Caribbean MD80 pulling hard on the yokes all the way to the ground when they found themselves in a stall at cruising level? It's not about whether sticks move together or not, it's about remember flying 101.
Sometimes I think that maybe knowing less about the FBW control system would actually be better. It looks like a lot of people misunderstand what the system will and will not do, and rightfully so.
The reality is that FBW or not, it's the same - push and the aircraft goes down, pull and the aircraft goes up. Normal, Alternate, Abnormal, or Direct Laws - the subtleties change but the basics are all the same.
If you treat the Airbus just like any other aircraft, it works - you just get the table and auto trim. The protections exist as a last resort, and should never be relied upon. I think even getting a protection of any kind activated should be treated as an event.
What baffles me more is how little communication of any sort is going on (assuming the Popular Mechanics transcript is full). After the Captain enters the deck, there is a period of 1 minute 25 seconds when nothing is said at all. It is a long time, and I just can't believe the three of them would be sitting there completely silent.
Could be there is much more on the CVR that we read.
Last edited by Frankie_B; 14th Dec 2011 at 15:27.