Where the buck stops?
Having read the transcript above about a week ago, my immediate reaction to this very sad accident was that it was so avoidable...... as always with the benefit of hindsight of course!
My first thought was why should a pilot pull back so hard on the sidestick, putting the Airbus into a zoom climb and stall..... it was as if he became "frozen " onto the control.....I experienced a newish student doing this to me in a Chipmunk more than 30 years ago during a spinning detail, but here we have a relatively mature and qualified co-pilot. But had the St Elmos fire and smell of "burning" unnerved him so much, perhaps having had the Captain leave him with a younger less experienced colleague?.......but my main question which puzzles me is "why did the Captain choose such an inappropriate time to leave the flight deck" ?
I have encountered the ITCZ many times over Africa, and also on the route up from South America into Europe, and no one can underestimate the power of nature in this region. As a co-pilot, the Captains in the two Airlines I was privileged to fly for, would choose their rest period at a time that would ensure they were in the cockpit for the period of time when one might expect to be crossing through the ITCZ. Later when I had my command, I too ensured I was in the LHS whilst we negotiated a safe ( but not always smooth ) passage through that area of the World. It surprises me therefore, that the AF Captain chose his break at a time when I think most Captains would want to be at the sharp end doing what they are paid for...... ensuring a safe flight. I wonder if I am being extremely naive about this..... what would you guys do I wonder?
I also wonder why the Captain was so long in returning to the flight deck...... the aircrafts pitch up and noise from the engines must surely have alerted him to the fact that something was not right, and then when he had returned to the flight deck, assuming it was possible, why did he not get straight into his seat to try and arrest their situation..... perhaps then the young co-pilot might just have relinquished control to him, as it would appear from the transcript that he was frozen onto that sidestick for most of the downward flight.
Whilst it is easy to blame Airbus technology for what happened, I'm sad to say that the chain of events could so easily have been broken in those first few minutes, had the Captain been present on the flight deck. For sure , all long range flying has to cater for crew rest, but IMHO the allocation and choice of break times was rather inappropriate, and eventually fatal.
Very very sad !!!!