The Swiss cheese thing is a device, and in a way, deceptive. Why? As you say, it accommodates both poles, hence can be utilized by all, and suffers thereby...
Spread the responsibility? Whose slice is being gored? Your slice is obviously larger than my slice, etc. it is a follow on to a valid perspective, the "cascade".
It is a discussion shortener, a ruse.
There is a beginning, the technical term is "procuring cause", without which the crash cannot happen: the goose who turns left instead of staying straight, into the inlet, the lightning strike that chooses the antenna instead of the Radome, and the H kind, the vent that lines up with fuel port, the skin that isn't thick enough to last through dozens of pressure cycles, the Captain who rolls down a blind runway into the nose of an opposing a/c, because he is full of himself instead of caution, etc.....
Let me offer a procuring cause for 447.
At the moment of PF taking manual control, what did he see or sense that made him start the climb.... Postulates? Nothing, he just screwed up? His FD showed low, and rolled off right? He hadn't heard the Stall warn yet, so we can eliminate a rote response to approach to Stall, etc.....etc....
A metaphor, and subject to the observation of the perceiver.....
Last edited by Lyman; 31st May 2012 at 22:29.