PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - AF 447 Thread No. 9
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Old 8th Jul 2012, 19:46
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wiggy
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
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JD96

One thing I haven't seen mentioned on here (only reading the latest thread), is that it took 40 seconds to call the captain after autopilot kicks off, and another minute for him to arrive. I'm not a pilot, but it seems it should be policy for the captain to be called immediately in that circumstance
Call him/her back if you must and only when it's safe to do so, but:

1. You should have two type rated pilots at the controls who are capable of handling the aircraft, with or without the autopilot and with or without the captain being on the flight deck.

2. Calling the captain (via "phone" or similar) would take one of the pilots "out of the loop", albeit briefly, at a time when both pilots should be firmly focused on flying the aircraft.

3. In any event dependant on crew rest facilities, sleep patterns and umpteen other things you may not get the captain back onto the flight deck in a matter of seconds, it will possibly/probably take several minutes, which is the reason for point 1.


AF may have failed on at least one of those points.......

Last edited by wiggy; 8th Jul 2012 at 19:48.
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