PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - How safe is (airbus) fly by wire? Airbus A330/340 and A320 family emergency AD
Old 30th Dec 2012, 21:53
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Clandestino
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Which are you referring to here?
I'd guess Bangalore and Strasbourg. Selecting altitude below runway elevation and then trying to open descent to it in first case and selecting 3300fpm descent instead of 3.3 degree flightpath in second, without performing basic instruments scan and crosschecking what was the effect of FCU selection. Besides, had Air Inter crew managed to actually get to ANDLO before commencing descent therefore performing the approach along the designated track (see appendices 11 and 12), they might have missed the mountain but whether they would realize something was terribly wrong at 2000 ft cloudbase or just continue descent into fields southwest of Strasbourg is anyone's guess.

Autopilot is pilot's helper, it is mindless entity that absolutely can not perform pilot's job! OTOH, if this basic fact was understood around PPRuNe, we'd be poorer for many an excellent (if somewhat unintentional) piece of absurdist humour.
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