Originally Posted by wiggy
Maybe..I think on current "evidence" crew performance will be at the top of the list (no surprise there) but.....
Once upon a time when I was converting to the 777 a wise trainer said to me " great aircraft, but because of the full time auto-throttle you really have to work at keeping the speed from your scan and watch out for the FLCH trap"....
Now he was aware of the FLCH trap, many people in this place knew of the FLCH trap (and can cope FCOM 2 chapter and verse) ..it was a "known, known".
Thank you. I completely agree about crew performance! I'm just trying to put a little balance in and perhaps find 'extenuating circumstances.' And maybe justifiable ones at that.
Also, you raise great points. The questions are:
- Did the crew have the benefit of a 'wise trainer'?
- Was the issue a "known-known" to them? Since, as gathered from this thread, Boeing does not address the issue in their official manuals!
- Did they receive adequate training and instruction as to the performance limits of the auto-throttles?
You had a great instructor that saw the reality of automation and thought "outside-the-box". In other words, he was a real pilot! This seems to be whats sorely lacking in modern airline training in some companies.