Chris Scott, Re, "Think the report says the copilot only pressed the AP instinctive-disconnect PB on his sidestick once (top of Page 13)?"
Yes, agree thanks - I had misread the para. on P13, believing that the button had been pressed a second time.
To clarify for OK465 regarding the "AP OFF" ECAM message, some collective in-depth research through historical FCOMs has revealed nothing in the way of an amber ECAM message - the "AP OFF" ECAM message is red, no matter what conditions, (instinctive disconnect on the SS, pushing the AP1/2 button, moving the SS when AP engaged, aircraft self-disconnect) the AP was disconnected under.
- edited to add: OK465, Re, "Someone please 'splain' to me how it's possible to get alpha floor activated above 0.53.
"
Alpha-floor is an A/THR mode - (in that the A/THR is provided with AoA information and invokes Alpha-floor when other conditions are satisfied). Alpha floor is inhibited above M0.53 because, (I'm guessing here!) there probably isn't sufficient thrust to respond alone to an alpha-prot event, (meaning, the pitch must also be reduced to unload the wing/reduce AoA).
Alpha-prot on the other hand is a pitch flight-law reversion from Nz (load factor) to AoA and is not inhibited at any time, (but, logically, isn't available outside of Normal Law). This may explain why the recent "A340-2011" event moved into, and out of "Alpha-prot" several times.
-end edit
HN39, Re, "I do remember that the disengagement conditions were modified after the AIRPROX incident, but I don't remember the details. "
It appears as though the disengagement conditions were changed some time after June 01 2001 and prior to July 01 2010:
