II....are you completely secure in thinking the AAIB will chase down every single investigative Lead and look into Operator Training, Checkride, and Management Policies, Standards, and SOP's during the investigation extant? Or do you think they will limit their inquiries into just the events of that day, in that particular aircraft, at that unique location?
If they do the Latter, will you be satisfied they have done an adequate job of finding and identifying the Factors that lead up to the Crew losing control of the aircraft and killing four people in the process?
Crab,
No doubt the Air Methods Crew committed gross errors.....even the FAA Human Factors Division has done a Study of this Accident. I am trying to get a copy of their Power Point Presentation about the Crash. Thus far, I am able to locate one on-line version that is incomplete. When/If I get one from the FAA i shall post it here. There is no evidence available to determine if they had put the DME into "Hold" which would have allowed them to know their distance from the Airport. We have to assume they did not as if they had....and observed the readout increasing rather than decreasing....they would have realized something was quite wrong.
As simple a thing as using a DME "Hold" function is....not doing so is failing to use available "automation" features.....in every sense we are concerned about in the Shetlands Crash. Granted the Shetlands issue is far more complex overall in that we are talking about an AFCS with multiple modes that are capable of flying the aircraft....but the Pilot decision process is the same in both cases. They all had available something they did not use.....or mis-used.
Humm,
I am very much saying Management played a role in the 412 Crash....and said so while working for them at a different location. Pointing some of the factors I saw at play with the CP, GM, and Training Department did not make me very popular despite it being politely done in private.
Management very often does play a huge role that gets left out of most Accident Reports as what they do is not illegal, is not a direct measurable effect necessarily, and escapes examination.
They presumed to know better and were not interested in hearing anything other than how great a job they were doing. A quick review of their Safety Stats would have contradicted that view.
I am sure in the Shetlands event it shall turn out to be very much the same.
Is it not a Management Responsibility to ensure the right equipment is provided, effective training is completed, and Standards are maintained? Part of that is setting up an intern mechanism to seek input from all levels of Staff in an effort to identify problems and ask for suggestions on how to remedy the perceived problems....with a Management Response to any such input.