Thomas coupling:
Amongst other a/c types, I come across Chinook pilots in my teachings. My impression from dealing with these guys who fly an a/c where power is on permanent and almost unlimited supply (plus enormous rotor inertia) - EOL's (BOTH engines switched off) is alien to them. I don't mean that from an unprofessional perspective - they simply don't train for it, nor contemplate it as much as others who regard total engine failure as a real possibility. Food for thought perhaps?
I have no particular reason to disagree with you. The Chinny in the right hands is an immensely capable machine, provided the mechanicals keep the blue side up! As I said earlier, we did used to train EOLs all the way to the ground, but I accept in the intervening years, that may have changed. That will be down to the system of course rather than any unprofessionalism on the part of the pilots? I do however know of an RAF chinook that survived an EOL in an operational theatre, so let's not get the suggestion out of perspective?
Fortyodd2
Your comments regarding the 'disappointment' of TFOs is well made. Of course we will never know what conversations were occurring in that aircraft. Somebody, somewhere actively took the decision to deny us the means to learn from those moments.
However...
People talk about 'authority gradients' in multi crew aircraft. When a TFO is commenting on a flying issue, his words may well carry much less weight than another professional pilot occupying the other seat?
We had a thread regarding twin pilot for police ops a while ago. Whilst we don't yet know what happened here, if the implied suggestions are correct, is it possible a second trained pilot may have helped prevent this tragedy?
Might it be a reasonable subsequent recommendation from investigators? Or would we simply have to accept that even the very best pilots working alone, will occasionally mess up perhaps more than two working together?