So, is it time for a 'dead man's handle' on passenger jets?
In the light of more than one recent catastrophic incident where it seems at least possible that a depressurisation causing crew incapacitation was a significant factor, is it time for the automatics on modern passenger jets to be fitted with a software system that executes a pre-set sequence if certain conditions are true? For example, if cabin altitude is greater than 10K feet, and no significant control inputs or crew actions have been detected for a period of x minutes (where x is some agreed time period long enough not to be prone to false positives in the event of a crew responding normally to a depressurisation event), then would it be a good idea to let the automatics first announce to the flight deck that they are about to take control if nobody pushes a button in the next ten seconds, and then
1. Set a unique 'This is George, I have taken over because the crew is apparently incapacitated through hypoxia and this aircraft will be executing the standard set of pre-planned internationally agreed manoeuvres in ten seconds time' transponder code...
2. Terrain permitting, commence a circling descent to 10K feet, and hold altitude at 10K indefinitely until either a human wakes up and takes control or the engines flame out.
3. If terrain does not permit a circling descent to 10K, do something else sensible, standard and pre-agreed to get to a place where terrain does permit, and then descend/circle etc...
It _seems_ to me as SLF that at the moment there is a single point of failure, in the event of rapid decompression at high enough altitude - if for any reason, from mechanical failure to human error to who knows what, the person/people in the hot seat [and it is person singular if the other pilot is in the khazi] doesn't get oxygen out of the mask they put on their face when the cabin loses pressure, basically everybody on board the plane dies, possibly several hours later, possibly sooner if the aircraft starts descending before the pilot passes out, but their fate is irrevocably sealed. Against that, a 'dead man's handle' device might be a potential life-saver, no?