EASA Have just recommended that ALL airlines are to now operate a minimum of TWO ON THE FLIGHT DECK AT ALL TIMES DURING FLIGHT.. Finally!!
Now I really hope the industry looks carefully and sensibly at ways to manage all the potential dimensions that might lead to such a tragedy!
Everybody has difficulties in life leading to a wide range of mental states from specific diagnosed conditions to simple grief for the loss of a loved one, chronic fatigue (shhhh), stress, the list is endless... This is often incompatible with the ability to pilot an aircraft to the required safe standard.. (Situational Awareness, Workload, Aptitude, Cognitive skills, responsibility etc etc).. Even if just for a short period of time or indefinitely..
In our industry there is a culture of silence and fear on these issues. If you are fatigued or depressed does one call in sick with that explanation? Or does one call in sick with a blocked sinus or a stomach bug? This really needs to be looked at sensibly and we have to come up with something that everybody can trust.
If a pilot (and I'm certainly not referring to this particular pilot as this now needs to be thoroughly investigated with official findings made) is suffering from one of a multitude of situations which is impairing them mentally right from fatigue to a specific mental condition then we all need to have the confidence of a system in place where we don't get the perception that we'll be out the door and back on the dole with no hope of return etc..
Of course in certain situations (possibly in the case of this pilot) one might be grounded for a lengthy period of time or indefinitely but in many cases with the right support for issues fairly common to all like divorce, deaths, other physical illnesses that effect us mentally too, stress, fatigue (that taboo word) the condition can be resolved.. We need to have a support system in place.. Not "you're allowed 2 days off for the death of an immediate relative then back to work son"...
Lets just hope that some positives can come out of this for the common welfare of all colleagues, passengers and operators.. We don't want this to happen again!!!
Last edited by Batman737; 27th Mar 2015 at 18:49.