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Old 21st Jul 2015, 01:58
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Centaurus
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Australia
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The children of the magenta line video is outdated
Disagree. That video is as relevant today as when it was first filmed. Time and again in the simulator we see very similar reactions. A typical example is a pilot under training is told by ATC to track direct to a navigation aid 25 miles away. It could be an NDB or VOR.

Instead of immediately turning to track in the required direction to that aid, in most cases the pilot's immediate action is to continue on the original track before the ATC request, and go heads down into the CDU and type in the navaid so that L NAV can be used to fly the 25 miles. Meanwhile the aircraft flies another seven miles away from the aid before the final button pressing is completed and only then does the aircraft begin to turn.

I recall reading a 737 accident report from the Middle East where after take off and during the initial climb at night, the captain had difficulty engaging the autopilot. He thought it was engaged but it wasn't. Subsequently the aircraft gradually went into a spiral dive and never recovered. The last words recorded on the CVR was the captain screaming to his first officer to engage the autopilot despite the 737 being now in a fatal unusual attitude. That is automation dependency to the bitter end
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