Today in history
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,450
Likes: 3
I'm not about to put money on my comment about the English female Purser strongly suggesting to the captain some time after touchdown that they should open the doors and get everyone off, (and her being ignored), but I saw and heard this in a dramatised reconstruction that was shown to us all on a CRM course some years ago now, (where the FE's astigmatism was also mentioned as a possible contributary factor).
I can only surmise that any such reconstruction would have been a more or less faithful reproduction of the VCR - one of the few peices of the aircraft apart from the wheel bogies and outer wings to survive the fire. Anyone else out there with a better memory than mine who can recall the film and can put me straight on this point?
Apologies if I'm falling into 'Monday morning quarterback' mode now, but whatever the reason for the final, tragic outcome, this accident is yet another good example of the unassailable fact that you can be double quessed and criticised by every expert in the book - (each with three weeks to pore over every sub paragraph in every book in his library) - for a too early/unnecessary evacuation where there's fire or smoke involved. However, you'll have ten or fifteen mostly LIVE pax suing you for their 'unnecessary' broken legs and heart attacks as opposed to facing lawsuits from the families of 300+ dead passengers.
I can only surmise that any such reconstruction would have been a more or less faithful reproduction of the VCR - one of the few peices of the aircraft apart from the wheel bogies and outer wings to survive the fire. Anyone else out there with a better memory than mine who can recall the film and can put me straight on this point?
Apologies if I'm falling into 'Monday morning quarterback' mode now, but whatever the reason for the final, tragic outcome, this accident is yet another good example of the unassailable fact that you can be double quessed and criticised by every expert in the book - (each with three weeks to pore over every sub paragraph in every book in his library) - for a too early/unnecessary evacuation where there's fire or smoke involved. However, you'll have ten or fifteen mostly LIVE pax suing you for their 'unnecessary' broken legs and heart attacks as opposed to facing lawsuits from the families of 300+ dead passengers.
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 271
Likes: 0
From: New Zealand
I'm not sure if this is a comprehensive transcript, but it does show a little of the confusion that led to this disaster: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cvr800819.htm
A few years ago, I had an aircraft call with a smoke/fire indication in the cockpit and I did everything I could to direct him to the nearest field, but the pilot chose to continue to destination. Without knowing all the details, I won't be choosing to fly on that airline in the future.
I really don't mind my holiday being messed up by a precautionary divert due to a faulty indication.
Fly safely, gentlepeople.
A few years ago, I had an aircraft call with a smoke/fire indication in the cockpit and I did everything I could to direct him to the nearest field, but the pilot chose to continue to destination. Without knowing all the details, I won't be choosing to fly on that airline in the future.
I really don't mind my holiday being messed up by a precautionary divert due to a faulty indication.
Fly safely, gentlepeople.
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,780
Likes: 0
From: Surrounded by aluminum, and the great outdoors
There's never a "small fire"...at sea or in the air.... "and to an even greater degree than the sea, aviation is terribly unforgiving of any incapacity or neglect" fire warnings or indications thereof are only to be deemed false once on the ground and safely out of the aircraft....while Boeing's "new philosophy" is "read and do" as far as the evacuation checklist is concerned...we all have a very good reason to be thoroughly familiar with it...God bless the innocent lives that were lost...may we never cease to learn from these unfortunate occurences..
