Afriqiyah Airbus 330 Crash

[Clandestino]

Originally Posted by lederhosen

I believe I have an informed opinion

You might as well be right, but the rest of us will find it easier to believe you if you provide information on which your informed opinion is based. Plausible, if possible.

Originally Posted by lederrhosen

Most of what is posted is opinion.

True. Some substantiated, some not.

Originally Posted by lederhosen

as a professional pilot I consider the man machine interface in the Airbus to be different from conventional aircraft (fact)

Fact is that you consider it to be so. Fact is the manual mentions difference between Airbus and "conventional" aircraft very seldom and then emphasizes difference is not radical. Fact is the pilot who fly their buses IAW manuals tend to perform successful flights so while it might be issue for unduly biased, so far no articulated and well supported argument that it represents safety issue has been made.

BTW, since my A319/20 FCOM hasn't been updated since NOV 2008, only thing I could find about direct law in it bears only insignificant resemblance to what you posted. It is entirely possible things have changed radically since I departed the bus.

Originally Posted by lederhosen

Airbus say it is so and and frankly it is hardly a blinding insight.

Quote?

Originally Posted by lederhosen

I have hypothesized about the role this played in some recent incidents/accidents (opinion).

I appreciate that.

[barit1]

My recollection is that Airbus drafts its documents in French, then translates them to "standard" (ICAO) English for the customer, and then AF translates them back to French. Is this indeed true, or am I missing a step?

[Capn Bloggs]

then translates them to "standard" (ICAO) English for the customer

That explains a lot.

[PJ2]

I'm not sure what exactly it explains, but they were indeed terrible when I first saw/read/used them. They got a lot better over the years. You should have seen them in '91.

[I.want.to.retire]

I have been a checkpilot in the MD11, B777 and the A330/340. Every single one of them a great airplane and fun to fly.

I found that good pilots had no problems handling either one, not so good ones always used the airplanes design as an excuse, no matter which airplane it was.

Just look at the recent Norwegian B737 incident (Rumours and News)...looks very similar to the AF A340 incident discussed, yet it was a "simply and logically" designed B737...and according to the statements made by others, this seems to happen quite a lot on the B737.

IMHO, study your airplane and follow the SOP's...this should keep you on the safe side.