Quote:
Originally Posted by Oberon
It could be one of four things really.
2) Murder/Suicide - The most likely, sadly, and it's not easy to find the evidence and reasoning for it. His life and communications are going to be poured over with a fine tooth comb, his family are going to face weeks, if not months of questioning from both authorities and the media.
Sadly, it does look very much like a murder/suicide, and there are no words that won't result in an infraction to describe the type of...thing...that would kill 149 innocent people just to end its own life.  |
I have a hard time with the suicide thing. Having flown with a multitude of professional pilots i know the personality type as being more or less naturally positive, can-do, overcome adversity types of people.
and that's true, it would be a completely senseless thing to commit suicide in this way taking all those people who have nothing to do with your problem down with you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oberon
4) A combination of number 3 and an accidental locking of the door - Very unlikely, I don't know how cockpit doors work, whether it's possible to lock yourself out of the cockpit, I doubt it but if the pilot accidentally locked himself out and the co-pilot had a health problem then that could feasibly lead to a crash. However, it would have to be a combination of the two, and very unlikely.
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as for locking the door
the simplest of airline cockpit doors have a latch that must be actuated from the inside which - while possible to operate with one hand - generally requires use of both hands unless you are practiced at the art.
a small horizontal mechanism must be lifted while a second small vertical mechanism is pulled to the side thereby retracting a simple deadbolt for so long as these small latches are held in place. release them and the bolt engages. this mechanism cannot be operated from outside the door, the deadbolt is
always out, unless the mechanisms are operated to retract it so that one can close the door.
when i flew airline trips, and one of us had to take a leak, it was mandatory that a flight attendant had to join us in the cockpit to preclude the possibility of the pilot remaining at the controls passing out, having a heart attack, or whatever - there would at least be a second set of hands to let the other pilot back in.
I have read in various articles that European operators do not require this policy of having a flight attendant enter the cockpit while the other pilot vacates it.
other aircraft have different door types. some require a pin code, but the pilot remaining within the cockpit can deny the pin code thereby locking others out - this is to serve as a measure against terrorists coercing the pin code out of a crew member and subsequently using it to gain entry.
I have heard of some doors requiring a key, but i have not personally seen these types.
Of interest to the investigation is the first officer who supposedly remained behind while the captain departed the cockpit. current reports indicate that his facebook account was deactivated/deleted within the past 2 days. it is not clear at the moment whether he deleted the page prior to the flight, or, if in the interest of privacy a family member deleted the account after the accident.
I have hit some low points in my life - but i cannot imagine a pilot driving his aircraft into the ground and selfishly taking all those people down with him. Its unreal.
when i was hired into the airline business we had to undergo psychological evaluation to get the final go ahead for hiring. while it was probably a good indicator of my psychological condition at the time of the interview / hiring process... the evaluation was never repeated. and psychological condition changes over time - sometimes over a short period of time - depending on what factors are at play in an individuals life.