GermanWings a320

[MFarhadi]

• When the FCU altitude jumps down to 100 ft, is that enough to start the descend mode? Or does it require the pilot to push the knob like on the 744 MCP? If the pilot needs to push the knob, why should the FCU engage the descend mode on its own? Can an incapacitated pilot push the knob?

No. You have got to either push or pull the altitude knob for it to descend; In this case, pull.

• Was the increase of the selected speed to 340 kt coincidentally an FCU failure as well? If not, can an incapacitated pilot change the selection?

FCU failure usually ends up disconnecting the autopilot and auto-thrust, removing the selected values (if I am not mistaken; it's been a while since I last flew the bus). An incapacitated pilot, I hardly can believe, will be able to change the speed to 340.

• The sidestick was pushed before the crash. Can an incapacitated pilot do this?

We are trained to be able to recover from a pilot incapacitation just before V1 with the pilot flying getting incapacitated in a way which they push the stick full forward. With the geometry of the cocpit, I still don't think that would happen in real life, but let's say that is "possible."

• The captain was the "Pilot Monitoring" (PM); a PM leaving the cockpit would say: "Your COM". -- The F/O was the "Pilot Flying" (PF); a PF leaving the cockpit would say: "Your controls". Why did the CVR record the words "your COM"?

Would differ from situation to situation, but let's say as a general rule, you are correct.
If PF is flying and PM is doing something else, like talking on VHF 2 or SATCOM company, PF also handles ATC COMM so transfering controls and communications would happen at the same time. I personally would tell the other guy/gal/them that they have control AND communications when leaving the cockpit, just to emphasize. Is it needed? no. Is it a bad habit? probably. Does that confuse people? I don't think so. They have both control and communications at that time onwards, and I don't think that'd confuse people.

• Why should the pilot outside the cockpit, trying to open the door, shout his own name?

Honestly, I don't know. Maybe to say that it's him that is outside...? Myabe not. It's a bit f'ed up.

[Hardy Heinlin]

Thank you for your reply, Mohammadreza.


|-|ardy

[B747-400]

These new theories are also being hotly debated in Austria! A local online aviation magazine, Austrian Wings, is a strong opponent!

Here is their video to refute Simon's claim that a human cannot adjust the ALT in the FCU within a second. (Video shows English comment as well.)

However, some legitimate questions arise: why did he supposedly research the door lock mechanism online? As a pilot, he had access to all reliable documentation, manuals, etc.

More information on their platform, but only in German!

BR
Hans

[Hardy Heinlin]

Someone wrote, the FDR recorded stick movements (circa 1 minute before the impact) from the F/O's side stick. If this is true, there's yet another required coincidence: The "incapacitated" "captain" was sitting in the F/O's seat, coincidentally.