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Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#101

Post by pdabbadabba »

johnchristopher wrote: post #49
vixen99 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The co-pilot was breathing normally for ten minutes while the door was being hammered repeatedly. Interpreting this as 'deliberate' inaction is hardly 'stray speculation'.

Isn't that a little bit off he didn't mutter any words after seizing the opportunity of his co-worker's unplanned leaving of the cockpit ?

Do we know that he didn't? My impression from investigations like this in the past is that facts tend to be released along with the conclusions that they support, presumably to keep public speculation from getting way out ahead of the actual investigation.

I would not be surprised to learn in the coming days that he did say things. But I don't think we'll find out until the investigators have a solid grasp of what this means for the investigation.

Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#102

Post by shillster »

mjburgess wrote: post #39
verytrivial wrote: post #17

These doors very effectively mean that control of the plane would be put into the hands of the cabin crew, but magnifies the cost of a rogue operator -- I am certain the risks were evaluated and the challenge of a determined suicidal pilot was ruled outside scope. And yes, there are emergency override codes, but there are also time override-overrides from within the cabin. Even if the protocol where two members of st…

Or to put it in a more general way: is security theatre now costing lives?

One day it may catch up to terrorism theatre!

Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#103

Post by q2 »

zk00006 wrote: post #92
q2 wrote: post #82

We need self driving planes too. Google and Musk, please do the favor. Thanks.

Experts are in fact skeptical against fully self-driving planes due to safety reasons.

If they are licensed to operate, why they are less secure than human driven planes? It is one more area where automation may drive human jobs away.

May be self-driving planes is next stage of aviation evolution just like drones for military purposes.

Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#104

Post by Florin_Andrei »

mg1982 wrote: post #23

I'm struck by how these pilots (chilling in itself that it's happened enough times to count as its own group) are described as being suicidal. While technically true, it detracts from the greater truth that they are mass-murderers. If someone shot up a mall and killed 150 people then ate a bullet, would we describe them as suicidal? I don't have a greater point I suppose, but it seems worth thinking about. Except, pe…

This responsibility is to great to leave it to humans.

Automate this stuff.

Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#106

Post by sz4kerto »

zk00006 wrote: post #77

Honest question. Is this act of terrorism? If not why?

From Wikipedia:

"Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts (or the threat of violent acts) intended to create fear (terror), perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal, and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (e.g., neutral military personnel or civilians)."

This guy is a mass murdered, not a terrorist (in the usual sense of the word).

Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#107

Post by sangnoir »

zk00006 wrote: post #77

Honest question. Is this act of terrorism? If not why?

> Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts (or the threat of violent acts) intended to create fear (terror)

It depends on the motivation of the pilot i.e. Did he intend to create fear? At this point the motivations remain unclear, so it can't be termed an act of terrorism.

Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#108

Post by [deleted] »

danepowell wrote: post #53

It seems clear that in this case the co-pilot's actions were voluntary, but what if a co-pilot were to have a medical emergency while (s)he's alone in the cockpit? Would the pilot be able to re-enter? This seems like a huge risk that wasn't considered when the new strengthened cockpit doors were installed.

[deleted]

Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#109

Post by StavrosK »

johnchristopher wrote: post #49
vixen99 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The co-pilot was breathing normally for ten minutes while the door was being hammered repeatedly. Interpreting this as 'deliberate' inaction is hardly 'stray speculation'.

Isn't that a little bit off he didn't mutter any words after seizing the opportunity of his co-worker's unplanned leaving of the cockpit ?

How often do people mutter to themselves outside of movies? I never do.

Re: Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

#110

Post by toyg »

prawn wrote: post #41

Is it realistic that we see human controls largely removed from passenger plane pilots? Or ground-based group overrides? I know that for the largest jets, pilots already operate within some sort of computer-decided 'envelope' (I think it's called) of reasonable decisions. I think we will see personal driving banned in some cities (CBDs at least) or routes in the coming decades as self-driving cars come to dominate ou…

There are enough instances of sensors and autopilot malfunctioning, there should always be manual-override procedures and a human operator available to take control. I don't see this changing any time soon.
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