France plane crash: No survivors expected [Condolences to the families]

[johnyj]

Own jetpack won't work at extreme height, too cold and no oxigen, but the whole plane might be possible to first eject slowdown parachute at tail then lots of parachute/airbag around the body, thus ATC can override with an emergency brake and shutdown the engine

[jaysabi]

Own jetpack won't work at extreme height, too cold and no oxigen, but the whole plane might be possible to first eject slowdown parachute at tail then lots of parachute/airbag around the body, thus ATC can override with an emergency brake and shutdown the engine

I think you're underestimating how much parachute you'd need to slow down a jetliner traveling at 600 mph. And a parachute to slow down an entire plane, assuming this was physically and mechanically feasible, would ostensibly be deployed from the cockpit, which makes this a solution that wouldn't have worked in this case, since the co-pilot locked out everyone who didn't want to crash the plane.

[johnyj]

Own jetpack won't work at extreme height, too cold and no oxigen, but the whole plane might be possible to first eject slowdown parachute at tail then lots of parachute/airbag around the body, thus ATC can override with an emergency brake and shutdown the engine

I think you're underestimating how much parachute you'd need to slow down a jetliner traveling at 600 mph. And a parachute to slow down an entire plane, assuming this was physically and mechanically feasible, would ostensibly be deployed from the cockpit, which makes this a solution that wouldn't have worked in this case, since the co-pilot locked out everyone who didn't want to crash the plane.

When you are taking a car driving course, your instructor can always step on break and stop the car.  Air Traffic Control can not do this to an airplane because of safety concern, but if the plane can be safely parachuted, the control of plane can be overridden by ATC, the pilots will have no control over the plane when ATC take over

In fact if ATC can override, parachute is not needed, it can just autopilot the airplane to land on any nearby airport. You only need to code a specific emergency landing sequence in the airplane computer and trigger that sequence when something is wrong. But parachuting is easier than autopilot since it could also solve other problems like computer/engine/gear failure etc...

[patt0]

Own jetpack won't work at extreme height, too cold and no oxigen, but the whole plane might be possible to first eject slowdown parachute at tail then lots of parachute/airbag around the body, thus ATC can override with an emergency brake and shutdown the engine

I think you're underestimating how much parachute you'd need to slow down a jetliner traveling at 600 mph. And a parachute to slow down an entire plane, assuming this was physically and mechanically feasible, would ostensibly be deployed from the cockpit, which makes this a solution that wouldn't have worked in this case, since the co-pilot locked out everyone who didn't want to crash the plane.

When you are taking a car driving course, your instructor can always step on break and stop the car.  Air Traffic Control can not do this to an airplane because of safety concern, but if the plane can be safely parachuted, the control of plane can be overridden by ATC, the pilots will have no control over the plane when ATC take over

In fact if ATC can override, parachute is not needed, it can just autopilot the airplane to land on any nearby airport. You only need to code a specific emergency landing sequence in the airplane computer and trigger that sequence when something is wrong. But parachuting is easier than autopilot since it could also solve other problems like computer/engine/gear failure etc...

Would the autopilot be able to land everywhere? Someone said above that it worked on large airports but airports can be different and with different sizes, etc. And maybe it could cause problems for the airport if they weren't ready.
And if you can send information to the plane to do that, or to say it can't land there, can't there be the risk of it being used to hijack the plane? : /

[jaysabi]

Own jetpack won't work at extreme height, too cold and no oxigen, but the whole plane might be possible to first eject slowdown parachute at tail then lots of parachute/airbag around the body, thus ATC can override with an emergency brake and shutdown the engine

I think you're underestimating how much parachute you'd need to slow down a jetliner traveling at 600 mph. And a parachute to slow down an entire plane, assuming this was physically and mechanically feasible, would ostensibly be deployed from the cockpit, which makes this a solution that wouldn't have worked in this case, since the co-pilot locked out everyone who didn't want to crash the plane.

When you are taking a car driving course, your instructor can always step on break and stop the car.  Air Traffic Control can not do this to an airplane because of safety concern, but if the plane can be safely parachuted, the control of plane can be overridden by ATC, the pilots will have no control over the plane when ATC take over

In fact if ATC can override, parachute is not needed, it can just autopilot the airplane to land on any nearby airport. You only need to code a specific emergency landing sequence in the airplane computer and trigger that sequence when something is wrong. But parachuting is easier than autopilot since it could also solve other problems like computer/engine/gear failure etc...

The amount of engineering this would require relative to its utility keeps this from being a worthwhile endeavor. (In my opinion.)

[TheIrishman]

A very interesting read:

The Germanwings tragedy: inside the mind of a pilot (by Michael Bloomfield)

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/27/germanwings-tragedy-pilot-psychiatrist-psychological-evaluation-andreas-lubitz

<< French prosecutors have reported that first officer Andreas Lubitz appeared to want to destroy the aircraft carrying 149 innocent people aboard Germanwings flight 4U9525. As a qualified pilot and a psychiatrist, I have since repeatedly imagined nightmare scenarios in that cockpit. Although we will never know what was truly going through Lubitz's mind as the aircraft plunged, one of the many alarming aspects of this tragedy is that his depression is being quickly blamed. Obviously depression cannot be the sole cause of a likely mass murder. Understanding this could yield many important lessons, and for now, the black box flight recorder will continue to yield vital information. (...) >>

(Michael Bloomfield is a research fellow in psychiatry at Imperial College London)

[(oYo)]

The news report says they found "an item of significance" in the guy's apartment.

It will all come out within a few days.  Obviously, it's impossible to suppress his religion and personal life since his name is known.

They found a suicide note.

Well, BBC isn't very reliable but they wrote the opposite: "Prosecutors said there was no evidence of a political or religious motive to his actions, and no suicide note was found." But they wrote about some torn sick notes in his apartment what suggests that he wasn't fit for flying.

Apologies. I'm 99% sure they did say "suicide note" on the news this morning, but I suppose it's possible I misheard them.

[worhiper_-_]

This is very sad and selfish if you want to suicide why do you have to take so many people's lifes with you ...

[doggieTattoo]

It is really insane, now after the fact, thinking that any guy who seems normal can do something so disgusting and awful.  That pilot would nto have had any red flags in my book if I had seen him, but look what he did.  Lawd, I am sure all of our respects go out to the families that were affected by this and hopefully the dead rest in peace.  <3

[Spendulus]

This is very sad and selfish if you want to suicide why do you have to take so many people's lifes with you ...

There is no relation.  Psychology of suicide is well understood.

This is mass murder which has a corollary of the death of the perp.

[bitcoin1992]

The most chilling thing I can think of is that he apparently breathed normally until the very end. Sounds like he didn't breath any faster. Just as if everything was normal.

[bitgeek]

Would the autopilot be able to land everywhere? Someone said above that it worked on large airports but airports can be different and with different sizes, etc. And maybe it could cause problems for the airport if they weren't ready.
And if you can send information to the plane to do that, or to say it can't land there, can't there be the risk of it being used to hijack the plane? : /

Unfortunately no.

How the system works is, a signal beacon is placed in the beginning of a runway and the autopilot aims for it. If you miss it and try to land a passenger jet on a field you will crash it  because the gear is not made to handle rough terrain.
What is more the autopilot won't land by itself. You still need to manually choose the beacon, reduce speed, operate the gear and flaps and after touching the ground reverse thrust and break.

What about a modular construction, where the whole seat groups of 3 are ejected with a common parachute...

Might work, but you'll still need someone to operate the system. Who would that be? The pilot? The flight attendants?
Where would the button be? If we put it outside the cockpit a rogue passenger could eject everyone. If inside, it would make it easier for the pilot to kill everyone without crashing the plane. He'd just have to push it somewhere over the Arctic Ocean and they'd be all dead of hypothermia within an hour.

[jaysabi]

A very interesting read:

The Germanwings tragedy: inside the mind of a pilot (by Michael Bloomfield)

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/27/germanwings-tragedy-pilot-psychiatrist-psychological-evaluation-andreas-lubitz

<< French prosecutors have reported that first officer Andreas Lubitz appeared to want to destroy the aircraft carrying 149 innocent people aboard Germanwings flight 4U9525. As a qualified pilot and a psychiatrist, I have since repeatedly imagined nightmare scenarios in that cockpit. Although we will never know what was truly going through Lubitz's mind as the aircraft plunged, one of the many alarming aspects of this tragedy is that his depression is being quickly blamed. Obviously depression cannot be the sole cause of a likely mass murder. Understanding this could yield many important lessons, and for now, the black box flight recorder will continue to yield vital information. (...) >>

(Michael Bloomfield is a research fellow in psychiatry at Imperial College London)

I agree with this notion that we don't know enough. There is very much a lack of information to establish motive, and in that absence, the media rushes to report and connect dots. Then the more it gets reported, the more it's cemented in the public's mind. They keep bringing up his past mental state or torn up sick notes, and this draws an implicit link for motive where one may not exist. We don't know why he crashed the plane. Everything is just speculation driven by the 24/7 news cycle.

[johnyj]

Own jetpack won't work at extreme height, too cold and no oxigen, but the whole plane might be possible to first eject slowdown parachute at tail then lots of parachute/airbag around the body, thus ATC can override with an emergency brake and shutdown the engine

I think you're underestimating how much parachute you'd need to slow down a jetliner traveling at 600 mph. And a parachute to slow down an entire plane, assuming this was physically and mechanically feasible, would ostensibly be deployed from the cockpit, which makes this a solution that wouldn't have worked in this case, since the co-pilot locked out everyone who didn't want to crash the plane.

When you are taking a car driving course, your instructor can always step on break and stop the car.  Air Traffic Control can not do this to an airplane because of safety concern, but if the plane can be safely parachuted, the control of plane can be overridden by ATC, the pilots will have no control over the plane when ATC take over

In fact if ATC can override, parachute is not needed, it can just autopilot the airplane to land on any nearby airport. You only need to code a specific emergency landing sequence in the airplane computer and trigger that sequence when something is wrong. But parachuting is easier than autopilot since it could also solve other problems like computer/engine/gear failure etc...

Would the autopilot be able to land everywhere? Someone said above that it worked on large airports but airports can be different and with different sizes, etc. And maybe it could cause problems for the airport if they weren't ready.
And if you can send information to the plane to do that, or to say it can't land there, can't there be the risk of it being used to hijack the plane? : /

That's why parachuting is a better practice, hijack the plane just make it parachuted (Those pilots will be crazy after being parachuted forcefully )

[johnyj]

Own jetpack won't work at extreme height, too cold and no oxigen, but the whole plane might be possible to first eject slowdown parachute at tail then lots of parachute/airbag around the body, thus ATC can override with an emergency brake and shutdown the engine

I think you're underestimating how much parachute you'd need to slow down a jetliner traveling at 600 mph. And a parachute to slow down an entire plane, assuming this was physically and mechanically feasible, would ostensibly be deployed from the cockpit, which makes this a solution that wouldn't have worked in this case, since the co-pilot locked out everyone who didn't want to crash the plane.

When you are taking a car driving course, your instructor can always step on break and stop the car.  Air Traffic Control can not do this to an airplane because of safety concern, but if the plane can be safely parachuted, the control of plane can be overridden by ATC, the pilots will have no control over the plane when ATC take over

In fact if ATC can override, parachute is not needed, it can just autopilot the airplane to land on any nearby airport. You only need to code a specific emergency landing sequence in the airplane computer and trigger that sequence when something is wrong. But parachuting is easier than autopilot since it could also solve other problems like computer/engine/gear failure etc...

The amount of engineering this would require relative to its utility keeps this from being a worthwhile endeavor. (In my opinion.)

Maybe not, since the increased safety in air plane will draw more customers. A big obstacle for many people to take airplane is this psychological barrier that there is no parachute on commercial airliners, once you entered the cabin, you can only pray to god, quite scaring. High speed train will gain more support if airline's safety is not improving

[Chef Ramsay]

How Germanwings Co-Pilot Hid Secret Mental Illness
Families' fury at airline as police find pile of torn-up sick notes in home of killer nicknamed 'Tomato Andy' - including one for day he crashed jet
The co-pilot who crashed his plane into a mountain killing himself and 149 people hid a secret illness from his employers, German prosecutors have revealed.

‘Obsessive’ Andreas Lubitz locked the captain out of the Airbus A320’s cockpit before setting the plane’s controls to descend into a rocky valley, it emerged yesterday.

Following a search of Lubitz’s Dusseldorf apartment, investigators today revealed they had found old torn-up sick leave notes, current ones and one issued for the day of the disaster.

Prosecutors said the finds indicate 28-year-old Lubitz may have had a medical condition which he kept secret from his employers, budget airline Germanwings. They have found no suicide note or claim of responsibility and no evidence of a political or religious motivation for his actions.

As the revelations emerged, families of those killed in the disaster expressed fury that Germanwings allowed Lubitz to fly a plane. Claude Driessens, whose 59-year-old brother died on the Airbus A320, said the co-pilot should not have been anywhere near the cockpit.

Responding to the developments, Mr Driessens said: ‘Looking back, I slowly start to be angry. I don’t understand how a serious company can let a depressed man pilot a plane.

‘Because the boy was depressed, it was necessary to say he was. It’s not normal to leave somebody by himself in charge, and who shuts the doors, I’m very angry.’

More...https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/03/no_author/killer-pilot-was-under-psychiatric-care/

[Vod]

Responding to the developments, Mr Driessens said: ‘Looking back, I slowly start to be angry. I don’t understand how a serious company can let a depressed man pilot a plane.

How was the airline to know the pilot was depressed?

There is no central database to store that information.  Even if it was required to disclose the info to the current employer, a person could just switch jobs and be anonymous again.

Should we set up a registry?  How would that clash with privacy rights?  Depression is a pretty private issue.

I've been depressed in my life.  I would be horrified if an entire forum found out about that, so I keep it a secret.

[jt byte]

Absolutely heartbreaking to hear, it all seems so senseless. Can't imagine what it must have been like during those 8 minutes in descent.

[u9y42]

Responding to the developments, Mr Driessens said: ‘Looking back, I slowly start to be angry. I don’t understand how a serious company can let a depressed man pilot a plane.

How was the airline to know the pilot was depressed?

There is no central database to store that information.  Even if it was required to disclose the info to the current employer, a person could just switch jobs and be anonymous again.

Should we set up a registry?  How would that clash with privacy rights?  Depression is a pretty private issue.

I've been depressed in my life.  I would be horrified if an entire forum found out about that, so I keep it a secret.

I don't think you'd need to go that far; I imagine some form of regular psychological assessment of the flight crew, mandated by the company, would go a long way in helping to determine if they were fit to fly. Now, this wouldn't work in every scenario, of course, as there is a limit to what those tests can do; but it might be better than just expecting them to self-report, which often doesn't seem to happen, perhaps out of fear of losing the job, financial problems, and so on.

[Slark]

Responding to the developments, Mr Driessens said: ‘Looking back, I slowly start to be angry. I don’t understand how a serious company can let a depressed man pilot a plane.

How was the airline to know the pilot was depressed?

There is no central database to store that information.  Even if it was required to disclose the info to the current employer, a person could just switch jobs and be anonymous again.

Should we set up a registry?  How would that clash with privacy rights?  Depression is a pretty private issue.

I've been depressed in my life.  I would be horrified if an entire forum found out about that, so I keep it a secret.

I feel that you are not really depressed but if you do. Why would you go as far as avoiding talking about it and keeping it secret? Closing in with your depression is nothing good, you should be seeking help and not running away from solution. I would rather know if someone I know or have contact with is under effect of depression...