SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Lion Air Flight 610, which took off from Indonesia on Oct. 29, should have never left the runway. On its previous flight, the aircraft gave incorrect speed and altitude readings.
But it's unclear whether the pilots were even aware that the plane had been malfunctioning. They took off at 6:20 a.m.
They immediately received the first signal that something was wrong: The control column started shaking loudly, warning that the plane was in danger of stalling and could crash.
The plane kept climbing, but the pilots could not figure out the correct altitude or airspeed, asking air traffic control for help. And two critical sensors registered different readings between the pilot and co-pilot.
Then the plane dropped over 700 feet, furthering the confusion inside the cockpit. "An aircraft dipping after takeoff is not normal. It's beyond abnormal. It's unacceptable," said Dennis Tajer, a pilot and spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association.
Something alarming had happened: The aircraft's computer system had forced the plane's nose down. The pilots recovered from the drop, but air traffic control noted they were "experiencing a flight control problem."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 28 2018, @04:03PM
You are correct. You are not a commercial pilot, or I doubt any kind of pilot.
Training, as it is with all true professions, must be geared to provide the knowledge to be able to operate in independent command when necessary. Pilots are required to understand not just what button does what but what principles keep a plane in flight and how each system contributes to doing that. Checklists can very much help with making sure all procedures are followed in a given situation. Their use can be mandated by policy. But the law (at least US regulatory law) is very clear: A pilot-in-command is always individually responsible at all times for the operation of an aircraft, and in an emergency a pilot may break any rule or procedure necessary to continue an aircraft in flight. The pilot is absolutely empowered to disable an autopilot if they suspect it is faulty if the pilot deems it necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft. And the pilot is expected to have the knowledge as to when such circumstances are required.
Would that pilot face consequences if a rule was broken when the safety of the aircraft was not at stake, or if the pilot misreads a situation such that there really wasn't an emergency? Sure. That's what being a professional is: You are always held responsible for the decisions you make, and you are required to make the correct decisions.