Thread: AirAsia plane gone missing

Just saw on news confirmation of wreckage, luggage, and bodies found.. RIP.....


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In shallow water too.
They recon the outline of a plane can be seen, I wonder if try tried for a splash landing?

Originally Posted by Cliffy

In shallow water too.
They recon the outline of a plane can be seen, I wonder if try tried for a splash landing?

I'd reckon if they'd tried any sort of landing they would have sent a mayday or pan pan.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

I'd reckon if they'd tried any sort of landing they would have sent a mayday or pan pan.

aviate
navigate
communicate


in that order.
it would be nice but sometimes flying just takes priority.

Originally Posted by Eevo

aviate
navigate
communicate


in that order.
it would be nice but sometimes flying just takes priority.

Correct! And lighting/hail damage may have taken out comms too.
Doesn't take much for a plane to break up so an intact fuselage may indicate a low speed approach. A belly landing would be near impossible in rough seas.
Low slung engines catch the water.

AirAsia QZ8501: Poor pilot emergency training, negligence behind plane crash, analysts say - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A fault with cracked soldering in part of the plane's rudder system ? which had already caused glitches 23 times in the previous year ? reportedly sent repeated warnings to the pilots.

But it was the pilot's decision to reset the system, which turned off the plane's autopilot, and inexperience in flying in such difficult conditions that then sent the aircraft into a sharp roll from which it never recovered.

Unfortunately this is called "world best practice" where the training is minimal for both engineering and pilots. The idea is to just meet bare minimums at minimal cost and be just legal.
Today's thinking is to just apply a bandaid, read reset, and kick it on to the next crew or base. Nobody now has the time or expertise to diagnose difficult faults, nor do the operators want a box changed because of the cost, nor do they have a spare as the stores are now working on a "just in time" basis and the manager then meets his kpi with the huge bonus for keeping costs in check.
Sad to say Air Asia are not alone with these problems, they are closer to home than one may want to believe.
Next month I will have been in aircraft engineering for a half a century and have seen a huge change and have a tale or two to tell as well.