Germanwings pilot locked out of cockpit before crash

[7rmr]

The New York times is reporting that one of the pilots was locked out of the cockpit before the crash

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/26/wo...=top-news&_r=0

Clearly this raises as many questions as it answers. It does help explain though why the plane didn't divert to a closer airport and why the pilots never responded to radio transmissions or sent a distress call.

It seems incredibly unlikely that one of the pilots left the cabin, a flight attendant didn't then enter the cabin (as protocol requires) AND at the same time a medial emergency happened. Raises the possibility something nefarious occurred. But this is all just coming out now.

Apparently there was soft tapping heard on the voice recorder, no response, then loud bangs, no response then sounds of the pilot basically trying to break the door down to get in.

I feel horrible for the passengers who would have watched this for 8 minutes or so as the plane descended.

[tranthonyq]

rip to all those involved

[TimCross69]

was he muslim?

[NotANun21]

How tf isn't there a key for the door or like a swipe card or something... It's 2015 and the best we can come up with is a secret knock? Really?

[7rmr]

How tf isn't there a key for the door or like a swipe card or something... It's 2015 and the best we can come up with is a secret knock? Really?

Because of 9/11. The idea was that there should be no way to get into the cockpit from outside of it. This is part of the reason in the US that pilots are not allowed to leave the cabin.

However, a flight attendant should have entered the cockpit when the one pilot left so that there are always two people in there.

[daisbest]

was he muslim?

[Ayudha]

Poor Kids...

[ttaylor0024]

How tf isn't there a key for the door or like a swipe card or something... It's 2015 and the best we can come up with is a secret knock? Really?

Hijacker could beat down pilot taking a piss and then enter the cockpit.

The doors are to remain locked at all times, and if a depressurization or any issue happened to the pilot in the cockpit (brain aneurysm, heart attack, seizure, etc.) then he would remain unable to open the door.

Obviously foul play cannot be ruled out, but I would say at this point in time that we will never truly know what happened because of the lack of witnesses or evidence.

[7rmr]

Hijacker could beat down pilot taking a piss and then enter the cockpit.

The doors are to remain locked at all times, and if a depressurization or any issue happened to the pilot in the cockpit (brain aneurysm, heart attack, seizure, etc.) then he would remain unable to open the door.

Obviously foul play cannot be ruled out, but I would say at this point in time that we will never truly know what happened because of the lack of witnesses or evidence.

What? Rarely do airplane crashes involve any witnesses and we still piece together what happened.

The data recorder (if found) will explain it. Based on how the controls in the cockpit were manipulated you could determine if it was due to conscious movement or because the pilot say slumped over and hit the control. For example, if the controls are moved one way, and then another way, it suggests it was conscious.

My understanding is that to make this type of plane descend you need to push the controls to the side and then forward. That is harder to have happen by someone just falling forward unconscious.

[ANumber1]

What. The. Fuark.

[AaronRothschild]

Not a single phone recorded from a passenger , just heard it on tv


weird

[ttaylor0024]

What? Rarely do airplane crashes involve any witnesses and we still piece together what happened.

The data recorder (if found) will explain it. Based on how the controls in the cockpit were manipulated you could determine if it was due to conscious movement or because the pilot say slumped over and hit the control. For example, if the controls are moved one way, and then another way it suggests it was conscious.

Exactly, there are a few other crashes in history that evidence from the CVR told the story, mainly one incident comes to mind from Air Crash Investigation where the pilot was in debt and had relationship issues so he decides to kill himself my lawn-darting an entire aircraft.

And yes, the FDR will help out for sure. I guess it was an A320 though, so it has a side stick not the yoke commonly found in most aircraft, meaning the pilot simply cannot slump forward and have the aircraft go down. I also believe the autopilot will not kick off by control pressure, as that lead to a massive crash years back as well, but I could be wrong.

cockpit of the A320

[40ozDrank]

In for another eaternal conspiracy to follow

[maxchilton]

fckkkkkk, imagine watching the pilot trying to break down the cabin door for fcking 8 minutes as you see the ground getting closer and closer. Rip to those passangers and crew

[nutsy54]

Not a single phone recorded from a passenger , just heard it on tv


weird

How many phones work at 38,000 feet over the Alps?

[ttaylor0024]

How many phones work at 38,000 feet over the Alps?

I'm lucky if my phone gets reception at 5,000 over Kansas, let alone the alps

[40ozDrank]

How many phones work at 38,000 feet over the Alps?

Well I remember from the Ukraine shootdown incident, it rained MacBooks that looked like internals could still be recoverable. If someone filmed a pilot being locked out, and their phone survived you would have a record, just not a call or a text sent through a network.

Iphones have survived skydives without parachutes and still made calls, as obliterated as they seemed. Although substantially more energy is involved in a plane disintegrating against a mountain.

[nutsy54]

Well I remember from the Ukraine shootdown incident, it rained MacBooks that looked like internals could still be recoverable. If someone filmed a pilot being locked out, and their phone survived you would have a record, just not a call or a text sent through a network

That's a completely different topic from the earlier post. It will take weeks or months to thoroughly search desolate mountains to the point of finding recoverable personal electronics.

[GooBaaa]

They should get them finger print locks for the doors

[7rmr]

Not a single phone recorded from a passenger , just heard it on tv


weird

It also doesn't help that although the plane has a satellite phone on board, its kept in the cockpit.

[sequoiiathrone]

Someone could have recorded it on a cellphone and they just haven't found it yet. I'd say suicide because fromwhat I know flights typically stay on auto pretty much the whole trip, so if the pilot had a medical emergency it wouldn't explain the rapid descent into mountains.

[7rmr]

Someone could have recorded it on a cellphone and they just haven't found it yet. I'd say suicide because fromwhat I know flights typically stay on auto pretty much the whole trip, so if the pilot had a medical emergency it wouldn't explain the rapid descent into mountains.

Unless he passed out/died and hit the controls. As another poster and I were discussing though this particular plane uses a side stick so just pushing forward wouldnt cause the plane to descend.

[ttaylor0024]

They should get them finger print locks for the doors

They don't stay in one aircraft all day, or every flight for that matter. Locking methods from the outside only hinder security. Only in EXTREMELY rare circumstances do things like this happen. Most crashes involve both of the pilots at the controls.

Unless he passed out/died and hit the controls. As another poster and I were discussing though this particular plane uses a side stick so just pushing forward wouldnt cause the plane to descend.

Yeah, I don't think it does, however I could be wrong. I don't know Airbus systems

[markehx]

Let me take a picture of my cawk on my iphone, drop the iphone 38,000 feet into the alps, and hope someone will find whats left of it, hopefully memory in tact, and use the memory storage on my iphone to see my cawk

[BrockDiCaprio]

I could easily break down that door

[7rmr]

Yeah, I don't think it does, however I could be wrong. I don't know Airbus systems

Pretty sure it does, CNN has been discussing this.

[ThatzItBoiiiIiZ]

Might have been pilot suicide?

[GooBaaa]

They don't stay in one aircraft all day, or every flight for that matter. Locking methods from the outside only hinder security. Only in EXTREMELY rare circumstances do things like this happen. Most crashes involve both of the pilots at the controls.



Yeah, I don't think it does, however I could be wrong. I don't know Airbus systems

okay? They have key code locks too using one method to open a door is asking for trouble

[ttaylor0024]

I could easily break down that door

It's possible, but it would definitely take more than a few hits. They're designed withstand gunshots, grenades, and small amounts of plastic explosive.

Pretty sure it does, CNN has been discussing this.

Interesting. I try to stay away from CNN though because I've found their aviation knowledge to be worst than most beginner student pilots... Also I hate CNN.

Might have been pilot suicide?

Possible

okay? They have key code locks too using one method to open a door is asking for trouble

How do they even know it was a pilot knocking? It could have been someone else

They have a camera to see what's outside the door. FAA regs state that the cockpit is only to be openable from the inside. (of course Germanwings doesn't follow FAA regs, but other countries model their regs from FAA)

[idunnobrah]

Both my brothers are flying internationally the next few weeks, this chit scares the **** out of me