Dr. Hess wrote: Have they released the names of the pilots?
For some reason Lufthansa still hasn't done that yet, as of this morning. But apparently the co-pilot only had 600 hours cockpit time and had just gotten out of training. Hmm, wonder if he has a Middle Eastern sounding name (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Gary wrote: Hmm, wonder if he has a Middle Eastern sounding name (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Makes bigoted statement, than tries to retract in the same sentence. Impressive!
Gary wrote:Dr. Hess wrote: Have they released the names of the pilots?For some reason Lufthansa still hasn't done that yet, as of this morning. But apparently the co-pilot only had 600 hours cockpit time and had just gotten out of training. Hmm, wonder if he has a Middle Eastern sounding name (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Took - The - Bait
Prosecutor calling crash deliberate
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/03/26/germanwings-plane-crash/70473800/
The co-pilot of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps locked the pilot out of the cockpit and deliberately worked to destroy the plane, a French prosecutor said at a news conference in Marseille.
GameboyRMH wrote: What if the guy builds a jammer? It's not rocket science, it just has to look like a piece of commercial electronics and run from a commercial power source. Maybe it could be built as a laptop internal piece.
Airplanes dial different identifier codes in their transponders to identify themselves. There is a code that basically means "We're being hijacked." You wouldn't need to talk on the radio. I believe if you dial it in, ATC just says something to the effect of, "Airbus 123, you're squacking 4567. Confirm."
Beer Baron wrote:GameboyRMH wrote: What if the guy builds a jammer? It's not rocket science, it just has to look like a piece of commercial electronics and run from a commercial power source. Maybe it could be built as a laptop internal piece.Airplanes dial different identifier codes in their transponders to identify themselves. There is a code that basically means "We're being hijacked." You wouldn't need to talk on the radio. I believe if you dial it in, ATC just says something to the effect of, "Airbus 123, you're squacking 4567. Confirm."
If the signal is jammed, they can't throw up the "hijacked" flag...but their identifier will stop working which someone at ATC should have seen. Anyway, it's looking pretty certain that one of the pilots was the "terrorist" at this point
If this is terrorism, and I can't be for sure it is or isn't, but "take the plane into a slight, very prolonged shallow dive" doesn't sound like it jives.
In the US there is a two man rule, always have two people in the cockpit. Pilot's gotta pee, you'll see a stewardess go in and put a cart across the door.
No such rule in Europe.
Gary wrote: Hmm, wonder if he has a Middle Eastern sounding name (not that there's anything wrong with that).
Uh huh...well the first name of the guy who was locked in the cockpit was Andreas if it makes you feel better.
Do we need cockpit video records?
PHeller wrote: Do we need cockpit video records?
Video is storage-heavy and pilots are very much against being hyper-scrutinized by it. Maybe time-lapse photography would be a good compromise.
Just saw on the news that they think the crash was deliberate, and immediately thought of this thread.
I wonder what the pilot's motive was? Was he part of a terrorist cell, or just a messed up, selfish individual that wanted to off himself?
Crazy, and sad. 
Are we assuming because the other pilot was locked out that the co-pilot would have disabled the keypad?
PHeller wrote: Are we assuming because the other pilot was locked out that the co-pilot would have disabled the keypad?
That's actually the intended operating mode of the door when "locked." No access is allowed from the passenger area even if you put the correct code in. The only ways to get into the cockpit when the door is "locked" is for someone inside the cockpit to let you in, or to physically break the door somehow.
Latest reports are that he was locked out and you can hear him trying to knock down the door.
Co pilot had a non middle eastern name. People who like to racially profile(bigots) won't like that. I'll take suicidal co pilots for $100.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/26/europe/france-germanwings-plane-crash-main/
z31maniac wrote:Gary wrote: Hmm, wonder if he has a Middle Eastern sounding name (not that there's anything wrong with that).Makes bigoted statement, than tries to retract in the same sentence. Impressive!
I can't take credit for that, it's from Seinfeld.
And we are wearing our tinfoil hats, aren't we?
Got some more details. The full name of the pilot who locked himself in was Andreas Lubitz and he plotted the descent using an autopilot system, and was at least alive the entire time...and the passengers knew what was coming.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/26/europe/france-germanwings-plane-crash-main/index.html
Assuming CNN hasn't made this up, or isn't awfully wrong on the details...
I don't get it. If you're going to kill yourself, why take a bunch of strangers with you? Assuming you have that angle figured out, why a shallow decent? Just dive the thing straight into the ground. Assuming there is a legit reason for that, why no note, no point to be made, nothing? Smells weird.
Man. That's terrible. I wonder what will come out as a possible motive?
If you're crazy enough to kill yourself with a planeload of people, you're way more than crazy enough to kill yourself with a slow descent...and sadly he wouldn't be the first.
GameboyRMH wrote: If you're crazy enough to kill yourself with a planeload of people, you're way more than crazy enough to kill yourself with a slow descent...and sadly he wouldn't be the first.
So an experienced pilot that nobody thought was odd at all just snapped one day?
Plausible certainly, but that's pretty rare.
It's happened before. I for one am relived to hear he had a western name. If I plunge from the sky I want it to be from an untreated mental illness, not some fanatical terrorist.
His name doesn't even guarantee that he wasn't an Islamic terrorist, never mind guaranteeing that he wasn't a terrorist at all.
"Richard Reid" and "Anders Breivik" aren't middle-eastern names.
If the co pilot locked the rest of the flight crew out I see changes coming to that system. Maybe a call box outside the cabin to an override control at the ATC. Or a hidden key somewhere. (In the Air Marshals pocket?)
I think the cockpit door having an absolutely unconditional lockout mode was a terrible mistake. It's one of those things that's so powerful that you don't want to have it in case it's used against you.
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