Two bob’s worth, please!
This report is a real stinker. The ATSB interim report, stand alone, is borderline -‘bizarre’ enough but; and it’s a big one, ATSB are only ‘focussing’ on the results stemming from the after the fact incidentals, i.e. the aircraft got broken, because the elevator channels became disconnected. This is an easier escape route than analysing the true, radical of cause of why and how the aircraft became broken, in the first case. We knew that, without the 860 odd day delay to tell us so; honest, we did. This is an easy, soft option for ATSB, through which ‘fault’ may be allocated ; i.e. to the crew. But that is an after the event cop out, rather than an analysis of just what created a ‘sudden’, unsolicited speed increase. An increase which was beyond the ability of the FO to control, using ‘normal’ technique, i.e. power back and trim up. Read the report – carefully. The FO was in serious disagreement with an AP which was not, nor, perhaps would not be - disconnected; clear as day. Two hands, to correct a -4˚ pitch down to -2˚ down and a 10 knot speed reduction– gods spare me.
So, apart from the easy option, the almost obvious crew ‘stuff-up’ (and some busted SOP), there is no service paid to, nor analysis to be made of the cleverly disguised pilot v autopilot arm wrestling competition, during which the very real, sinister damage was done. Take a look at the ATSB picture provided, check the horizontal stabiliser – take a second, close look. The photo supplied says (under magnification) all that needs to be said. Horizontal Stabiliser (HS) bent and twisted to buggery. Compare it to the horizontal tail plane of the aircraft to the left (rear view) with that of the aircraft taxiing in. One is level, the other clearly; and IMO, unmistakably ‘drooping’ below the horizontal. Now who, you may well ask, would sign that aircraft out for more flight? Probably a duty engineer, so what was he told? Clearly, not too much. But how could anyone miss ‘the droop’; and, what sort of crew would continue to operate an aircraft in such a condition – even if, after a cursory inspection, the engineer said it was fit; returned to service. The elevator channel ‘disconnect’ was an ‘accidental’ occurrence– a direct result of two pilots taking on an autopilot; which has not, as yet, been proven to have ever been actually ‘disconnected’. Root cause, ala Reason, please; not the fluff and nonsense from ATSB telling us the bleeding obvious, not without offering realistic, believable resolution of the radical cause. Cheers (and beers) the lad is paying his freight.
This report is a real stinker. The ATSB interim report, stand alone, is borderline -‘bizarre’ enough but; and it’s a big one, ATSB are only ‘focussing’ on the results stemming from the after the fact incidentals, i.e. the aircraft got broken, because the elevator channels became disconnected. This is an easier escape route than analysing the true, radical of cause of why and how the aircraft became broken, in the first case. We knew that, without the 860 odd day delay to tell us so; honest, we did. This is an easy, soft option for ATSB, through which ‘fault’ may be allocated ; i.e. to the crew. But that is an after the event cop out, rather than an analysis of just what created a ‘sudden’, unsolicited speed increase. An increase which was beyond the ability of the FO to control, using ‘normal’ technique, i.e. power back and trim up. Read the report – carefully. The FO was in serious disagreement with an AP which was not, nor, perhaps would not be - disconnected; clear as day. Two hands, to correct a -4˚ pitch down to -2˚ down and a 10 knot speed reduction– gods spare me.
So, apart from the easy option, the almost obvious crew ‘stuff-up’ (and some busted SOP), there is no service paid to, nor analysis to be made of the cleverly disguised pilot v autopilot arm wrestling competition, during which the very real, sinister damage was done. Take a look at the ATSB picture provided, check the horizontal stabiliser – take a second, close look. The photo supplied says (under magnification) all that needs to be said. Horizontal Stabiliser (HS) bent and twisted to buggery. Compare it to the horizontal tail plane of the aircraft to the left (rear view) with that of the aircraft taxiing in. One is level, the other clearly; and IMO, unmistakably ‘drooping’ below the horizontal. Now who, you may well ask, would sign that aircraft out for more flight? Probably a duty engineer, so what was he told? Clearly, not too much. But how could anyone miss ‘the droop’; and, what sort of crew would continue to operate an aircraft in such a condition – even if, after a cursory inspection, the engineer said it was fit; returned to service. The elevator channel ‘disconnect’ was an ‘accidental’ occurrence– a direct result of two pilots taking on an autopilot; which has not, as yet, been proven to have ever been actually ‘disconnected’. Root cause, ala Reason, please; not the fluff and nonsense from ATSB telling us the bleeding obvious, not without offering realistic, believable resolution of the radical cause. Cheers (and beers) the lad is paying his freight.