Inside cockpit Af447

Summary

A tense aviation emergency unfolds as a flight crew faces a critical situation over the Atlantic. When autopilot disengages due to ice blocking vital sensors, the inexperienced co-pilot's actions cause the aircraft to stall. As the situation escalates, the captain and co-pilot struggle to regain control while the aircraft rapidly descends. Despite efforts to recover, the plane approaches the ocean, with the crew racing against time to avoid disaster. The narrative highlights the challenges of flying in severe conditions, the crew's response under pressure, and the dramatic moments leading to the aircraft's rapid descent.

Takeaways

• 😀 A relaxed atmosphere in the cockpit as the crew flies over the Atlantic at night.
• 😀 Captain Du takes a break, leaving Bona, the least experienced pilot, in charge.
• 😀 The crew encounters St. Elmo’s Fire, a tropical electrical phenomenon.
• 😀 A sharp chlorine-like smell spreads through the cockpit as the weather deteriorates.
• 😀 Ice blocks the aircraft's vital sensors (pitot tubes), causing the loss of airspeed data.
• 😀 The autopilot disengages, handing manual control back to the pilots.
• 😀 Bona, who is flying the plane, makes the mistake of pulling back on the stick, leading to a stall.
• 😀 The stall warning sounds multiple times as the aircraft starts to lose altitude and speed.
• 😀 Captain Du returns to the cockpit and realizes that the nose of the aircraft is still pointed upwards, causing the stall.
• 😀 The plane begins a rapid descent towards the ocean as the pilots struggle to regain control.
• 😀 The proximity warning system activates as the plane nears the ocean, signaling an imminent crash.

Q & A

What event triggers the sequence of problems for Flight 447?

The sequence begins when the autopilot disengages due to a failure in the Pito system, which detects the speed of the aircraft. This loss of speed data forces the autopilot to hand control back to the pilots.

What is St Elmo's Fire, and why is it significant in this scenario?

St Elmo's Fire is an electrical phenomenon commonly seen in the tropics. It is noted by Captain Du as a bright flash in the cockpit, signaling a potentially turbulent environment, though it is not directly related to the mechanical issues.

How does the loss of speed data affect the pilots’ actions?

The loss of speed data confuses the pilots, as they no longer have a clear indication of the aircraft's velocity. This leads to a series of incorrect decisions, particularly by the less experienced Bonan, who fails to recognize the stall condition.

Why does Bonan's response to the stall alarm exacerbate the situation?

Bonan's response to the stall alarm is to pull the nose up, which increases the aircraft's altitude but reduces speed further, deepening the stall condition and preventing recovery.

What role does Captain Du play in the critical moment after the stall alarm?

Captain Du returns to the cockpit after being called by Rober, realizing that Bonan's actions have put the aircraft into a stall. He then works with Rober to try and correct the flight path and recover from the situation.

What is the stall warning, and what does it indicate?

The stall warning alerts the pilots that the aircraft is flying too slowly to maintain sufficient lift, leading to a loss of altitude. This situation demands an immediate response to avoid a complete loss of control.

How does the Pito system malfunction contribute to the emergency?

The malfunction of the Pito system, caused by ice blocking the sensors, leads to the loss of crucial speed information. This results in the autopilot disengaging and the pilots being left to fly the aircraft manually with incomplete data.

What does the aircraft's variometer indicate during the emergency?

The variometer, which measures the vertical speed of the aircraft, fails to function because Bonan continues to pull back on the stick, causing the aircraft to stall. This worsens the descent rate as the plane's altitude decreases rapidly.

Why is there confusion about the aircraft's speed during the incident?

There is confusion because the pilots are unaware that the Pito sensors are blocked, and they don't realize the aircraft has lost speed data. This leads to misinterpretations of the aircraft's behavior, especially as Bonan mistakes the situation as a speed excess rather than a stall.

What happens when the aircraft reaches a dangerously low altitude?

When the aircraft descends to just below 2,000 feet, the ground proximity warning system triggers, signaling an immediate need to pull up. However, at this point, the aircraft's rapid descent and stall conditions make recovery extremely difficult.