Germanwings A320 believed crashed

[Geoff Br]

I recently returned from the States where I flew AA on several sectors, mostly in 1B. I noticed the aircrew had a procedure for flight crew 'nature/chat stops'

The flight crew would call the FA and advise one of them wanted to leave the cockpit.
The FA would call one of the other FA's, so now two together outside the cockpit area.
One of the FA's would get a meal trolley and form a barrier between the galley and main cabin.
FA would buz flight crew, ok to come out. FA stands at barrier.
One of the flight crew comes out and one of the FA's would move into the cockpit and close the door.
After the flight crew finished his break, he would make sure no one walking towards barrier and call the cockpit on the phone. FA stands at barrier.
Door would open, and FA walk out, keeping hold of the door and let flight crew in. IF the other flight crew guy wanted out at the same time, the barrier remains in place, FA would remain holding the door open until other flight crew came out.
A very sound procedure, as always two persons in the cockpit, and a barrier to stop any one passing the galley area. This way always a person to open the door for the other flight crew.

[Greg Hyde]

Isn't it time to reconsider a method off unlocking the cockpit door from outside the cockpit which is only known to flight/cabin crew.

Especially if the flight crew becomes incapacitated and the cabin crew needs to enter the cockpit.

[Thomas Collins]

Greg - you can open the door from the outside, via a code, just for the very purpose of accessing the flight deck, should both pilots be incapacitated.

Here is a video that explains the door opening and closing process in detail.

[Grahame Hutchison]

Even if the Pilot/Cabin Crew enter the Security Code to open the A320 cockpit door (after the 30 seconds), the one pilot remaining in the cockpit just needs to hit the Lock switch, and the door will not open.

They could consider a system that allows the cockpit door to be opened remotely from the Airline's Operations centre, in the case of an emergency. Not sure how practical this is technically.

This is a hard balance between protecting against terrorism, and practical entry to the cockpit in the case of an emergency.

[Rowan McKeever]

Originally Posted by Thomas Collins

Greg - you can open the door from the outside, via a code, just for the very purpose of accessing the flight deck, should both pilots be incapacitated.

Here is a video that explains the door opening and closing process in detail.

So if "when the elapsed time is over, with no action from the crew, the door goes into unlocking mode", then a not-so-incapacitated lone crew member could still override the codepad, which to me means the codepad in itself isn't enough. AA's procedure seems appropriate and from what I've seen, procedures in Australia aren't terribly different to that (although never seen the cart used as a barrier).

[Rowan McKeever]

Originally Posted by Grahame Hutchison

They could consider a system that allows the cockpit door to be opened remotely from the Airline's Operations centre, in the case of an emergency. Not sure how practical this is technically.

Sorry for duplicating parts of your post, Grahame... I didn't see your reply until after I replied.

I wondered about remote unlocking from the Ops Room as well. Like you, not sure how practical or expensive that would be, but seems very logical. I presume cabin crew have some means of contacting the Ops Room from the cabin in an emergency - sat phone, radio, something like that?

[Thomas Collins]

In the last 40 years, there have been 591 deaths, as a result of 11 commercial jet suicide events.

You're not going to see any costly technological changes come into effect in the near future.

[George G]

How about redesigning the flight deck area, and allow for a pilot only toilet accessible from the cockpit?

Bit of a stretch i know.. but if you can have space for crew rest areas maybe you can make space for crew toilets as well.

[Greg Hyde]

Thanks for the feedback.

This might be of interest:

http://news.aviation-safety.net/2013...pilot-suicide/

http://www.ibtimes.com/pilot-suicide...-plane-1519756

ACI covered some of these:

Silk Air (ACI s12e4)
Egypt Air (ACI S3e8)

Not included

* US Air Bae146, where the flight crew were shot and the aircraft was downed by a disgruntled employee (ACI s11e10)
* Fedex Dc-10 where the crew was attacked and survived. (ACI s3e4)

* MH370 (Maybe.......) (ACI s14e11)

[Stephen Brown]

If they are going to have a system to unlock the door remotely, they should just ditch the whole Black Box thing and send all the flight data back through the air to the Ops Centre. Seems a much better way of doing things than trying to find a black box after the thing has crashed. The technology is there right now, look towards what the military do. (i.e. Drones).