Germanwings A320 believed crashed

[Thomas Collins]

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

A380.

[MarkR]

Originally Posted by Philip Argy

It may be plausible but I'd like to understand why that might have been done - there doesn't appear to be any reason to get back at either Germany or Spain, there were no demands made, and if the intent was truly malicious why not fly the plane into the centre of a town - why in such a remote location? In other words, the 'reward' for the suicide mission that is being described is not discernible, making it quite unlikely to me ... Having said that, the French prosecutor is quite adamant that 28 year old German co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately locked the captain out of the cockpit, set the aircraft to descend, switched off TCAS, and ignored all calls from ATC. What an awful scenario if that turns out to be true.

Given the history of similar accidents, I suspect the scenario is very plausible. To a certain extent logic does not have a place, it's all about emotion. I would not be surprised if a similar thing happened with MH370, we may never know, but it's likely the Silk Air incident was similar, and obviously this recent accident:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAM_M...nes_Flight_470

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted by 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.

B747 has exactly that.

[Geoff Br]

Some of the Long haul a/c now provide toilets in the flight deck area. This way all the operating crew are in the same security zone. I was in a A380 recently and the rest area for the relieving aircrew have bunks and toilet. It maybe economically feasible to convert others.

The problem will be what to do about the short/medium haul a/c. All of them usually have a toilet up front for the F and or J pax, as well as flight crew. As this means money...

The front toilet could be aircrew only and the flight deck entry wall moved. F and J guys not too happy.

The aircraft could have the front galley removed and converted into a toilet within the flight deck zone.

All of these options cost money and or cause inconvenience. BUT, if the unthinkable happens again....values need to change soon.

[Philip Argy]

Originally Posted by Dave Powell

Might just be a guy who decided he had had enough - unfortunately his method took out 149 innocent lives as well. Mental instability can result in actions incomprehensible to those who are not suffering.

It is increasingly likely that you were quite right, Dave. I wonder if we'll get mandatory reporting on doctors as we do now. Where a doctor deems you unfit to drive they are required to report you. Hard to see why that logic would not apply to a pilot.

[Nigel C]

That might only work if you actually tell the doctor that you're a pilot in the first place.....

[Philip Argy]

Maybe it should be mandatory to report your occupation to your doctor too, and/or your employer's details with permission to report for prescribed occupations ...

Yes the privacy advocates will go spare but it's all just a matter of adjusting the balance of rights and obligations in an increasingly complicated world ...

[Nigel C]

Ok, so you tell your doctor that you drive forklifts for a living. You have a licence, so he believes you. You can still slip through the cracks.

[Arthur T]

As airlines are implementing the two people rule in the cockpit following this incident, may I ask has Qantas and Virgin Australia followed suit as the result?

[Kent Broadhead]

Dunno whether the airlines did, but it looks as though they'll be required to http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviat...30-1maull.html