Posts by user "Propellerhead" [Posts: 23 Total up-votes: 0 Pages: 2]

Yeah but thought it worth discussing again IF we believe that the engine failure was caused by a pilot selecting both fuel control switches to cutoff. You\x92re right that I can\x92t imagine myself doing it but fear can make our inner chimps do strange things in response to the flight or flight response. (See the chimp paradox book).

In what world would you feather both props instead of selecting landing flaps in Nepal and cause a fatal crash? Seemed pretty inconceivable until it happened. What we all would do in the comfort of our armchairs is very different to what can happen in the heat of the moment.

Fuel control switches will cut off the fuel at any thrust or thrust lever setting - they need to be able to deal with an uncommanded thrust increase from an engine fault.

I guess I\x92m hoping that there is (and trying to find) a logical explanation to this accident that we can all learn from and make sure it never happens again. There aren\x92t that many things that scare me in my job. Some of the alternatives I find terrifying for the industry, the manufacturer, the operators and the travelling public.

PPRUNE could make a rule that all accident threads are locked until the final report is published when it can be discussed (I\x92m sure the mods have been tempted at times)! I suspect the website wouldn\x92t get many hits if it did\x85..

Just read all 16 pages - been flying! I think comment \x93why did you cutoff\x94 is not the reaction I would expect from a Training Captain who has just witnessed the co-pilot turn both fuel control switches off. They would possibly utter an exclamation, but would surely correct the error immediately - this didn\x92t happen for 10secs. The words are more likely to have come from an FO who has both hands on the control column and is concentrating on the rotation.

Every flight we do as PM we move both fuel control switches to cutoff, 1 after the other, with a gap of about 1 sec between each one. It\x92s a learnt action in response to the phrase \x93shutdown\x94.
Every sim the TC has conducted he will have moved critical switches without much thought in order to setup the sim for the exercise. I remember being slightly shocked one day on the aircraft, having been training in the sim the previous day, that I nearly operated a critical control without thought. It\x92s something I had to consciously guard against after that.

There is no rational explanation for doing it though - moving both fuel control switches down instead of moving the gear lever up is not a likely action slip. It seems either a totally subconscious act or a totally deliberate act.