GermanWings 9525 went down in the Alps yesterday. The initial reports stated that it was in perfect mechanical condition, took off with no issues, reached cruising altitude and soon after started a shallow descent which ended when it hit the side of the mountain. There was no communication from the plane to the ground, though radar had clearly followed and determined the above path. The flight recorders were found soon, and analysis has started.
The New York Times is reporting that, per one investigator, one of the two pilots was outside the cockpit and unable to get back in. This instantly screams foul play or engineering failure, and the speculation seems pointed at suicide missions or sudden cabin pressure loss, etc.
My initial reaction is that this is a tragic, but innocent case. One of the pilots stepped out of the cabin to use the bathroom. In the meantime, the other had a heart attack or other sudden medical emergency that left him incapacitated. The cockpit door is locked, the other pilot can't get back in, the end.
We'll see how this all plays out, but this is an interesting point of failure. If there's only one crew member in the locked cabin, what DOES happen if they are incapacitated? Is there any override to get into the cockpit? The pilots can't have physical keys because then hijackers could nab one when s/he came out of the cockpit. Maybe there could be a secret code? But that could be tortured out of the abducted pilot. Or maybe a code that only opens the door if the person inside the cockpit doesn't enter a lockdown code? I wonder if a possible solution would create more security risks or points of failure for cockpit access?
The New York Times is reporting that, per one investigator, one of the two pilots was outside the cockpit and unable to get back in. This instantly screams foul play or engineering failure, and the speculation seems pointed at suicide missions or sudden cabin pressure loss, etc.
My initial reaction is that this is a tragic, but innocent case. One of the pilots stepped out of the cabin to use the bathroom. In the meantime, the other had a heart attack or other sudden medical emergency that left him incapacitated. The cockpit door is locked, the other pilot can't get back in, the end.
We'll see how this all plays out, but this is an interesting point of failure. If there's only one crew member in the locked cabin, what DOES happen if they are incapacitated? Is there any override to get into the cockpit? The pilots can't have physical keys because then hijackers could nab one when s/he came out of the cockpit. Maybe there could be a secret code? But that could be tortured out of the abducted pilot. Or maybe a code that only opens the door if the person inside the cockpit doesn't enter a lockdown code? I wonder if a possible solution would create more security risks or points of failure for cockpit access?
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