This summer’s crash of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco drew increasing criticism of the skill levels and experience of airline pilots who, some say, are over-reliant on automatic pilot controls and computer instruments.
Back in September of 2011, a US Advisory Board in Washington DC concluded that extended flight hours flown under computer control in large aircraft had dulled the overall mean skill level of airline flight crews. Kevin Hiatt, a former airline pilot and advisory board member explained of pilots:
“They’re becoming very dependent upon using the autopilot, the auto-throttles, the auto flight system, the computers, to actually operate the entire flight. What happens is, you don’t actually hand-fly or manipulate the controls, whether it’s a control yoke or a side-stick controller, therefore, your computer skills get greatly enhanced, but your flying skills start to get rusty.”
Inexperience Downs Air France Flight 447
Hiatt’s conclusions were supported when Air France Flight 447 crashed off the coast of Brazil in 2009.
When the crew received early stall warnings high above the Atlantic Ocean, the autopilot shut down and the co-pilot mistakenly pulled the nose up — exactly the opposite of what he was supposed to do. By the time the captain returned to the flight deck to correct him, it was too late. Nosing up during a near-stall will reduce air speed and exacerbate a stall. At high altitudes, a pilot must nose down when nearing a stall. A slight dive increases speed and restores lift to the wings.
Improving Modern-Era Pilot Training
Following recent airplane crashes, the FAA has increased the minimum mandatory amount of flight hours required of a pilot trainee before he/she can receive an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate –required for a career in flight with any major airline. Trainees must now complete a minimum of 1,500 flight hours, instead of the former minimum of 250 hours, before they can qualify for an ATP certificate and employment as a pilot with a major air carrier. A series of four fatal accidents involving U.S. airlines during a period of a few years prompted Congress to address the issue of minimum qualifications for airline pilots.
References:
ALPA
