←back to thread

Preliminary report into Air India crash released

(www.bbc.co.uk)
315 points cjr | 6 comments | 11 Jul 25 20:23 UTC | HN request time: 0.645s | source | bottom
Show context
fsckboy ◴[11 Jul 25 23:07 UTC] No.44537714[source]▶
it makes sense to me that the pilot who said "I did not do it" actually did do it without realizing it, was supposed to be putting the landing gear up when he committed a muscle memory mistake. it happened around the time the landing gear should be up, and this explanation matches what was said in the cockpit, and the fact that the landing gear wasn't retracted. I think this idea was even floated initially by the youtube pilot/analysts I watch but dismissed as unlikely.
replies(9): >>44537808 #>>44538063 #>>44538104 #>>44538161 #>>44538361 #>>44540315 #>>44541363 #>>44541712 #>>44541805 #
russdill ◴[12 Jul 25 00:04 UTC] No.44538063[source]▶
There is no possible way to confuse these two actions. There's a reason a wheel is attached to the gear lever.
replies(4): >>44538151 #>>44538329 #>>44538742 #>>44541775 #
chmod775 ◴[12 Jul 25 00:22 UTC] No.44538151[source]▶
Sometimes people put cleaning liquid in the fridge.

Given a long enough span of time, every possible fuck up eventually will happen.

replies(2): >>44538383 #>>44540527 #
1. dboreham ◴[12 Jul 25 01:02 UTC] No.44538383[source]▶
Probably time to design a plane that can't be sent into terrain in seconds by flipping a switch.
replies(4): >>44538472 #>>44538542 #>>44538587 #>>44540534 #
2. ◴[12 Jul 25 01:20 UTC] No.44538472[source]▶
3. zamadatix ◴[12 Jul 25 01:34 UTC] No.44538542[source]▶
"Sent into terrain in seconds by flipping a switch" is both too inaccurate and feels too cursory to take as impetus for serious design criticism, especially when the extensive preliminary report explicitly does not recommend any design changes with the current information.
4. sxg ◴[12 Jul 25 01:43 UTC] No.44538587[source]▶
Now try to design a plane that also lets you rapidly shutoff fuel to both engines in case of fire.
replies(1): >>44541581 #
5. Mawr ◴[12 Jul 25 09:10 UTC] No.44540534[source]▶
And a gun that doesn't let you point it at your face. And a knife that doesn't let you cut yourself. And a car that doesn't let you accelerate into a static object. And...
6. anonymars ◴[12 Jul 25 12:26 UTC] No.44541581[source]▶
How about actual switch covers (and switches that are not located right in the same area as stuff you are using routinely) instead of a glorified detent? Though I suspect this would also succumb to muscle memory

What about up on the overhead panel where the other engine start controls are?

Or (at the cost of complexity) you could interlock with the throttle lever so that you can't flip the cutoff if the lever isn't at idle

Also the fire suppression system is a different activation (covered pull handles I think)