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Preliminary report into Air India crash released

(www.bbc.co.uk)
308 points cjr | 5 comments | 11 Jul 25 20:23 UTC | HN request time: 1.097s | source
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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.
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codefeenix ◴[11 Jul 25 23:21 UTC] No.44537808[source]▶
even though that raising the gear is a up motion and fuelcut off is a down motion?
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rogerrogerr ◴[11 Jul 25 23:27 UTC] No.44537843[source]▶
And fuel cutoff is _two_ down motions? That's the death knell for this theory, imo.
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1. adrianmonk ◴[12 Jul 25 02:11 UTC] No.44538716[source]▶
I don't think the theory is that the muscle memory sequences resemble each other.

Instead, it's that because muscle memory allows you to do things without thinking about it, you can get mixed up about which action you meant to perform and go through the whole process without realizing it.

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2. mcpeepants ◴[12 Jul 25 03:08 UTC] No.44538969[source]▶
Is actuating the fuel cutoff switches something that is done routinely in these aircraft, to the extent it could reasonably become muscle memory?

ETA: downthread it is mentioned that these switches are used on the ground to cut the engines

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3. abracadaniel ◴[12 Jul 25 05:07 UTC] No.44539461[source]▶
Seems akin to something like a parking brake. Something you only use at a stop, or rarely during an emergency.
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4. card_zero ◴[12 Jul 25 06:22 UTC] No.44539793{3}[source]▶
Was amused to see they have one of those too, with "parking brake" written on it.
5. fakedang ◴[12 Jul 25 11:02 UTC] No.44541122{3}[source]▶
They're pilots, they do hundreds of stops each year. In case of domestic pilots, even thousands. And with years of experience, switching off fuel control switches is basically muscle memory at this time now.