Newsmakers
Indonesia AirAsia crash highlights training gaps
December 1st 2015
In a Reuters report published in October, a senior British air accident investigator said a series of accidents in which pilots erred when abruptly handed back control drew attention to a loss of flying skills brought about by modern reliance on computers. Read More » Keith Conradi, Britain’s chief air accident investigator told Reuters: “I don’t think there is any replacement for more flying around for getting experience. The issue of automation is a real one. I do get concerned that it could bite us.”
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Following the publication of Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee’s (NTSC) final report on the crash of Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501 in the Java Sea and the loss of all 162 passengers and crew onboard, French experts also have raised concerns about the ability of pilots to handle inflight emergencies. They said they wanted the investigation report to include language that highlighted the cockpit crew’s mishandling and inadequate actions that resulted in the stall that proved deadly for all onboard the aircraft. The agency, known as BEA, also requested that the words inadequate actions be included in the accident summation. The NTSC declined to include both notations, The Wall Street Journal reported at press time. The QZ8501 accident could be a pointer to a problem of too few pilots and technicians for too many aircraft, a relevant issue when the Asia-Pacific has the fastest growing aircraft fleet in the world.
