20 ms·

What if there is no target altitude in the SID.

• myth2018 8y ago
  I'm only an "interested layperson" in the subject so I don't know details. But I know that for instance there are plenty of alarms warning the pilots about the proximity to terrain. Besides, there were excellent visibility conditions at the time of the accident so, even if the autopilot were able to drive the plane into ground, the pilots would have realized that not only by seeing the other instruments but looking through the window as well. The available radar data also shows there's been a struggle to keep the airplane flying. An autopilot-controlled flight into terrain wouldn't show such pattern.
• stephenrcastle 8y ago
  A key question is whether the plane's advanced flight management system -- the autopilot -- might have played a role in the most recent crash as it did in the fatal crash of an Indonesian Airlines 737 MAX 8 last October. In that crash, it appears the pilots failed to disengage the autopilot when the plane's nose began pitching up and down,
  • myth2018 8y ago
    No.. this is not about the autopilot. The suspicion (which is only a suspicion so far) is about another system called MCAS. Roughly speaking (specially because I have not enough knowledge to speak on this regard with confidence), this is meant to help pilots prevent a stall. The MAX family has more powerful engines, and they are a bit projected ahead under the wings. This makes the plane susceptible to point its nose up during full throttle, which could lead to a stall. This system shouldn't be confused with the regular autopilot. It plays a completely different role and, the way it's designed, it should engage only under very specific conditions.