BREAKING: Germanwings Pilot Was Locked Out of Cockpit Before Crash in France

http://www.nytimes.com ^ | March 25, 2015 | Fox News / NY Times

[CivilWarBrewing]

On Fox News, Greta just reported that the NY Times is reporting that regarding the plane crash in the Alps, one pilot was unable to return to the cockpit during the flight.

[TADSLOS]

[Praxeologue]

“Entrance can only be inhibited by a conscious pilot on the flight deck.”

[Paladin2]

Airbus is known for having issues with malfunctions of their peetoe tubes.

[Labyrinthos]

Even here in the US, where we have very few muzzies, as time passes it’s rare even on 9-11 anniversaries to see old footage of the dramatic things that unfolded that day. To hear second-hand accounts about it is one thing, but to see or hear it first-hand is another.

That's total BS. Every year on 9/11, several cable stations run 9/11 documentaries that include the original recordings. And if that is not enough to make a person cry then go to the 9/11 Museum, where you can see and hear the first hand accounts as the event unfolded.

[InterceptPoint]

These days are the cockpit doors so strong they could not be kicked open? Who has the keys?
++++
The Question of the Day. I hope someone knows what the Standard Operating Procedure is.

Does the door automatically lock.
Is there a physical key or is it a credit card slot or keypad?
How could the door be secured from the inside so a key wouldn’t work.
...

[halo66]

That would be one way of getting back at him...lol

[dragnet2]

Hard to believe they don’t even have a basic backup radio back in the FA’s galley somewhere where the FA’s or locked out pilot could contact ATC.

[Ann Archy]

We need to know the pilots NAMES....NOW!!!

[halo66]

I agree...it seems that they should have a plan for almost every scenario...even inconceivable.

[randita]

Question. When a pilot leaves the cockpit, does the door automatically lock behind him/her or does it require an action from inside to lock it?

[Ann Archy]

There is no evidence that one was sick.

[halo66]

I believe that they lock it from within the cockpit.

[NorthWoody]

If it were terrorism, why not drive it straight into the ground in a steep decent?

And why crash into a mountain in the middle of nowhere? Why not crash it into a city?

[maggief]

Last report corrected 39 Turks to 1 Turkish-German, FWIW.

[barmag25]

This plane was already at cruising altitude which more than likely autopilot was set, which maintains altitude unless someone changes it.

[Karl Spooner]

Agree.

[PA Engineer]

Add to that the fact that this medical emergency just happened to occur when the other pilot was out, and further that the pilot in the cockpit took the plane off of autopilot, and how can one NOT come to the conclusion of terrorism?

Agree. That is exactly what I was thinking. Why did the copilot take the plane off of autopilot.

[WeatherGuy]

Bigger question: Why would one pilot leave the cockpit 40 minutes into the flight?

[halo66]

That’s very true...

[Sarah Barracuda]

Most likely this was the co-pilot..but question is, how come the pilot even left the cockpit, for what..to pee..the whole flight was what, 1 hour, he couldn’t have held it in for one hour or gone before the flight?