In the event of a total hydraulic failure (which isn't what happened here, of course), you're no more screwed on an A320 than you are on any other hydraulically-controlled airplane. If things get bad enough that you've lost all three hydraulics, Pierre/Fifi will even let you move the thrust levers...
UpThere: I got to try that in a sim myself - I'm kind of a UA232 nerd. I really don't understand why more pilots haven't been exposed to that in training. I mean, for a scenario that manufacturers have always said was "Impossible", it's happened at least three times I can come up with off the top of my head (JAL 123, UA232, the DHL A300). It's worth pointing out the progression of crew response in those three examples:
1) Based on the CVR, it seems the JAL crew was caught completely off guard by the failure, made heroic, but limited, attempts to control the aircraft, and crashed into a mountain with only four survivors.
2) UA232 - Jumpseat rider/throttle manipulator extraordinaire Denny Fitch is on the record as saying he studied the JAL 123 accident thoroughly when it happened (being a training department guy), and applied the lessons he learned from it on the DC-10. The plane crash-landed, and about 2/3rds of the people on board survived.
3) The crew of the DHL A300 is on the record as saying they'd studied UA232 in the past, and managed to return their aircraft for an emergency landing. Everyone lived.
I can think of no greater demonstration of the potential growth of our collective knowledge than those three examples. If you're not trying to learn something from every incident you hear about, you're doing something wrong.
*Oh, and I'm partial to the singalong with the Mexican family in the back of the van.
"Mock!"
"Si!"
"-ing!"
"Si!"
Last edited by thepotato232 : 10-23-2009 at 07:56 AM.
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