KoruPilot

The AIB now, apparently says that that neither engine failed. One had a thrust reduction after the A/T commanded it to increase power, and the other followed suit 8 seconds later. The S turn at about 1000 ft is pretty funny as well (as described in the news papers so I'll leave that one open). I'd like to see the configuration and the speed just prior to 1000 feet if that is in fact the case. There are times when one might want to hold the power levers back as the A/T commands more thrust. Flap being selected just prior to airspeed getting to command airspeed for the previous flap setting, so the aircraft continues to decay speed as late flap is selected by the crew. I wonder, as the AIB keeps saying about the A/T commanded thrust, it was initially added but soon thereafter decayed; well, it sounds like the scenario that I just described, but finger trouble missed one of the power levers, retarded it it 8 seconds later, and physically held it there. The flight director would have favored path over speed at that point if the G/S had been armed and intercepted.

My question for the geniuses is this; if the power levers were retarded by the pilot flying, would the DFDR show an A/T commanded thrust increase if the power levers were physically over- ridden?

If the papers are wrong, and they often are, and there was no S turn or parallel of the LOC, then perhaps it could have been some sort of fuel contamination, or a lot of birds. But, both engines were spinning above flight idle to the ground (latest from the AIB). The eye-witness reports saying that it got 'very loud' close to the ground would indicate a late application of max power. But again, I know, eye witness reports are often the opposite of the truth. Maybe they were hearing the bogies removing the tops of the approach lights.

So, we all fly planes, if not B777 then perhaps something similar (Your C421 and many ****-pit videos count in my book). This affects us close to home so I think candid conversation, which generally includes 'educated' speculation shall we say, is perhaps prudent. I haven't seen the plane spotting nightmare of idiocy that is on that 'other' web site over on this one, so why not?

Sorry Whale, but we are all slaves to speculation. I agree to a point and apologies for my candor; I just can't help myself. I guess I could sum up my feeling's by saying that I have no problem, in the least, with going to work this afternoon in my shiny RR Trent powered B777. Something is just is not adding up here (I do hope it was birds).