Page 6 - Flight Management Computer News Today

We are going to be looking closely at flight training and operations manuals, at the crews experience, the flight management system and the flight management computer. the cockpit configuration. there has been a lot of discussion about stabilized approaches and we are going to be looking at that very closely. we do hope to interview the crew within the next few days. we have a power plants team taking a look at the engines. they are going to be documenting general conditions, taking a lot of pho...

To us. we look at it. if we like it, we wilco it and that sends it back to atc saying that that were happy with it, we accept it, we can print it so we have a hard copy of it. and in some airplanes that are properly equipped, it can be directly located into the flight management computer and the crew doesnt have to make any manual entry whats over. >> make your job a lot easier? >> much easier. and safer. >> thanks so much. suzanne, back to you. >> all right, thank you very much. very interestin...

It says that something went on in that airplane. they did not or could not communicate via voice but it was electrically powered. it says it went to given points in space known as waypoints. that says the likelihood was that they used the flight management computer. somebody had to know how to program that. now, thats about as hard evidence as we have. >> what does that hard evidence tell us, to me, to everybody watching right now? what does it say could have happened? >> you know, theres so man...

Evidence. it says that something went on in that airplane. they did not or could not communicate via voice but it was electrically powered. it says it went to given points in space known as waypoints. that says the likelihood was that they used the flight management computer. somebody had to know how to program that. now, thats about as hard evidence as we have. >> what does that hard evidence tell us, to me, to everybody watching right now? what does it say could have happened? >> you know, the...

Is the acars system. >> thats not something they would typically turn off. my understand that involves pulling circuit breakers which are on the roof of the airplane. you would have to know what youre looking for. thats not something a pilot would typically deal with. >> this model of plane is relatively new. >> 777 came out in 95. a flew on the inaugural commercial flight on united airlines, they were the first customer. they updated, theres a 300 model and 300 e.r. the planes are heavily elect...

Went on for seven hours. my question to you, could a automatic pilot procedure keep a plane flying on a straight line for seven hours without anybody alive on the plane? a zombie flight, if you will. could that happen? >> is it possible? absolutely, yes. no question. >> so there is no dead man switch like in railroads. if youre dead, the plane keeps flying? >> if the entire crew is incapacitated, the autopilot is engaged and the flight management computer has a path or route to fly, it will fly ...

Bullet and a warning to operators that hacking could occur onboard, but it, you know, it would at worst be limited to something like the flight management computer, which ultimately can be overridden by the pilot. if a flight crew sees the plane is doing something completely out of the ordinary, then they would just take over the aircraft. >> right. and its almost -- when i hear about it, to some degree, the discussion or interest in hacking or one sort of silver bullet explanation go to part of...

Valuable information, valuable clues may be lost indefinitely here? >> well, time is always your enemy in investigations like this and this is an extraordinary amount of time without really many solid facts. lots of conjecture, a few small notions with respect to why the plane or how the plane diverted from its flight path. incidentally, its not uncommon to put a divert flight path program in the flight management computer because, as was said, if you do experience an emergency, you just execute...

Consulting firm. so good to have you on the show this morning. >> good morning. let me make one correction. i have never worked for the national transportation safety board. ive worked with them but i have never been an employee of the ntsb. >> thank you. >> listen. >> im sorry. >> we always try to puff up our guests. >> we try to it two or three times before we get it right. >> ive seen pilots operate. you should have seen me. i was inverted and going so we are just trying to, you know, get int...

Immarsat and this is high quality. >> i have an admonition not to speculate, but were left with very little information, captain cox, and that is that the flight went on for seven hours. my question to you, could a automatic pilot procedure keep a plane flying on a straight line for seven hours without anybody alive on the plane? a zombie flight, if you will. could that happen? >> is it possible? absolutely, yes. no question. >> so there is no dead man switch like in railroads. if youre dead, th...