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Malfunctioning pitot-static system caused Malaysian Airlines Boeing 737 dive

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A malfunctioning pitot-static system caused a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft to rapidly descend while it performed a domestic flight between Kuala Lumpur and Tawau, says the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). (www.aerotime.aero) More...

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Ricovandijk
Rico van Dijk 5
Might spill some coffee if the plane decides to mach-stall in mid flight! I’ e always treated autopilots like student pilots, they’re great but you can never fully trust them. Sounds like the crew made a good upset recovery.
Highflyer1950
Highflyer1950 3
I could be way off base here, but absent of mechanical at cruise altitude there may be a reluctance to disengage the a/p even when it shows signs of doing something not expected. Maybe because of lack of hand flying experience, maybe because of ineptness or system understanding. I’ll bet there are drivers on this site who would disconnect the a/p every now and then just to check the feel of the aircraft, me included. If you can hand fly it +/- 100’ you can catch it before it gets to 1,000. Case in point, do you just sit there and watch the a/p fight a mountain wave or think about that heavy at 12:00 1,000’ above opposite direction and immediately check wind direction/velocity on the FMS & anticipate? I think we’re in between the technology and humanity just like the self driving car will kill a lot of people. It wasn't that long ago that manual transmissions actually prevented parking lot accidents, people only had two feet and three pedals. Now with automatics, the two feet are on the two pedals remaining……..the harder you push on the brake, the harder you push on the accelerator which usually wins in a panic.😳😁
Ricovandijk
Rico van Dijk 1
I see your points which are valid, but even us, we regularly fly the aircraft manually up to FL400 to make us believe we are still the pilot here; - would have a startle if the plane suddenly does something wonky.
Highflyer1950
Highflyer1950 5
If you believe that, I have some swamp-land in Florida to sell? Sounds like another case where the A/P says adios and the crew are stuck for an answer? Scary to think these are folks running around in RVSM airspace and can’t quickly get the aircraft under control. 98% of American, Canadian, British, German pilots etc. might lose maybe 800’ at best. Makes you wonder if the airplanes are flying the pilots rather than the other way around?
bentwing60
bentwing60 4
HF, that was not PC, 'politically correct', but it was certainly PC, 'probably correct'! /s for the masses.
linbb
linbb 2
Third world operators with pilots who expect the AC to fly itself by computers again. Seems that happened not to long ago with low time poorl trained pilots.
plausipo
Po Lau 1
We should know better? AF447, Birgenair 301, Aeroperú 603 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birgenair_Flight_301
goriordan40
Gerard ORIORDAN 0
Rubbish software going into a second rate airline manufacturer. Majority of so called Third World pilots are trained in the USA and Europe!

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