Plane crash in France: Aviation safety regulations abused

Post-9/11 aviation safety regulations have turned airplane cockpits into fortified fortresses.

By locking the captain out of the cockpit before crashing the German plane into a mountain on March 24, the co-pilot took advantage of one of the aviation safety regulations put in place after 9/11, according to which aircraft cockpits become fortified fortresses.

The door lever has three positions: Normal (default), Unlocked, and Locked (graphic courtesy of the New York Times)

The aviation incident that happened with the German Airbus A320 flight also clearly showed a big difference between cockpit regulations between Europe and the US. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clearly stipulates that when a pilot enters the passenger cabin, there must be a flight attendant in the cockpit, while in Europe there is no similar two-person rule.

In response to the aviation security breach, several global airlines, including Air Canada, Norwegian Air Shuttle and easyJet, announced on March 26 that they would immediately implement a two-person cockpit rule.

“I was shocked that there wasn’t a second person in the cockpit,” said Mark Rosenker, former chairman of the US National Transportation Safety Board.

In the US, access to the cockpit is strictly regulated. Passengers are not allowed to congregate near the cockpit door, and when the door is open, they are not allowed in the forward lavatory, and flight attendants often block the aisle, sometimes with a food cart. But the two-person rule is not intended to prevent a pilot from having bad intentions, but rather to guard against a pilot who is ill or incapacitated.

The Germanwings case also highlights potential pitfalls in the way pilots are tested for mental health – a constant concern in an industry that requires focus and discipline, but is increasingly technical and stressful.

“I think this will have a profound impact on the aviation industry and how pilots are psychologically tested,” said Peter Goelz, former managing director of the US National Transportation Safety Board.

Pilot health is a long-standing concern for the aviation industry, but detecting psychological problems can remain a major challenge, said Mark Rosenker.

In the US, pilots are medically and psychologically screened before they are hired. They are then required to undergo medical exams once a year if they are under 40 and twice a year after that age.

Simulation of what happened before the Germanwings plane crashed (graphic by Daily Mail)

But these medical exams—usually conducted by general medical staff—are not always thorough. Airlines and aviation regulators rely on pilots to voluntarily disclose any physical or mental problems.

Pilots who fail to do this, or even falsify information, could face fines of up to $250,000, according to the FAA.

However, some pilots are reluctant to disclose such information for fear of losing their jobs.

In addition to encouraging “self-disclosure,” airlines also rely on crew members to report suspicious behavior or monitor the health of colleagues.

Fortunately, cases of pilots intentionally causing accidents are quite rare./.

According to vov.vn