Why was the captain of the 777 who crashed at Heathrow yesterday letting his co-pilot land the plane? And why

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Edward B

The same could well have happened to the Captain. I would bet that a sudden down draft caught the plane, and the co-pilot simply did not have the time to react. Either that , or the drinks kicked in just a bit late. That's one great way to shake a hi-jacker! Oops sorry, no undercarriage, get the next plane.

Once the lift/speed drop past a certain point there can be no more flying, so it drops like a rock. Either engine failure, or down draft. Some have even speculated the plane simply ran out of fuel.

neilinpdx

Why do you seem so bent on some sort of conspiracy?? BA isn't a government owned or subsidized Company, and the BAA is surely not in the business of covering up anything. They will do their assessment and investigate every little detail, the 'black box' will be scrutinized, and a conclusion will be made as to the reason for the accident. The flight deck has been modernized over the past 2 decades to include some of the most technologically advanced avionics systems to date. Flying by wire has nearly eliminated pilot error and safety has never been better. YOU have NO idea what was going on on that flight deck, but you seem determined to point a finger at some sort of wrong doing. RELAX and have some patience...and wait until the findings are released. THEN do your judging!
There is something called 'critical phase of flight', and it involves the take off and landing of the aircraft and all of the activities on the flight deck when it is below 10,000 feet. If in fact they discover that the auto pilot failed on landing, everyone on board the aircraft should thank their lucky stars that the pilot was alert AND present to keep the plane from nose-diving into the dirt. The pilots weren't probably looking so guilty as they were emotionally and physically shaken from the experience.
And the previous answerer is correct...pilots alternate take off and landings. This keeps each proficient and on their toes, and allows the first officer to log flight time so that they can move from the right seat, to the left. BOTH are equally qualified and certified to operate their aircraft. OBVIOUSLY YOU did NOT know THAT. The captain WAS at the controls, and obviously it was the first officer's landing. And that is normal.

Jake

Why does everything need to be a cover up ? and how does the crew "look guilty". I believe co-pilots can land and take off planes as well.

Kaulana

captains and f.o.s (first officers) trade off every other take off and landing so one person isn't always doing all the work and the f.o. needs practice to eventually upgrade to a captain.

jonal

Captain and co-pilot have the same qualifications and authority to fly the plane but somebody has to be captain,just as on a ship.The auto-pilot didn't make the necessary engine correction,(it's normal to increase power just before landing-it's actually called a 'powered landing') and manual contol also failed.The plane was landed on grass to prevent damage to the runway and provide a softer landing for the plane,and the success of the pilot in overcoming a critical situation in such a short time (only two miles to go) is shown by the very low casualty figures for such a crash.Far from being a cover-up the crew did a great job for which they deserve praise,not criticism.If the captain was in the back with a hostie he would lose his license and never fly with an airline again.There are two pilots for obvious reasons,both of whom,again for obvious reasons, can fly the plane.

Richard B

Co-pilots have exactly the same training and knowledge base as does the captain. Co-pilots are perfectly capable of handling an airplane, otherwise they wouldn't be there in the first place. The same accident could have happened if the captain himself were guiding the landing. A co-pilot is not the same as an autopilot. As it is, the problem was not crew-based, but rather an uncorrectable mechanical problem with the plane itself. Under the circumstances, the crew did the best they could.

lazerash

Don't know about your version of the story, but I heard the Capt, Capt Peter Burkill has been receiving a lot of praise from all parties, including PM Gordon Brown for his efforts in guiding the stricken jet to safety....

James K

I highly doubt they are covering something up. Be is a well respected pilot. Also co-pilots have the same training.

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