Johannesburg - Local airlines Comair, Virgin Atlantic and FlySafair are reviewing their cockpit procedures to ensure that none of their pilots are left alone in the cockpit in future.
Comair, which operates British Airways and kulula, told the Saturday Star on Friday that it was re-examining its procedures, after it emerged that Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot of the doomed Germanwings plane, locked out the flight captain before deliberately crashing the aircraft into the French Alps. “Comair is presently reviewing its procedures in light of this incident and is in discussion with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other regulators with respect to possible changes,“ it said.
Until it introduced any changes, its pilots would have to “minimise their requirement” to leave the flight deck as far as possible. “If a cockpit crew member does indeed need to leave the cockpit, a cabin attendant will move into the cockpit for the duration of the cockpit crew member’s absence.”
In the wake of the Germanwings disaster, numerous airlines in New Zealand, Canada and the UK have quickly altered their policies to ensure there are now two crew members in the cockpit at all times.
But Karl Jensen, a former senior SAA captain with 27 000 hours of flying experience under his belt, doesn’t see the point of having a cabin attendant sitting in the cockpit while one of the pilots goes to the toilet: “There’s nothing one of those people could do in a case like this. These aeroplanes are such complex things… How much time will it buy? Three seconds? Nothing? You’re just introducing another almost uncontrollable variable.”
Spokesman for Virgin Atlantic, Darrin Thomas, said his airline, too, would formalise the two-person rule. “While it is our common practice to have two members of our crew in the flight deck at all times, in light of recent events, we’re now formalising this to be policy.
The CAA, however, told The Star on Friday that it considered it “impulsive” to change regulations “based upon preliminary reports”. SAA, too, revealed that it would only review its protocols “should the need arise”.
Jensen added: “The ultimate would be to have an impervious toilet accessible from the flight deck only. But these things weigh something like 250kg and cost millions.”
Kirby Gordon, the spokesman for FlySafair operations, told the Saturday Star it was also mulling a cockpit overhaul. “The topic is one that came under review today as a result of this absolutely tragic news.”
It also emerged on Friday that Lubitz, who was apparently suffering from severe depression, had concealed his condition from his employers and those in his social circle. Investigators combing his Düsseldorf apartment for clues as to why the 28-year-old may have wanted to send the plane into a rocky ravine, killing all 150 people on board, discovered a discarded sick note, which had booked him off work for the day of the crash.
The prosecutor’s office in Düsseldorf confiscated documents with medical contents that “point towards an existing illness and corresponding treatment by doctors”.
The Air Line Pilots’ Association South Africa, which has a human performance committee that studies issues such as fatigue, pilot selection and conditions in cockpits, also runs programmes aimed to help and support pilots with their mental and emotional wellbeing.
Martin Louw, the operations director of Comair, said its pilots were screened, and underwent extensive psychometric assessments before being employed. It also ran a pilot wellness programme “to ensure our pilots have access to the assistance and support they might need in managing their overall wellbeing.
“Our pilots are trained to recognise and deal with abnormal behaviour on the flight deck,” Louw explained.
Pilots were also monitored by their fleet management team “to ensure mental fitness as far as possible,” he said. “Our pilots know their fellow colleagues, which makes it much easier to pick up on any changes in their behaviour.”
Jensen pointed out the odds of getting hurt on an aircraft “will happen once in 4.215 million flights”, adding: “Last year, although it seems we had so many accidents, was actually the safest year since the advent of air travel.”
Nearly 1 000 people lost their lives. “Considering that half the world flies, it’s a minuscule figure. But it’s a terrible thing that’s happened. I was (with SAA) when the Helderberg went down. You have no idea how dreadful the atmosphere that prevails is after something like that happens.” – Additional reporting by Shain Germainer
Saturday Star