this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2024
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Alaska flight incident reveals another feature Boeing didn’t inform pilots about - Federal investigators said that Boeing didn’t make pilots aware that when a plane rapidly depressurizes, the cockp...::undefined

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[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 187 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Federal investigators said that Boeing didn’t make pilots aware that when a plane rapidly depressurizes, the cockpit door will fly open.

[–] Darorad@lemmy.world 79 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Not concerning at all, pilots aren't important to a plane.

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 35 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Yeah we don't need them when we've got autopilot.

[–] AtariDump@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] BoastfulDaedra@lemmynsfw.com 4 points 10 months ago

Kids! Be my eyes!!!

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Some tech bro is training an AI pilot, I guarantee it

[–] froh42@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Just purchase it now and next year the full self flying package will be available. We're doing it with cameras only.

[–] paddirn@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago

That's on a need-to-know-basis, why would pilots ever need that information? /s

[–] solrize@lemmy.world 92 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I had thought that since the 2001 hijackings it has been basically impossible to open the cockpit doors during flight, except from the inside. On El Al planes I'd heard it was impossible period, so hijackers couldn't threaten their way in, but US carriers didn't want to do that because it means the cockpit needs its own lavatory, displacing a few passenger seats.

[–] Shadow@lemmy.ca 93 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

In the case of an explosive decompression, you can't have that wall trying to resist the pressure difference. It'll blow in a horrible way and probably destroy a ton of circuitry / wiring.

It needs to fail open like this, that design makes sense. The pilots should have been informed though.

An attacker could probably leverage that though to get into the cockpit.

See https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/a-legal-and-moral-question-the-crash-of-turkish-airlines-flight-981-and-the-dc-10-cargo-door-saga-d22f0b9fa689

[–] solrize@lemmy.world 55 points 10 months ago (4 children)

If that design is necessary it has presumably always been like that on every pressurized plane ever built. So it shouldn't have been a surprise. But, some vents should be able to equalize the pressure without opening the door.

ISTR hearing that El Al planes had separate entrances for the cockpit and passenger compartment so there was no way to enter or leave the cockpit except on the ground. No door, just a reinforced wall. But maybe that was a post-911 urban legend.

[–] flying_mechanic@lemmy.world 33 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Aircraft maintenance has been doing the negative pressure unlock tests on cockpit doors for decades, its honestly surprising what isn't common knowledge. Like others have said, rapid decompression of only a portion of the aircraft is very bad, and will result in massive structural failure as individual compartments aren't pressure rated and will blow apart. The doors I've had experience with had large panels that would pop out when in a negative pressure event.

[–] solrize@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Interesting. Now I'm wondering if the bathroom doors also blow out if there is decompression.

[–] flying_mechanic@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

Those don't seal well, so probably not

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 1 points 10 months ago

I think my ass would be having a blow out too if that happened

[–] brianorca@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

There are surely some vents that could handle a slower decompression, but a sudden event that reduced the pressure by half in a single second would be too much. 6 tons is a lot of force for a door to take, especially when it is in the opposite direction of most threats the door is supposed to stop.

[–] HaywardT@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 10 months ago

Seems like a burst disk in the bulkheads would be a better solution than counting on a door to pop open.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Cockpits would need their own bathroom, food, and maybe sleeping area if they had no door. Can't see that happening.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Your getting downvoted by people who've never flown on a 737, or even better, an MD80!

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

Yeah I don't get it. Lemmy is an odd place at times.

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 10 months ago

As per pre-911 we just may need to discourage hijackers from attacking planes through other vectors, not that the TSA is an actual deterrent. It's difficult to believe our current measures take terrorism seriously.

[–] CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work 9 points 10 months ago (4 children)

The problem with locking cockpits is that is that it's perfect for an evil or very sick pilot.

[–] solrize@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

"I'm not trapped in here with you. You're trapped in here with ME."

[–] exu@feditown.com 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think some airlines require a pilot to switch with one of the board crew when they leave the cockpit.

[–] CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I hope so, but an evil pilot still only has to subdue that one person.

[–] theneverfox@pawb.social 1 points 10 months ago

Subdue, while flying a plane? The only way I can picture that working is if they casually pulled out a gun and executed the other person before they realized. Pilots also have to go through a security line for employees... It's far from impossible to get past that, but it'd take planning...

Suicide is a fixation on a method of death, then following through in the moment

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[–] AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 10 months ago

US carriers didn't want to do that because it means the cockpit needs its own lavatory, displacing a few passenger seats.

Did they say that to the FAA?

[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 31 points 10 months ago (1 children)
[–] AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The article says that:

Homendy’s revelation echoes criticism heaped on Boeing during earlier probes of another in the 737 MAX line of planes, the MAX 8, in which pilots said they were not properly trained on a flight control system on board the plane that was implicated in two deadly crashes overseas. In 2020, pilots were required to undergo new simulator training and training for erroneous angle of attack sensor malfunctions as part of the plan to put the 737 MAX back into service.

[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 9 points 10 months ago

training for erroneous angle of attack sensor malfunctions

the sticky note keeps falling off …

[–] Chickenstalker@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago

Boeing merging with McDonnald™ Douglas was a mistake.

[–] fubarx@lemmy.ml 13 points 10 months ago

Who in the 9/11 came up with this algorithm?

[–] DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone 2 points 10 months ago

Yet another post where they tried to fit the entire article on the title