CrisisManagement

July 9, 2002

A Crash in July 2002 at 36,000 feet Between a Russian Tupolev carrying Russian children on holiday and a DHL Air Cargo Plane with a Pilot and co-Pilot.

The TCAS in both planes worked fine. voice recorders showed that the TCAS in the Tupolev said up, up, up. The DHL TCAS said down, down, down.

Both triggered at 45 seconds out.

A Swiss air traffic controller over-ruled the TCAS twice-- he ordered the Tupolev to descend immediately after the TCAS went off and 14 seconds later. The second time, the Russian pilots obeyed the Controller even though their training is that TCAS should take precedence.

Conclusion: trust your automated systems and your instruments; follow your training in emergencies, then you have a shot to survive.

The TCAS did not tell both planes to turn left or right-- it was definitely up and down.

Some helpful hints:

  1. Keep cool.
  2. Don’t panic.
  3. Follow your training.
  4. Believe your instruments.
  5. Trust your automated instruments.
  6. If you have time, take it.
  7. Ask for advice but at the end of the day, remember it is your death.
  8. Be the impeccable warrior—don’t drink and think.
  9. Make up your own mind.

 

Bruce Firestone at the OMB Hearing on the Palladium (Mike MacQuaid’s comment: “The Board has gone cold. We’re losing.” “Don’t worry, Mike, I’ll fix it,” Bruce Firestone, summer 1990.

Sail Inversion, Hang Gliding in AU outside of Canberra, circa 1977.

Personal Liability Guarantee, Ken Boland 1995.


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