Didn't know that....

wrote in message
...
On Jan 21, 12:18 pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
wrote
:



On Jan 20, 3:51 pm, wrote:
On Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:28:27 -0800 (PST), wrote:
Where on the checklist is the instruction to flip this switch?

The manual states:

At 2000 ft

CABIN PRESS MODE SEL.............................Check AUTO
ENG 1 & 2 BLEED, APU BLEED.......................OFF
P/B DITCHING.....................................ON
P/A............................................."TOU CHDOWN IN ONE
MINUTE" Aim for an impact with an 11° body angle and minimum ROD.

Poster

However if you're also working an inflight engine unstart which takes
precedence? Clarification: two engine unstart w/inflight emergency.
Quite a bit different from a situation that begins at cruise altitude
or with only *one* emergency rather than a sequence of events. As a
PAX I would rather know that the crew are concentrating on landing the
aircraft (ditching) as gently as possible.

That silly switch won't do a thing to save the buoyancy if the
fuselage is fractured by a rough ditching...a point one everyone seems
to miss.

Exactly.

I would hazard (grin) a guess that the final review will show them to
have maintained situational awareness with the concomitant priority
management.

I'd agree, it;'s hard to argue wiht success. Like many accidents of this
sort, these gusy will have rewritten the book.

Bertie

With all my arguments against worrying about the dip, er, 'ditch'
switch I wonder of what benefit it would truly be in any condition
other dead level calm? Ditching at see would (I would think) most
often occur in conditions that would tear up the aircraft sufficiently
to make 'the Switch' totally useless.

In this particular case it appears, from reading an article early on,
that one or more pax may have partially opened a rear door and allowed
water ingress and this, more than anything, contributed to the tail
down sinking.

It all comes down to basic necessities. I've had two high speed
parachute malfunctions and my first reaction was "what do I do to get
a chute open right f'ing now?" I didn't worry until after that
occurred as to wear I would land or what I would have for dinner. You
really have to experience something to realize the difference a 'real'
emergency will make in your focus. Failure to maintain that focus
results in the 'oh ****' moments.

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Nice fantasy........