, Columnists
Having One Pilot in the Cockpit Is a Terrible Idea
With increased automation and tight budgets, it may be tempting to slim down flight crew. That won’t serve anyone well in an emergency.
Two’s company.
Photographer: Joshua Roberts/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
It took just 23 seconds for Qantas Airways Ltd. Flight QF72 to drop 690 feet, throwing passengers into the ceiling midway through its journey from Singapore to Perth.
Within five seconds, the Airbus A330 experienced forces equal to negative 0.8-times gravity switching to 1.56G, which must have felt first like the drop of a roller coaster followed by an acceleration faster than a sportscar. It was a harrowing experience that left more than 100 injured.