Picking Up The Pieces

“The largest pieces of debris are the size of a small car. ” Among those killed were 72 Germans, including 16 school children, 51 Spanish nationals and two Australians.

A couple of days later that shock and horror would be magnified when details from the cockpit voice recorder indicated the copilot Andreas Lubitz had, in the view of investigators, locked his colleague Captain Patrick Sondheimer out of the flightdeck and flew A320 D-AIPX into the side of a mountain in an act of deliberate homicide.

The captain could be heard knocking and then pounding on the door pleading to be let back in. This was followed by screams from thepassengers and then silence.

The questions came thick and fast. Why did he do it? How could someone be locked out of the flightdeck? And could it happen again? In terms of answers, investigators and prosecutors quickly discovered the co-pilot had researched suicide, was struggling with a breakup and kept medical information from his employer Germanwings.

Second, following regulatory requirements, airlines around the world reinforced cockpit doors and introduced stricter rules for entry after the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

Entry to the cockpit is usually by a code being entered on a touchpad.

However, someone in the cockpit can “lock” the door to prevent it being opened even if the correct code is entered on the touchpad.

It was this third question, about the risk of a similar incident taking place on another flight that quickly occupied the minds of airline executives and regulators around the world.

The reinforced cockpit doors that were mandated after 9/11 were forthe protection of those flying the aircraft. That is, they were designed to keep would-be troublemakers, and not pilots, out.

Reaction around the world was swift – airlines changed their operating procedures, and regulators reviewed current rules about access to the cockpit.

The likes of Air Canada, Westjet and Air Transat, along with European carriers Norwegian Air Shuttle, Lufthansa, Air Berlin, easyJet, Monarch Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Thomas Cook moved immediately to require that two people be in the cockpit at all times.

Germanwings, and its parent company Lufthansa, also implemented the two-person rule.

US airlines have had this rule for years.

Meanwhile, Transport Canada and the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority also introduced new regulations for two people to be on the flightdeck during flight.

The two-person rule works like this – if a pilot has to leave the flightdeck to use the lavatory for example, a cabin crew memberenters the flightdeck while that pilot is away from the controls.

In Australia, oversight of the aviation sector is split between the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), with its focus on safety matters including checks of pilots’ mental health, and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s Office of Aviation Security which handles security issues.

While the Australian government initially held off implementing a two-person cockpit rule, arguing there was already strong safety regulations to safeguard passengers thanks to a “preventative, layered approach to aviation security”, it too fell in line with the global trend.

On March 30, just three days after saying there would be no change, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss told reporters in Melbourne Australia’s airlines would immediately implement the twoperson rule for all regular public transport (RPT) services operated by aircraft with 50 or more seats.

“Today’s decision is a sensible, measured response that combines safeguarding the travelling public with the practical capabilities of the aviation sector,” Truss said.

“The pilot in command of the aircraft will retain operational discretion on the application of the two flightcrew cockpit requirements, to ensure safe operations, depending on flightcrew circumstances. ” Truss said the new arrangements would be reviewed after 12 months to determine their effectiveness.

Australia’s two largest airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia, both said it would be quickly introduced into their respective operating procedures.

For Qantas, the new rule would apply to its Qantas, Jetstar and Network Aviation fleets. The only exception was for flights operatedby its 18 Dash-Q200 and -Q300 turboprops, which had fewer than 50 seats and generally flew short sectors of between one and two hours “where the need for pilots to leave the cockpit is minimal”.

“Together with regulators and other airlines, Qantas will closely study any learnings that stem from the Germanwings tragedy to help make aviation even safer,” Qantas said in a statement.

“The safety and health of customers and employees is the Qantas Group’s number one priority.

We have a comprehensive safety management system that guards against risks to our operations. ” Virgin Australia also confirmed it would be policy at the airline for at least two crew members to be in the cockpit at all times, following a detailed risk review and consultation with CASA and the federal government.

“Safety is our number one priority, and the Virgin Australia Group continuously undertakes thorough risk reviews to maintain the highest safety and security standards,” Virgin said in a statement.

Regional Express (Rex) chief operating officer Neville Howell welcomed the government’s move, adding that it was already the airline’s policy and called for it to be

Someone in the cockpit can “lock” the door to prevent it being opened.

applied more widely.

“We believe this requirement should not be restricted to an aircraft with a seating capacity of 50 and above,” Howell said. “All RPT flights requiring the carriage of a flight attendant should be subject to this requirement. ” However, pilot groups urged caution amid the global rush to regulate, warning that knee-jerk responses served little purpose.

The Virgin Independents Pilots Association (VIPA), which represents Virgin Australia pilots, said it did not oppose the twoperson cockpit rule, but expressed disappointment the government did not undertake a more exhaustive consultation process and labelled the move premature.

“In our opinion, the rule of two policy also sends out the wrong message to the public that pilots can no longer be trusted as a result of the Germanwings tragedy and they should be monitored by a second crew member on the flight deck at all times,” VIPA executive director Simon O’Hara said.

“Whilst it is important to allay the fears of the traveling public, a statement of impending change and a more consultative approach that included issues of employee health and wellbeing may have better served all involved. ” German Pilots Association director of international affairs James Phillips warned people against drawing conclusions about what happened before the full story is known.

“Our appeal is that the investigators continue to get all the facts, and before any further statements and blame is put on anybody, we would like those investigations to be finished first,” Phillips told US National Public Radio.

Phillips was also supportive of the two-person rule, which was nowpolicy across all airlines in Germany.

“We understand that the four-eye concept is a step in the right direction, at least initially,” he said.

“I’m not sure how practical it would be to always have a cabin crew member in the cockpit every time that one of the pilot goes out, but it is a initial step that we aren’t against.

“We just hope that it doesn’t stop there and that we continue searching for better solutions. ” The International Air Transport Association (IATA) sought to reassure travellers that aviation remained a safe form of travel.

“Any accident is one too many,” IATA chief executive Tony Tyler said.

“People can take further confidence in the well-established and constant determination of the aviation industry and governments to make this safe industry even safer.

“Each day about nine million people board aircraft as passengers. We work as hard as possible to earn and keep their trust by transporting them safely to their destination. ” Pilot and Australian Aviation contributor Owen Zupp wrote in ablog post on March 29 – before the government’s introduction of the two-person rule for Australia – he believed the change “may offer some degree of security if implemented correctly”.

“The relieving crew member will need training and the appropriate level of expertise and not every flight attendant necessarily wishes to perform such a duty and bear the responsibility that accompanies the task,” Zupp wrote.

In addition to the question of cockpit security, the Germanwings tragedy has also prompted calls for more regular, or more extensive, mental health and stress tests for pilots given what became known about Lubitz’s mental state.

On this question, VIPA’s Simon O’Hara called for more dialogue between all stakeholders about pilot welfare.

“Whilst we clearly represent a professional body within a highly competitive environment we would like to also promote the ongoing public discussion and awareness of mental health and the way we manage it as a society,” O’Hara said.

“Mental health issues are widely accepted as commonplace and treatable in the general community, provided the correct support mechanisms are in place. The government and industry stakeholders should work together to develop these mechanisms and ensure better pilot welfare outcomes across the industry. ” CASA did conduct psychological checks on those applying for a pilot’s licence, as well as in follow-up tests with designated aviation medical examiners.

Qantas said doctors conducted aeromedical tests once a year for its pilots under 40 and every six months for those over 40.

Pilots were also required to complete regular training that covered stress management, teamwork, communication and behavioural awareness.

“We have a comprehensive safety management system that guards against risks to our operations. This includes multi-layered systems to protect the flightdeck on our aircraft,” a Qantas spokesperson said in an emailed statement.