|
Cold itself wouldn't have caused everyone to pass out and the plane to go out of control. They mentioned decompression, so that's more likely. There are no drop down masks in the front, but there are masks meant to be put on within 5 seconds in case of this. Of course, if you're not ready for it, count a few seconds to realize what's happening, a few more to put down that magazine you're reading, then more than 5 to put the damn thing on because it's so awkward and you haven't done it since training 8 months ago. With only 10 seconds of useful consciousness up there, I could see where everybody just conks out. Same thing happened in the Payne Stewart crash.
About the autopilot, there are a bunch of ways to disconnect it, the big A/P button on the pedestal. Move any of the 3 trim wheels, push or turn the yoke really hard, press the big red button on the yoke.
I won't speculate at all, but that's just what we're trained to do with the oxygen masks up front.
|