posted on May, 22 2016 @ 04:25 PM
A couple data points here...
a. The PNF hails "mayday" in step three of the first instrument loop on Emergency Descent.
b. The PNF squawks 7700 in step 3a of the first instrument loop on Emergency Descent.
Therefore, if the PF / PIC was the left seat at 00:26Z, and given the ACARS alerts at 00:26Z, this would mean that the PNF was right seat, hence no
7700 on the transponder and no "mayday". In other words the right seat may have been incapacitated.
(Steps 1 and 2 for the PNF are SIGNS and ENG MODE SEL (IGN)...which we have no way to know if they were executed at present.
The above would likely be the case because, it would appear that the PF / PIC executed at least steps 1 and 2 of the Emergency Descent procedure,
which are:
1. ALT - (turn and pull)
2. HDG - (turn off airway and pull)
Whether steps 3 and 4 of the first loop were executed remains unclear...
3. Speed - (pull)
4. SPD BRK - (full)
ETA...what would be really telling to know is, if the PF executed completed loop 1 and started loop 2, whether SPD/MACH was selected, or MMO was set
instead. The difference between these two settings indicates structural damage versus none suspected.
edit on 5/22/2016 by Flyingclaydisk because: (no reason given)