AKICIF: Modern Airliner Controls

[jeriendhal]

Okay, assume you have something like a modern Airbus airliner with fly-by-wire controls, one Evil Pilot Guy in the pilot's seat, one Not Quite Helpless Hostage in the co-pilot's, and he's taking off. Hostage is handcuffed but manages to kick up and force their foot against the co-pilot's sidestick controller.

What happens?

In an early model jet airliner I assume it would be a fight against who can exert more pressure against the control yoke, but in this case I don't know. Would the pilot still have to fight it? Would he be able to flip a switch and disable the co-pilot's controls beforehand? Or would the airliner's control computer get confused and try to split the difference?

Yes, it's for a story, no I'm not telling you which one.

Comments

[avanti-90.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but I would bet on the pilot being able to disable the copilot's controls...

[mishalak (from livejournal.com)]

According to my father, former commercial airline pilot, there have always been ways to isolate controls even back in the days of wires and hydraulics. It was possible to break apart the controls in case one got hung up or something, but it involved something under the deck and was almost never used.

In a modern jetliner unless the evil guy knows where the right switch is to isolate the co-pilot's controls he's going to have a problem. It is, as far as he knows, still not simple to do, but he never flew a fly-by-wire plane before he retired so he does not have direct experience. If I see her soon I'll ask one of his friends who retired later than he did.

[jeriendhal.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I appreciate your asking. I actually emailed the "Ask the Pilot" collumist at Salon.com, but heaven knows if I'll ever hear back from him.