Do you think there's a pattern of plane disasters? Seems like each one has a different cause and, overall, they remain pretty rare relative to the number of daily flights.

Here's a really good article on the subject of "autopilot" and human control of aircraft: http://www.vanityfair.com/news/business/2014/10/air-france-f...

Eli, thanks for the article, it is a very detailed article about AirFrance crash! Human errors are not avoidable, but I think there must be some new way to at least reduce the risk.. I am thinking very hard on it..

There may be commonality between this one and the Malaysia Air disappearance. We don't know enough (yet) about the Malaysia Air one to know for sure.

Agree, the MH370 disappearance is so strange, I wish that pretty soon there will be some clues!

So long as there is human involvement, we'll have ulterior motive, jealousy, agony, and the whole basket of what makes us imperfect, which no amount of computing power can prevent from taking charge of a situation where a machine is involved. I'm speaking on what has happened recently with the Germanwings flight. To speak on the matter that you've raised, I think it boils down to thorough testing.

I agree with you. I still believe that there must be some ways we can reduce the possibility. Thinking hard..

Latest news, it seems like related to health issues behind the reason of why the co-pilot crashing the plane!

Probably some sort of procedures to make sure the health condition of pilots before a flight or in regular basis.

I foresee regulation changes where a pilot of a commercial aircraft requiring multiple pilots cannot be left alone at the controls. Humans can be entirely unpredictable

You have to have one pilot able to take over solo if the other becomes incapacitated (heart attack, food poisoning, whatever). But that means that one pilot can take over by incapacitating the other. There's no way around it (other than, perhaps, three people in the cockpit).

Or just get the head steward in there if one of the required crew needs to use the can.

I think this could help, but I thought this is a common procedure in the US?

It is not the case in Europe.

I think this is one of a great solution regarding to the GermanWing case or even MH370.