On the Airbus, if any approach mode other than ILS is selected and NO MDA/DH is set, the AP will disconnect at 400 ft whether you like it or not. If an MDA/DH is set then it will force a disconnect at 50 ft.The pilot can take control any time he likes, though disconnection of the AP before DH is IMHO not a good idea as the pilot just landed himself the go-around should one be required having not flown the aircraft the instant before (a gotcha of automation is the pilot ends up out of the loop and a go-around is a high-workload to be dumping on yourself having just watched the automatics fly the approach). It is why I prefer to hand fly and use the automation to simply reduce workload when necessary.There is a question mark over the role of automation in the AF A330 crash due to the fact the pilots were sat in the cruise and not really flying the aircraft when the mother of all failures occurred requiring immediate action - UNRELIABLE AIRSPEED.Best regards,Robin.

It is why I prefer to hand fly and use the automation to simply reduce workload when necessary.

Very sound thinking, and is the best way to look at autoflight in my opinion. When chatting with a realworld pilot, she told me that autoflight is used for two main reasons, workflow, and smooth flying. She admitted that the autopilot can fly the aircraft and make the fine adjustments quicker and more smoothly than she could on a regular basis, so it is easier on the passengers to leave the aircraft in autopilot for as much as possible. But she also said she is still "flying" the plane in her head, so the second the autopilot does something that doesn't jive, she can kill it and takeover. The auto AP disconnect is something I did not know about the Airbus. Not sure having the A/P disconnect at 50 ft on the radio is a comforting thing. I would have thought an auto go-around to be a tad safer. But if you are flying an Airbus, you know its coming, removes any action that takes away from landing I guess. As far as the AF crash goes, it is a shame they couldn't find that blackbox. Those questions really needed to be answered. At first look it would seem the pilots were not checking their instruments with enough diligence and should have noticed the airspeed indicator was not changing as it should have. The bell goes off, they see low airspeed and they could have thought stall, and instead tore the plane apart. But again, we probably will never know.

Scott, the Autopilot disconnects automatically on all the main types, it's not a Airbus specific thing. If not coupled to the ILS you shouldn't have the automatics in that low anyway.Regards

1- The pilot can take control any time he likes, though disconnection of the AP before DH is IMHO not a good idea .../...2- There is a question mark over the role of automation in the AF A330 crash due to the fact the pilots were sat in the cruise and not really flying the aircraft when the mother of all failures occurred requiring immediate action - UNRELIABLE AIRSPEED.Best regards,Robin.

Hey Robin,To your point 1 (numbers added by me) The two last times I was in an Airbus cockpit - in a jump seat - during landing (and I don't remember the previous times), the captain disconnected AP long before DH was reached. Some pilots rely on automation, others take every opportunity to hand fly the jet. But like I mentioned several times in this thread, you don't change ANYTHING in the plane's configuration that low. Ask the pilots you know : they just fly or monitor. To your point 2 (and same remark to Scott). Comments on accidents are frown upon on this forum (very justifiably in my opinion, especially when so little is known). And comments, or your own opinions such as the crew "not really flying the aircraft" or "it would seem the pilots were not checking their instruments with enought diligence" (in Scott's comment) are outrageous. What do you know? Who are you to make such comments? You two are way out of line. I suggest you stick to TV series if you can't show any human respect for a dead crew and their passengers on an aviation forum.Bruno

If not coupled to the ILS you shouldn't have the automatics in that low anyway.Regards

I agree 100%. But I do believe that both GA modes will automatically arm at somepoint with the autopilot off, and that the thrust selector will also go to GA, and I just figured that would also occur with autopilot on (if not set up for an autoland of course.)

To your point 2 (and same remark to Scott). Comments on accidents are frown upon on this forum (very justifiably in my opinion, especially when so little is known). And comments, or your own opinions such as the crew "not really flying the aircraft" or "it would seem the pilots were not checking their instruments with enought diligence" (in Scott's comment) are outrageous. What do you know? Who are you to make such comments? You two are way out of line. I suggest you stick to TV series if you can't show any human respect for a dead crew and their passengers on an aviation forum.

We don't know, which was really the point of me bringing it up. And considering pretty much all the major devices found in aircraft were born out of unfortunate accidents of the past (TCAS, GWPS, autoland tied to ILS, the way fuel tanks work, just to name a few), it is a big dissapointment that the black box was never found. And not signing your posts with your FULL name is also frowned upon at this forum.

Comments on accidents are frown upon on this forum

OK.

And comments...are outrageous. What do you know? You two are way out of line.

Wow... you know about the maintenance messages sent back, yes? Factual data. My comments are based upon that. It is called HUMAN FACTORS. Another fact: the aircraft was determined to have crashed in a near level attitude. Very odd.

Who are you to make such comments?

Who am I indeed...? ;)Robin.