Seattle, Rogue 318's temporary investigative headquarters.
In the empty and spacious factory, a silver-white McFly F485 is parked in the center of the factory building. Dozens of researchers in lab coats are constantly walking up and down, making basic data adjustments to the aircraft. After all the variable elements were prepared, Lovins, who was standing in the laboratory on the second floor, made an OK gesture to the person below through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The old Joseph who was standing on the first floor also gestured back to him, and then said in a calm voice, "Start the experiment."
With a buzzing sound, the plane started up, and the first experiment of the McFly F485 automatic cruise system officially started.
In the first three days of the actual aircraft experiment, the investigation headquarters did not actually conduct flight experiments, but conducted "semi" actual aircraft experiments. They simulated the relevant data on the day when Rogge 318 crashed on the data, so as to observe the reaction countermeasures of the aircraft's autopilot system.
Lovins published the results of this "semi" actual machine experiment at the weekly meeting: "According to the specific meteorological data given by the Russian Meteorological Administration, we have carried out a total of 21 experiments in the laboratory. The experimental results show that, 19 times, the autopilot system of McFly F485 responded to small ocean frontal waves 30 nautical miles away, and 17 times, the aircraft chose to travel a certain distance on the yaw when the route allowed. .”
Old Joseph continued his words: "This is an extremely intelligent aircraft. We all know that it will even automatically contact the tower and send a yaw clearance code."
Deputy Director Andrew looked at an NTSB investigator beside him. The latter nodded and said to him: "Because this yaw code is too short, according to the latest FAA air traffic control agreement, there is no need to obtain manual permission from the air traffic control, and the yaw permission is directly approved by the computer. "
Lovins concluded: "So, based on the pure experimental results, Rogge 318 has an active right yaw operation due to the front wave in the distance. So far, everything is a reasonable operation of the computer."
Zhuo Huan pondered for a moment: "When will the actual machine experiment be carried out?"
Old Joseph: "Four days later. According to the detection of the US Oceanographic and Meteorological Administration, four days later, at two o'clock in the afternoon in the Northeast Pacific Ocean Basin, a frontal wave occurred in the west of Guadalupe Island. It’s close. At that time, we will fly the McFly F485 and conduct a fully simulated flight test.”
Four days later, San Francisco International Airport.
A brand-new McFly F485 stopped firmly at the start of the runway, and the sun shone on it like a sharp sword. The warm sunlight in the winter afternoon shines into the cockpit through the dark windshield.
Fu Cheng was sitting in the driver's seat, beside him, in the co-pilot's seat, it was the first time someone was sitting.
It was an American pilot with brown hair.
This test flight test is too important to allow a slight mistake, because the ocean climate is unpredictable. No one can guarantee whether a similar frontal wave will appear again. When the U.S. Weather Bureau detected this frontal wave that was very similar to Rogge 318, everyone felt that this might be fate, it was destiny.
Similar location, near the North Pacific Ocean.
Similar climate, small oceanic frontal waves formed by the collision of two air masses.
Even if Rogge 318 found a month later, they couldn't find such an excellent opportunity.
Perhaps somewhere in the dark, the 298 souls who had been silent on the bottom of the sea for five years also made a cry.
All over the world, countless people are working together, and they are moving towards that truth.
So there is no room for error.
Fu Cheng: "Before taking off, prepare for the inspection."
The co-pilot nodded and opened the aircraft safety manual: "Begin the pre-flight inspection. The navigation lights have been turned on. Confirm that the inertial navigation is turned on..."
After five minutes of boring and repetitive safety checks, the voices of Fu Cheng and the co-pilot kept interlacing in the quiet cockpit.
The co-pilot's name is Cade Voss, a very good U.S. Air Force pilot and an experienced test pilot.
Fucheng and Kaide had an extremely deep understanding of the McFly F485, but they did not slack off. They scrutinize every step, even if it seems to them like adults playing with children's toys, they don't take it lightly.
After checking, the two looked at each other.
Fu Chengcheng spoke in an orderly manner: "Confirm takeoff."
The plane started to accelerate on the runway.
Its speed became faster and faster, and finally with a buzzing sound, it left the ground smoothly and sailed towards the sky. After turning 180° in the air, it turned around and headed west, heading for the Pacific Ocean basin.
Meanwhile, hundreds of investigators and experimenters in the airport laboratory wereted no time.
Lovins: "Real-time monitoring of all flight data."
Old Joseph: "Focus on the relevant data of the aircraft's automatic cruise system."
Zhuo Huan stood in front of the podium, he looked up at the little green dot on the radar map. Five minutes later, he calmly pressed the communication button.
In the cockpit, a man's cold and steady voice sounded.
"Cruising altitude."
Fu Cheng clenched the rudder in his hand, and he glanced at the dashboard: "29,000 feet."
Zhuo Huan: "Turn on the automatic cruise system."
Fucheng: "The automatic cruise system has been activated."
Zhuo Huan: "You are already close to that front wave."
Fu Cheng: "Yes."
Zhuohuan: "There are still 35 nautical miles."
After the voice fell, there was a long silence.
In the cockpit of McFly F485, the two pilots held their breath, and they looked at the weather map detected on the aircraft's weather instrument panel. Getting closer, getting closer.
There are still 34 nautical miles.
33 nautical miles.
32 nautical miles...
It should be 30 nautical miles, but it didn't reach 30 nautical miles. When the plane was 31 nautical miles away from the frontal wave, Fucheng stared and quickly turned on the communicator: "The autopilot system of the plane has started to automatically turn."
The next moment, Zhuo Huan calmly said: "Wait for three minutes."
Fucheng and Kaide: "Yes."
Three minutes is the time for the two co-pilots on the Rogge 318 to ignore the automatic turning to the right of the aircraft. Because of the abdominal pain, co-pilot David didn't bother to look at the dashboard at all; because of his companion's sudden abdominal pain, another co-pilot, William, didn't notice the plane was turning in the first place. A total of 2 minutes and 57 seconds had passed since they finally noticed that the plane was turning and decided to make a maneuver.
Time passed by, and when the plane had made a 35° turn to the right without a sound, Cade turned his head and looked at Fucheng: "Found the turn."
Fucheng immediately reached out his hand: "Turn off the aircraft's automatic cruise system."
"Patter—"
With a crisp sound, Fucheng and Kaide stared at the plane's dashboard.
In their eyes, this second has become extremely long.
Fu Cheng seemed to hear his own heart beating slowly in his chest. He didn't know what he wanted to see, but turned off the automatic cruise system easily? Then this experiment is over, he and Cade are not in any danger, they can easily take over the plane.
However, the automatic cruise system cannot be turned off, which is what happened to Qi Zhifeng, David and William on the Rogge 318.
They should choose to turn off the automatic cruise system in the first place.
This is common sense, basic to the extreme common sense. The most basic common sense that any pilot should know even if he has not graduated from a flight academy.
Can Autopilot be simply turned off? Or, is there really something wrong with it
A second later, Zhuo Huan looked at the data transmitted by the plane, and at the same time, Fucheng's calm voice came from the communication speaker: "Confirm to turn off the automatic cruise system and start manual driving."
Closing his eyes, Zhuo Huan sighed softly.
On March 16, 2022, the test flight experiment ended.
Zhuo Huan glanced at the hundreds of investigators in the meeting room, and said: "The experiment proves that on the day of the crash of Rogge 318, because of encountering ocean frontal waves, the aircraft's autopilot system directly chose to yaw to the right."
Deputy Director Andrew nodded slightly, and said, "This should be the direct cause of the air crash."
Lovins: "During the test flight, the pilot easily turned off the auto cruise system, so the design of the aircraft is ruled out. Then there are only two possibilities. The first is the pilot's control error. They have a chance to save the aircraft. , Before the plane completely loses control, they have about 30 seconds to save it, and it only takes 1 second to turn off the autopilot system. The second possibility is the failure of the aircraft parts.”
Zhuo Huan looked at Lawrence: "Have you found the other two black boxes?"
Lawrence: "A black box has been recovered, and it is now sent to the McFly headquarters in Los Angeles to analyze the data."
Zhuo Huan: "When will the plane be fished up?"
Lawrence's face changed slightly, he was silent, and said helplessly, "Give me another month and a half."
Zhuo Huan looked at him steadily.
Lawrence pursed his lips, and he sighed: "Reid, this is not about working overtime and staying up late, and it is not something that can be solved with money. I have arranged for someone to order a giant water tank that can hold an airplane. If you want a broken airplane , I can fish it up in seven days. But if you want a complete Rogue 318...give me a month and a half."
Zhuo Huan took a deep look at him and nodded.
Lawrence breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhuo Huan looked at old Joseph: "Where is Su Fei?"
Old Joseph smiled and said, "Of course he followed to Los Angeles. By the way, Fly asked me to tell you something before leaving."
"Um?"
"Reid, in seven days, he will definitely bring you back the black box and the data inside."
***
Los Angeles International Airport.
NTSB investigators carried a heavy box and walked ahead. The punk boy followed them and came to the underground parking lot together.
The staff of Maifei Laboratory have been waiting there for a long time.
The person who came to pick them up, Su Fei, actually knew him. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Johnny Berkley, director of the public relations department of McFei with blond hair.
When Johnny saw them, he immediately walked over with a smile on his face: "Please come with me, Mai Fei's laboratory is ready and waiting for you to go." Then, he looked down at Su Fei, and said with a smile: " Long time no see, Mr. Su."
"It's not long, more than half a year?" Su Fei thought for a while, "Last time we came here, it seems that you were not the one who came to pick up the plane."
Johnny smiled slightly: "I was on a business trip in Europe last time, and this time I'm in Los Angeles, so I'm here."
Su Fei thought for a moment, and felt that there was no problem. He looked at the box carried by the NTSB investigator, thought about the black box inside, and remembered the flight test that Fucheng went to San Francisco two days ago.
The punk boy muttered: "Is it really necessary to find out the truth?"
It's like fate.
Due to the right time and place, the flight test was successfully carried out and very satisfactory results were obtained.
It's like fate again.
Lawrence's salvage company recovered one of the two remaining black boxes in deep-sea mud 15 nautical miles from the wreckage. And this black box is even better preserved than the first black box found. From the very first moment he saw it, Su Fei knew that he would be able to analyze the data in this black box within seven days at most, even in less than seven days.
Moreover, this is the main black box installed at the tail of the aircraft, which records almost all the control data of the aircraft.