Interview: Bertrand Vilmer, expert in aeronautics

Sophie Desjardin â€" are known some facts, namely that the pilot did not issue a distress call, although the plane have apparently fallen in stages. What can that leave to assume?

Bertrand Vilmer â€" when you're on a plane, there are two ways to launch a distress call. A radio, which begins by mayday, mayday, mayday, and another which is the activation of an emitter-receiver allowing ground controllers determine on your radar screen extremely clear that the appliance is in danger.

The fact that from the 38 thousand feet and for long minutes, we talk about 12 minutes between the time he left the flight altitude and the time of impact, there being no radio contact, it may not be surprising. When there is a problem on a plane, the first thing to do is to ensure control of the device. Once assured the trajectory of the apparatus, it is an assessment of the damage and try to remedy it. After all this is done, if there's time and the device permits, communicates.

SD â€" you can think of a depressurization?

BV â€" there is a possibility of three causes. In a plane crash there are three major groups of possible causes. The technical causes, the material in a simple way; the environment, the weather, the birds, the high-voltage lines, etc.; and the man, the human being. The experience often realize that an accident is never a cause but rather the root causes, causes aggravation, major causes, a chain of events leading to the accident.

SD-the plane in question entered the service in 1991, i.e. for 24 years. This is an old plane?

BV â€" the answer is no. Not if the plane correspond to European standards of maintenance. First of all, the Airbus is an aircraft which entered service in 1988. There are over 6000 flying right now and little more than 10,500 ordered or in the process of delivery. Is extremely used, with very limited maintenance standards.

SD â€" however, the limit of commercial exploitation is 25 years, or not?

BV â€" This is the limit of their own companies, but from the time a device receives the certificate of navigability and the workshops that make their maintenance are authorized workshops, the unit can fly.

SD-Lufthansa last year ceded the plane to its subsidiary Germanwings. Is a current practice in career-ending planes being ceded to low cost affiliates?

BV â€" the more likely it is that the policy of the company is to place the new planes on more profitable lines and frequented, what, commercially, is logical. But that does not mean that the appliance may be damaged.

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