NEW YORK TIMES: …A senior military official involved in the investigation described “very smooth, very cool” conversation between the pilots during the early part of the flight from Barcelona to Düsseldorf. Then the audio indicated that one of the pilots left the cockpit and could not re-enter.
“The guy outside is knocking lightly on the door and there is no answer,” the investigator said. “And then he hits the door stronger and no answer. There is never an answer.” …
“We don’t know yet the reason why one of the guys went out,” said the official, who requested anonymity because the investigation is continuing. “But what is sure is that at the very end of the flight, the other pilot is alone and does not open the door.” … (more)
eHow:
EDITOR: It was pointed out to us that commercial pilors, especially for regional airlines, aren’t paid very much considering the lives in their and the cost of the airplanes.
“Commercial pilots fly non-scheduled aircrafts for carrier services or air ambulance helicopters, for example. The median salary for commercial pilots is $67,500 annually as of 2010. However, the lower 10th percentile of commercial pilots earn $34,860 per year, while the top 90th percentile earn upwards of $119,650 per year. The actual salary is based on experience, hours of flight training and the company in question.” … (more)
