Yeah, I should have made it clear that I was talking about autopilot. I have read other stories about the disaster that toyed with the idea that the Airbus autopilot cannot be overriden, and that the computers will always decide whats best for the plane.
For example, this statement from his article is misleading:
The computers are programmed with some strict rules (in fact, Airbus calls them “Laws”) designed to assess the human commands from the flight deck – and veto them if they would put the plane in harm’s way. Point the nose too high or too low – or bank to steeply and the computer will correct your bad airmanship. Who’s in charge here?
For example, this statement from his article is misleading:
The computers are programmed with some strict rules (in fact, Airbus calls them “Laws”) designed to assess the human commands from the flight deck – and veto them if they would put the plane in harm’s way. Point the nose too high or too low – or bank to steeply and the computer will correct your bad airmanship. Who’s in charge here?