Part 4/10:
As the flight neared Bournemouth, the first officer made a critical but peculiar decision to use maximum flaps for landing, a choice usually reserved for short runways. Full flaps create additional drag, potentially impacting the plane's performance. With limited visibility anticipated due to the cloud cover, the pilots briefed for an ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach to aid in guiding the aircraft to the runway safely.
Despite setting the final approach speed at a cautious 135 knots, a critical error lurked in the cockpit — the auto-throttle system, which was designed to maintain speed automatically during descent, would soon disconnect without the pilots' awareness, leaving them blind to the rapidly changing conditions.