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In this YouTube video of a takeoff and landing in a Dash-8, you can see the pilot, while landing, keeps his right hand on the throttle levers.

The co-pilot keeps his left hand at the base of the throttle levers during this time. This happens at 3:38 in the video. I assume this is to ensure both pilot and co-pilot agree when lowering the throttle? I'm just guessing, though.

Why is this, and are there other similar events that happen during a flight?

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    $\begingroup$ If it's alright with you, I've added 'sometimes' to the question title, since this is not the standard procedure for all (or even most) cases. It makes sense when flying an approach in IMC, but not in most other circumstances. If you don't like the edit, feel free to roll it back. $\endgroup$ – reirab Nov 1 '15 at 6:23
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The pilots were probably executing a Cat II coupled or monitored approach. The PF is flying the plane (via autopilot, usually), while the PNF had his hands at the base of the throttle ready to take over to initiate a manual go around (or land in some cases, this varies from airline to airline).

There is a thread regarding this on this on airliners.net. It gives one version of the procedure:

At my airline we use this procedure for Cat II approaches. The FO always flies the approach... well the autopilot flies it and the FO monitors the instruments, ready to perform a missed approach if the approach becomes unstable. The Captain at the 500 to minimums call places their hand near the base of the thrust levers, under the FOs arm, and focuses outside looking for the runway. If at any point prior to minimums the captain gets the runway in sight, they call "landing, my controls" and move their hand up to the thrust levers, bumping the FOs arm and hand up and off of the thrust levers. If at minimums and the runway is not in sight the FO performs the missed approach.

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    $\begingroup$ It seems like what's described in the quote makes more sense, with the PF being responsible for performing the missed approach and the PNF ready to take over and land if they get sight of the runway before minimums. Why would the PNF take over to go missed when they should be looking out the window? $\endgroup$ – reirab Nov 1 '15 at 6:19
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We back up our PF on the throttles during takeoff and landing on the DHC-6 Twin Otter. It's to ensure that the PF doesn't do anything goofy during an engine failure or other emergency (just a safeguard).

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    $\begingroup$ More detail in this answer would be great. $\endgroup$ – digitgopher Nov 1 '15 at 21:09
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I agree.Should there be any inadvertent throttle retard due to turbulence or runway surface ,the NFP can push them back up.It's SOP in the Navy and Air Force in multiengine side by side cockpits. It also guards against inadvertent throttle retard due to failure of the seat adjustment slides during the catapult shot( S-3 Vikings,E2C Hawkeyes,C-2 Greyhounds,etc)

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  • $\begingroup$ Not at all Air Force SOP anywhere I flew Herks. $\endgroup$ – Ralph J Nov 25 at 2:48

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