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To: expatpat; Gandalf_The_Gray
I agree, that is a shocking fault. However, the onboard flight control computers are redundant and could have rebooted. With auto-pilot off, they should have been able to regain regardless of speed indicator failure, there is a backup GPS speed control.

Something odd, generators shut down which usually indicates an engine failure, but no fault codes for the same. And the rudder full travel fault... If an engine failed due to hail and a severe yaw occurred, with a corrsponding over-travel of the rudder. That scenario could have done them in also. Thoughts?

67 posted on 06/07/2009 2:52:14 PM PDT by gandalftb (An appeaser feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last......)
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To: gandalftb
I don't know the details of the Airbus FBW, but I doubt very much if they use GPS data for flight control. The GPS measures ground-speed and the flight controller must use airspeed. If two or three airspeed sensors are shot, you are dead without a mechanical backup -- you have NO control of the flight surfaces, even if the computers were functioning OK (GIGO). The fact that the latter were able to tell that they had gone to alternate control law and then that the flight envelope had been violated, suggests that they were not dead.

GIGO might explain the rudder travel message, but so might a pilot going nuts with the rudder-pedals, depending on where the error message comes from (input/pedals or output/actuator).

I didn't see an error message of APU or generator shut-down in my list. Where did you see that?

68 posted on 06/07/2009 3:23:46 PM PDT by expatpat
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