Posted on 06/21/2009 4:22:39 AM PDT by Zakeet
Air France Airbus jets experienced at least nine incidents in which airspeed probes iced over in the past year, according to an internal company report obtained by AFP Friday.
A probe into the June 1 crash of AF 447, in which an A330 jet flying from Rio to Paris plunged into the Atlantic with the loss of all 228 people on board, has focused on contradictory readings from its "pitot" speed probes.
The probes, made by aerospace company Thales, were found to be faulty on flight AF 447.
But French aviation investigators have played down the significance of the discovery and insist "there is still no proven link" between the probes and the tragedy.
The European Aviation Safety Agency has not asked airlines to replace the sensors, and said on Friday it did not currently have plans to do so.
But such a demand could still be made in the future, it added.
Air France did not wait for a signal from the aviation safety body. It decided on June 12 to upgrade all sensors on its long-haul fleet as a precaution after protests from pilots.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
In other venues, professional reporters act as if bloggers cannot report the facts of an event as reliably as those who are properly trained can. Here we have a very simple fact: the correct name of an essential aircraft component. Its correct name, pitot is not slang or a figure of speech that the style guide would tell us to put in "quotes". After stating the correct name, it is perfectly acceptable to describe it using layman's terms.
It seems that they have two main problems with that A330 (and maybe some other models) and they are pitot tubes and rudder structure.
The two most weaknesses likely got together and ganged up on flight 447.
My grammer will improve with the progress of the day.
Spelling, too!
“there is still no proven link” between the probes and the tragedy.Agree I don’t think air speed caused the plane to brake up as bad as it did hope they find out the cause of the crash asap.
I have flown twice on an airbus 330. On take off I was amazed at the slow acceleration. Now with this malfunction I don’t think I want on another Airbus . Give me Boeing. It’s Just me I guess.
Not just the rudder, but the entire “empennage” (tail). It was torn off this Airbus intact, just like happened on Long Island. Not a good sign.
Affirmative action hiring at the airspeed probe plant, in the QC department?
“Not just the rudder, but the entire “empennage” (tail). It was torn off this Airbus intact, just like happened on Long Island. Not a good sign.’
Horrible bad!
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