A skeptic under pressure (Airbus A380 engineer alleges defects in the pressurization system)

Los Angeles Times ^ | 27 September 2005 | Peter Pae

[Moose4]

VIENNA — Ever since the Mangans gave up their comfortable house in Kansas City, Kan., and moved here a year ago, the family has been living in a kind of suspended animation.

It almost looks as if they just moved into their two-bedroom apartment near Austria's old Imperial Palace: Some boxes shipped from the U.S. have never been opened and the bedroom windows are still covered with sheets because the family ran short of money before they could buy curtains.

The three young Mangan children have stopped asking about their plight, although 9-year-old Timothy gets angry every once in a while. "I wish I can yell at them," he blurted out recently about his father's former employer.

Joseph Mangan, 41, is a whistle-blower. As a result he and his family find themselves in a foreign country with unfamiliar laws, fighting a legal battle that has left them almost penniless.

A year ago, Mangan told European aviation authorities that he believed there were problems with a computer chip on the Airbus A380, the biggest and costliest commercial airliner ever built. The A380 is a double-decked engineering marvel that will carry as many as 800 passengers — double the capacity of Boeing Co.'s 747. It is expected to enter airline service next year.

Mangan alleges that flaws in a microprocessor could cause the valves that maintain cabin pressure on the A380 to accidentally open during flight, allowing air to leak out so rapidly that everyone aboard could lose consciousness within seconds.

[Moose4]

Interesting story about Airbus and some of their contractors trying to destroy an engineer who says there are major flaws with parts of their new A380 superjumbo...parts that could cause a fatal accident.

}:-)4

[Moose4]

Ping to your lists, and wanted to get your opinions on this.

}:-)4

[muawiyah]

Haven't some of their current products been subject to rapid depressurization as well?

Maybe it's not the "chip"? Could be it's "management"!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Get them outta Austria, on the double. They said he got out on a train to Germany to talk to the press... what is Austria doing, holding the rest of his family hostage?

[Gay State Conservative]

..that will carry as many as 800 passengers — double the capacity of Boeing Co.'s 747.

False.The 747 is capable of carrying as many as 524 passengers.

[SampleMan]

allowing air to leak out so rapidly that everyone aboard could lose consciousness within seconds

. Those must be impressive relief valves to allow such rapid decompression of such a large space. Although I suppose it depends on what "seconds" means. I was flying in an S-3 once and the door seal blew out in the mid 20's. Very loud, and a bit uncomfortable, but not too bad. I'm glad we weren't higher. Of course the Hoove can't go much higher.

[cantweall]

<< The 747 is capable of carrying as many as 524 passengers >>

Perhaps, but hope I never have to ride in a 747 with that configuration. Talk about tight space!

[Publius6961]

TTTech has offered to drop its legal action against Mangan, court records show, and pay him three months of severance, if he retracts his statements. But Mangan has refused.
The strange thing about this story is that we are talking about engineering, a hard science. What he claims can be checked and either it happens or it doesn't.
Once he discovered a problem, and documented it, unless he is obsessed and has personality problems, he should have stopped.

Mangan said he was looking for a new job. He has contacted dozens of aerospace firms in the U.S. and Europe, but none have returned his calls. "Nobody wants to touch me," he said.
D'oh!

[Gay State Conservative]

Perhaps, but hope I never have to ride in a 747 with that configuration. Talk about tight space!

Being a Republican without the resources of a George Soros,I always fly coach.However,I'm inclined to agree. But it's not likely to be much better in an A380 carrying 800 passengers.