Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rebooting Your Airbus (After All The Screens Go Dark)
AV Web ^ | april 24, 2006 | Russ Niles

Posted on 04/24/2006 10:17:12 AM PDT by Yo-Yo

Rebooting Your Airbus (After All The Screens Go Dark)
April 24, 2006
By Russ Niles,
Newswriter, Editor

Cures aside, pilots of Airbus A320-series airliners are getting new guidance on what to do if the screens on their electronically biased aircraft go blank. "Checklists will be streamlined so re-booting of power is quicker," an Airbus spokesman told the London Daily Mirror after Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch released a report on an incident aboard a British Airways A319 last October. The plane was carrying 76 passengers to Budapest from London when most of the electronic displays went blank. The crew was able to bring everything back online in 90 seconds and the passengers were blissfully unaware of the glitch.

The incident brought to light five similar instances on Airbuses. In the October incident, the plane was over southern England when the crew heard an audible "clunk." Five of six screens went out, the intercom and radio failed, the autopilot and autothrottles disengaged and most of the cockpit lights went out. The captain took over the controls and flew night VFR (fortunately it was a clear night) while he and the first officer sorted out the power failure. The flying pilot's task was further complicated by the fact that the backup analog instruments aren't lit. The AAIB has issued a series of safety recommendations but its final report isn't finished yet.


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: aaahsht; airbus; aviatio; aviation; hatewhenthathappens; kissyourassgoodbye; linux; microsoft; windows; windowscrash
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 141-154 next last
To: MediaMole
"Thank you for calling Airbus technical support. If your aircraft is plummeting to earth, press 1. If you need a replacement tail, press 2."

Para espanol, marque numero ocho.

61 posted on 04/24/2006 12:09:06 PM PDT by chs68
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: dljordan
I've also never understood why people who own private planes spend more on their cars than on maintenance for their aircraft.

Because there is no group or community of persons with a higher percentage of absolute fools, excepting the Democratic Party.

I might ruffle some feathers, but if it was up to me, most private pilots would be grounded tomorrow. Many of them think its all about their GPS and Jeppeson gear, but without it, most could not find their ass if they looked in their pants.

62 posted on 04/24/2006 12:12:42 PM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache, so if mere words can anger you, it means you can be controlled with little effort.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: Ainast

your forgot:

are you running the european version of windows?

which version are you running?

is this the aibus xp home or pro eddition?

Do you have you airbus cd key available?


63 posted on 04/24/2006 12:22:44 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Jazzy
Instead of the screens going dark, they could have all gotten the "Blue Screen Of Death".

Which in this case is a view of the ocean out of the cockpit window.

64 posted on 04/24/2006 12:25:45 PM PDT by dfwgator (Florida Gators - 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: chs68

911 operator: "Are you lyin' to me? You cain't fly no airplane wiff out no tail. You lyin', you in big trubble. Now put a grown-up on, right now! You hear me?"


65 posted on 04/24/2006 12:41:56 PM PDT by beelzepug (Kites banned in Pakistan...does anything in Islam NOT involve throat slitting?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo; COEXERJ145; microgood; liberallarry; cmsgop; shaggy eel; RayChuang88; Larry Lucido; ...

Fortunately they didn't get the "Blue Screen of Death".

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.

66 posted on 04/24/2006 2:09:47 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

Mayday, Mayday, I'm going in.

Blue screen of death - for real!

Ruh-Roh.....


67 posted on 04/24/2006 2:13:20 PM PDT by roaddog727 (eludium PU36 explosive space modulator)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory
Maybe their annual subscription to the service expired and they forgot to renew.

Or maybe someone turned on their cell phone and it really did mess up the navigation systems.

-PJ

68 posted on 04/24/2006 2:15:43 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too (It's still not safe to vote Democrat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: ErnBatavia
The term "The computer is down" could have extra special ramifications in that kind of situation...

With apologies to comedian Yakof Smirnov: "In France, you don't crash computer, computer crashes *you*!"

69 posted on 04/24/2006 2:19:00 PM PDT by Ichneumon (Ignorance is curable, but the afflicted has to want to be cured.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Publius6961

Would you rather the captain on your commercial flight didn't hold a flashlight in his mouth?


70 posted on 04/24/2006 2:21:40 PM PDT by Ainast
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: dljordan
I've also never understood why people who own private planes spend more on their cars than on maintenance for their aircraft.

Which people are those? The hourly labor charge may be more for an A&P vs. an auto mechanic, which I don't necessarily understand but is a function of market economics, but as far as an absolute amount per operating hour/year of ownership/mile traveled I can't imagine a situation where an aircraft owner would spend less on airplane maintenance than car maintenance. You'd have to find some kind of really skewed comparison, like someone who owned a new C172 with full warranty and was comparing maintenance costs to an antique Ferrari that needed custom-made parts.

71 posted on 04/24/2006 2:23:19 PM PDT by Turbopilot (Nothing in the above post is or should be construed as legal research, analysis, or advice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: longtermmemmory

lol, like tech support would really ask you all those questions... They just have you format and when you can't find the CD key you will have to call back and have them accuse you of owning and operating a pirated copy of windows. Then when you die they will sue your next of kin and piss on your grave.


72 posted on 04/24/2006 2:28:09 PM PDT by Ainast
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: Tennessee_Bob
Hi - tech support? We're at 32,000 feet, and descending, we think....

"Please press or say your tail number."

"If you're still over 30,000 feet, press or say 3."

"If you're still over 20,000 feet, press or say 2."

"If you're at 10,000 feet, press or say 1."

"If you're under 2000 feet, press or say Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

73 posted on 04/24/2006 2:33:17 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Petronski; Golden Eagle

But of course Iggle is going to take it as a fact even if he can't prove it. It's in his shilling profile.

We all KNOW how infallible Winblows is don't we?


74 posted on 04/24/2006 2:35:30 PM PDT by MikefromOhio (aka MikeinIraq)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: xrp

Yes, how appropriate the name AIRBUS! When your bus looses power, or the electrical systems go out!! dont worry, your bus driver will just pull over to the side of the airway amd wait for maintenance to redo the fuel lines or reboot the computers, or replace a tail, or even replace the engines if they happen to fall off, because we french have invented the skyhook, sorta like a bus tow truck in the sky. I fly a Boeing Plane when I fly, not a french bus that has to glide 100 miles because of screwed up fuel lines or a tail that falls off! Thank you Boeing for your superior aircraft.


75 posted on 04/24/2006 2:40:26 PM PDT by True Republican Patriot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo
The flying pilot's task was further complicated by the fact that the backup analog instruments aren't lit.

What an arrogant and dangerous presumption! That A) the avionics will not fail, and B) if they do fail, it will happen in daytime so the analog controls needn't lighting.

76 posted on 04/24/2006 2:42:54 PM PDT by Lexinom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan
Maybe they can setup a 1-800 support number.

"If you are piloting an A320 press 1..."

77 posted on 04/24/2006 2:47:14 PM PDT by Justa (Politically Correct is morally wrong.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: GoldCountryRedneck; Tijeras_Slim; FireTrack; Pukin Dog; citabria; B Knotts; kilowhskey; ...

78 posted on 04/24/2006 2:49:50 PM PDT by Aeronaut (It is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how the war began.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: nightdriver
In these new all-electric airplanes, there is no direct connection between the pilot and the engine and pilot and flight control surfaces. It's as though someone thinks that the computer knows how to fly the airplane better than the pilot.

And someone is right, for the most part. For all the scoffing at the unreliability of electronics, I'd bet that the death toll from pilot error is at least twice as high as the death toll from computer failure. Speaking of old sayings: someday the cockpit will be occupied by only a single pilot and a trained dog. The job of the dog will be to bite the pilot if he tries to touch the controls.

79 posted on 04/24/2006 2:53:41 PM PDT by Politicalities (http://www.politicalities.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: MineralMan
He had to treat his plane as a glider, using the height and speed to try and manage a safe landing.

He and his co-pilots were preparing to ditch in the sea, but realised they could aim for a small airstrip on one of the remoter islands in the Azores.

Landed at Lajes Field, a joint military/civilian airfield with a length of 10,600 feet. I was stationed there twice...my friend who is still there sent me some pics of this crash (all tires blew, plane swerved off the side of the runway.)

An amazing landing and I would kiss the pilot had I been on the plane but it was hardly a small airstrip to land in.

80 posted on 04/24/2006 2:54:41 PM PDT by hattend (Gotta turn up the heat on the damn melting pot. Some stuff looks like it doesn't want to melt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 141-154 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson