Airbus could be asked to ground all long-range airliners

The Times ^ | 7/1/2009 | Charles Bremner in Paris

[bruinbirdman]

Airbus is expected to face calls to ground its worldwide fleet of long-range airliners tomorrow when French accident investigators issue their first account of what caused Air France Flight 447 to crash off Brazil on June 1.

It is believed that the accident bureau will report that faulty speed data and electronics were the main problem in the disaster that killed 228 people.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is likely to be asked why it had never taken action to remedy trouble that was well known with the Airbus 330 and 340 series. Nearly 1,000 of the aircraft are flying and until AF447, no passenger had been killed in one.

“EASA has a legal and moral obligation to get to the bottom of this problem now. If there is a defective system and the aircraft is unsafe then it should be grounded,” said James Healy-Pratt of Stewarts Law in London. The firm, which specialises in aviation, is representing the families of 20 of the victims of flight 447.

Only 11 bodies of the 50 recovered from the Atlantic have been identified. They include Captain Marc Dubois, 58, who is believed to have been resting when his two co-pilots lost control of the aircraft in a storm. The search for bodies has been called off but ships continue to hunt for the black boxes although their locator beacons are assumed to have expired.

Suspicion over the air data systems on the Airbus 330 and 340 series has increased after the disclosure that the aircraft had experienced 36 episodes similar to the one that brought Flight 447 down as it flew from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

Airbus first reported problems with the speed sensors — known as pitot tubes — in 1994, it emerged this week. The company advised remedies,

[Proud_USA_Republican]

“If it’s not Boeing, I’m not going.”

[1010RD]

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is likely to be asked why it had never taken action to remedy trouble that was well known with the Airbus 330 and 340 series.

We need more regulators to watch the regulators.

[TSgt]

It would appear that like the FAA, the EASA got too cozy with the airlines.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Sounds like a major disruption in worldwide air traffic. Still, if they’re unsafe, it’s gotta be done.

[1010RD]

That’s the nature of regulators everywhere and always. Caveat emptor works best.

[saganite]

The Airbus fleet will certainly not be grounded. Airlines can’t afford the losses. There may be restrictions that will severely hamper their use though. There will most certainly be a rush job to retrofit these planes with better equipment.

[bert]

....There will most certainly be a rush job to retrofit these planes with better equipment.....

and perhaps signs “ This aircraft is safe but will be up dated to the newest technology known by next month”

[Pentagon Leatherneck]

I agree; the revenue demand will keep them flying. This airspeed system problem is one that any competent pilot should be able to overcome with minimal trouble. If your indicated airspeed goes to zero and your attitude and power remain constant, you have little to worry about. Just wait until you’re in clear air, or descend to warmer air if icing is the problem.

TC

[pierrem15]

The problem is they are fly-by-wire: the computers controlling the aircraft will continue to react to the bad data & override pilot attempts to correct. Another problem is that all the data the pilots see matches what the computers see— the instruments are not independent modules but software driven.

[bruinbirdman]

Interesting that the problems are making headlines just as ChiCom Airbuses have started to come off the assembly line and are in the news.

yitbos