Airbus could be asked to ground all long-range airliners

Timesonline ^ | July 1, 2009 | Charles Bremner in Paris

[Paleo Conservative]

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 stormy weather was a factor but 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.

...................................

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, but no mandatory action was taken.

[Paleo Conservative]

I was required to excerpt. There is a video that can't be embedded, so you'll have to follow the link to watch the video and read the whole article

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off this aerospace ping list, please contact Paleo Conservative or phantomworker by Freep mail.

[pissant]

Boeing BUMP

[Hulka]

A fine aircraft to have refueling our military jets all over the world, in all sorts of environments and under combat and austere conditions. Hefty re-work needs to be done if they wish to remain a viable candidate for the refueling aircraft.

[ModelBreaker]

This sucks. If true, flying is going to get a lot more expensive for a while. Good for Boeing, though.

[Don Corleone]

If you ‘Fly by Wire” expect to “Die by Wire”. I’m going on Boeing!

[americanophile]

[smokingfrog]

Not good for Airbus. Might be a good time to buy some Boeing stock.

[DoughtyOne]

O - U - C - H

[DoughtyOne]

LOL

Good thing it gets there faster (at least I hope it does), because the bathroom access is real iffy.

[UCANSEE2]

Wonder if they’ll mention that it looks like the vertical stabilizer and rudder separated from the plane very early in the incident.

[Anti-Kenyan]

If the vertical stab separated the rudder separating is kind of a moot point.

[nkycincinnatikid]

Ain’t gonna happen. But my aquaintances in Toulouse are crapping their pants.

[kingpins10]

I have never and will never fly on an Airbus.

[GreyFriar]

I heard that they are changing their name to Seabus, since they like to kiss the ocean.

[Seaplaner]

What an excellent point you make!

Hopefully the pentagon and the USAF are taking careful notice.

.

[headstamp 2]

“I heard that they are changing their name to Seabus, since they like to kiss the ocean.”

Succubus

[expatpat]

Boeing is also fly-by-wire on the new aircraft. However, IMO they have a more-reliable system.

[AlexW]

“I have never and will never fly on an Airbus.”

In August, I flew Qatar Airways Airbus from Vienna to Cebu
and return.
In Jan. it was one way Vienna to Cebu on same Airbus flight.

I can not imagine ever flying on the new Jumbo 370?

Fortunately, I have no plans for any flights in the foreseeable future.
It was just in the last several weeks that I saw a
National Geo. special on airline crash investigations.
Even though I am a pilot (pvt), the program was enough to scare me to never want to fly again.

[Secret Agent Man]

Good for Boeing selling everything except their composite bird, which is having troubles and delays of its own. Wish they’d get it going.