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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009
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Airbus Sends Warning on Speed Sensors

Faulty readings may have played a role in Air France crash

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(Newser) – The maker of the Air France jet that crashed in the Atlantic issued a warning to pilots on how to respond when speed sensors malfunction, buttressing a belief that faulty readings played a role in the disaster, Reuters reports. An Airbus memo also says the company is replacing all such sensors in its jets, the AP notes. Worsening weather, meanwhile, raised fears that neither bodies nor the black boxes will be found.

Airbus said the message “in no way implicates” pilots or aircraft design. It has, however, fueled an existing debate over whether Airbus designs are too complicated. “This is a plane that is conceived by engineers for engineers and not always for pilots,” said a longtime Boeing pilot. As the search continued, French and Brazilian officials disagreed over whether debris found in the Atlantic is actually from the crash.

Undated file photo made available by Airbus, showing an Airbus A330-200 jetliner from the French company Air France.
Undated file photo made available by Airbus, showing an Airbus A330-200 jetliner from the French company Air France.   (AP Photo/Airbus)
Relatives of passengers of Air France flight 447 exit a bus as they arrive to the Integrated Air Traffic Control and Air Defense Center in Recife, Brazil, Friday, June 5, 2009.
Relatives of passengers of Air France flight 447 exit a bus as they arrive to the Integrated Air Traffic Control and Air Defense Center in Recife, Brazil, Friday, June 5, 2009.   (AP Photo/Otavio de Souza)
A 2008 file photo shows Airbus CEO Tom Enders at a press briefing at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore.
A 2008 file photo shows Airbus CEO Tom Enders at a press briefing at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore.   (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
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Newser001
Jun 5, 09 1:54 PM CDT
For the present, my suggestion would be to avoid A330 and A340 series until this is all ironed out. The telex from Airbus states they are replacing all pilot tubes, maintain attitude and thrust if there are anomalies. They also have issues' pertaining to the Australian Oct '08 mishap to account for. On October 7 last year a Qantas A330-300 suddenly lost 650ft in altitude after a fault caused the autopilot to disengage. Thirty-six people on board were hurt, 12 of them seriously, as occupants were slammed into the roof of the cabin. Their aircraft designs depend too much on engineering and less on grounded aerodynamics. Nor did I appreciate the concept of just how volatile stall factors are in this series, according to other pilots... Reply
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radnip
Jun 15, 09 7:27 PM CDT
Yep, too complicated. Everyone knows we need to go back to the horse and buggy. Reply
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