Air France 447: Equipment Problems; Stall Warnings; Pilot Error

Air France Flight 447 took off from Rio de Janeiro and headed toward Paris. Some time later, the Airbus A330-200 disappeared from radar.

Evidence, But Not Much

That was May 31, 2009. By June 10, we knew that an airliner and 228 people had disappeared, and that:

• Two names that were on a terrorist watch list appeared on Air France Flight 447's passenger list
• The Airbus A330-200 had an older set of Pitot tubes
  • Air speed sensors
• Pilots in the area saw an "intense flash" when the airliner disappeared
• A fuel slick found wasn't jet fuel
  (June 10, 2009)

All we knew was that more than 200 people were missing and presumed dead.

I could make that bright flash seem like an explosion, but there was a thunderstorm in the area: and lightning is notoriously bright.

Passengers with names that appeared on a terrorist watch list were suggestive, but far from proof. The names may not have been as common as "Jim Johnson" was in northern Minnesota: but different people often have the same name.

The Pitot tubes, which were going to be replaced, hinted at technical problems: but a 'hint' isn't proof.

Almost two years later, AF 447's flight recorder was found. (April 28, 2011

Training Pilots: Yes, It's Important

Apparently AF447's pilots hadn't been trained for high-altitude flight, or what to do when airspeed sensors don't work right. (BBC News, July 29, 2011) Putting them on a high-altitude flight in an airliner with slightly obsolete airspeed sensors may not have been a prudent decision. Air France says that the pilots were so trained.

Airbus and Air France may face manslaughter charges over the little oopsies in AF 447.

A BBC News article included a timeline of the last few minutes of Air France 447:

"...0135 GMT: The crew informs the controller of the flight's location

"0159-0206 GMT: The co-pilot warns of turbulence ahead before the captain leaves the cockpit for a rest break

"0208 GMT: The plane turns left, diverting from the planned route. Turbulence increases

"0210 GMT: The auto-pilot and auto-thrust mechanisms disengage. The plane rolls to the right. The co-pilot attempts to raise the nose. The stall warning sounds twice and the plane's speed drops. The co-pilot calls the captain

"0210 GMT: The stall warning sounds again. The plane climbs to 38,000ft

"0211-0213 GMT: The captain re-enters the cockpit. The plane is flying at 35,000 ft but is descending 10,000 ft per minute. The co-pilot says 'I don't have any more indications', pulls the nose down and the stall warning sounds again...

"...02:14 GMT: Recordings stop"
(BBC News)

I think there are a few things to learn from AF 447, including:

• 'Accidents happen'
• It's a good idea to train pilots
• Faulty equipment isn't reliable
• Deferring judgment until there's enough evidence is sensible

Related posts:

• "Air France 447: Part of a Black (Orange, Really) Box Found"
  (April 28, 2011)
  Particularly
  • The Good News is What's Not in the News
• "Air France Flight 447 Wreckage Found: My Take"
  (April 4, 2011)
• "euronews, " 'Dustbin' Airline," Cultures, and the War on Terror"
  (July 2, 2009)
• "Air France Flight 447 Investigators Find Terror List Names: Suggestive, But Far From Proof"
  (June 10, 2009)
  Particularly
  • Cherry-Picking Evidence
• "Northwest Flight 253: Near Miss on Christmas Weekend"
  (December 27, 2009)
  Particularly
  • "They're all Muslims"? Hardly
  • Wannabe Terrorist Outed by His Father
  • Bottom Line: Nobody Killed, and A Whole Lot of Review to Do

In the news:

• Air France crash 'due to pilot and technical failings'
  BBC News (July 5, 2012)
• "Air France Rio crash: Pilots 'lacked training' "
  (July 29, 2011)