Air France Flight 447.

[two-niner]

The March 2012 issue of Popular Mechanics gives a minute by minute description of the fatal flight.

Pages 22, 23 & 24.

No further comment.

Kerry

[Cat320]

I do not have access to PM, but, from what I have read about this accident, it is a combination of errors.

Here is some general information on the Airbus:
The Airbus is a fly by wire jet. It has no push/pull rods, control cables or similar mechanisms to fly the aircraft. The thinking is that with the smart computers operating the aircraft, less skilled pilots can fly them...the computer will be there to keep the crew from screwing up. As a result, when the pilot advances the throttles, moves the flap lever, etc, he is asking the computer for more power or to move the flaps. If the computer senses all is well with the engines/flaps, it will give the power or move the flaps requested. Capt Sully landed his Airbus in the river with the perfectly good left engine at idle power. When they had the bird strike, the birds somehow interferred with the sensors on the left engine, so when Capt Sully called for power, the computer decided it needed to protect the engine and did not give the power requested.

[Dixieray53]

I love any thing forensic... a very interesting read... D

Air France 447 Flight-Data Recorder Transcript - What Really Happened Aboard Air France 447 - Popular Mechanics

[Dixieray53]

Originally Posted by Cat320

I do not have access to PM, but, from what I have read about this accident, it is a combination of errors.

Here is some general information on the Airbus:
The Airbus is a fly by wire jet. It has no push/pull rods, control cables or similar mechanisms to fly the aircraft. The thinking is that with the smart computers operating the aircraft, less skilled pilots can fly them...the computer will be there to keep the crew from screwing up. As a result, when the pilot advances the throttles, moves the flap lever, etc, he is asking the computer for more power or to move the flaps. If the computer senses all is well with the engines/flaps, it will give the power or move the flaps requested. Capt Sully landed his Airbus in the river with the perfectly good left engine at idle power. When they had the bird strike, the birds somehow interferred with the sensors on the left engine, so when Capt Sully called for power, the computer decided it needed to protect the engine and did not give the power requested.

Here is some info on the aircraft..

Air France crash spotlights pilot reliance on computers | Fly by wire

[Midniteoyl]

Airbus.... 'nuff said..

[Possum]

The Air Bus works as well as the European Economic Community. Some things work most don't.

[DriVer]

A very tragic loss of life that could have been prevented with the most basic of commercial piloting disciplines. It's a horrific tale that I don't even think Hollywood could have scripted.

[RVNeophytes2]

Originally Posted by Midniteoyl

Airbus.... 'nuff said..

Ditto. They crashed at the Paris Airshow because of the same type of thing. Systems are dumbed down for 3rd world customers, the end result can be tragic indeed. Worse yet, when one hits the ground/water, Airbus execs are deployed on behalf of the French government to be "impartial" accident investigators for the French version of our NTSB.

Starting my 4th decade of flying transports, I've never touched an Airbus.

[Glenn and Kathy]

Originally Posted by Cat320

I do not have access to PM, but, from what I have read about this accident, it is a combination of errors.

.

Automotive Care, Home Improvement, Tools, DIY Tips - Popular Mechanics

Glenn

[VanDiemen23]

I hate to see dead pilots blamed, but this was a complete cluster from the get-go, starting with flying into a thunderstorm and ending with three experienced pilots not understanding the interactions between the sensor systems and the modes of operation of the jet. So sad, but stuff like this usually leads to better simulator events to throw stuff like this at the pilots.

I'll bet changes are made to prevent the system from bouncing between modes when there's an intermittent instrument. Pretty hard for a pilot to figure something like that out. I bet they'll make changes to that "stick averaging" function as well.

[GSGracie]

You gotta wonder why so many experienced pilots use the phrase "if it ain't a Boeing, we ain't going".

[dieselclacker]

Originally Posted by GSGracie

You gotta wonder why so many experienced pilots use the phrase "if it ain't a Boeing, we ain't going".

X2 on the Boeing.