Aviation News Item: 00493

31st Jul 2009

Source: ubmaviationnews.com

Airbus has recommended operators of A330/A340 aircraft with Thales-made Pitot tubes replace at least two of the aircraft's three airspeed indication probes with ones made by Goodrich. This recommendation, which applies to about 200 aircraft, according to media reports, is to be followed by a similar AD proposal from EASA within the next 14 days. The aviation authority wants a maximum of one Thales BA type probe to be fitted on the aircraft aside from two Goodrich Pitot tubes. The older Thales probes (type AA) would no longer be fitted. No cause has yet been determined for the Air France A330 crash in the south Atlantic on June 1, 2009, which killed all 228 onboard. The Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA), the French air accident investigation authority, said in its preliminary report that problems with the aircraft's Pitot tubes may have been a factor in the crash of AF447, but not the cause. After the accident some A330 operators said they were voluntarily going to replace the speed sensors. Problems with Thales Pitot tubes on A330/A340 aircraft had been reported before.

Now that the flight recorders' locator beacons have ceased transmitting, the next step is to identify the place where the aircraft wreckage is located and then to search for the flight recorders. The BEA has said that a French oceanographic ship is currently searching the likely crash area. Work to survey the ocean floor has begun with the aid of a side-scan sonar device, a remote-controlled underwater robot and a submarine. This second phase should be finished by August 22. Airbus plans to support the search effort with €12m - €20m ($16.9m-$28.2m), according to media reports.

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