Airbus could be asked to ground all long-range airliners – Times Online
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.
“EASA has a legal and moral obligation to get to the bottom of this problem now. If there is a defective system and the aircraft is unsafe then it should be grounded,” said James Healy-Pratt of Stewarts Law in London. The firm, which specialises in aviation, is representing the families of 20 of the victims of flight 447.
There are approximately 7 Million people flying at any time throughout the day. I repeat… 7 million… and how many will be injured in any way during a particular day? Basically none.
Thousands and thousands of planes are in the air right now… how many are falling out of the sky?
Ambulance chasing lawyers being alarmists to bolster their case? Really… how would have thought that would happen?
There must be some others besides me put off by those annoying photos jumping back and force (lately a roller coaster and an airliner puffing smoke).I feel so powerful when I use “flashblock” to turn them off instantly and go back to peacefully enjoying this site. Those with firefox might want to look into it.
It’s just a blame game.
I’m sure it’s pilot error, letting the Auto Pilot on through those stormclouds, making the Auto Pilot think it was doing 400+ knots while the plane was probably moving backwards.
Once the major draft stopped, it nose dived with full throttle, knocking the pilots back.
Airspeed indicators on passenger jets should be backed with GPS. Relying on airspeed and radar isn’t enough over oceans.
No ground stations + references for the pilots to see.
The Airbus is fine over land as it is.
Just stick a TomTom (TM) with suction cups on the windshield. Problem solved.
#2 newglenn——Oh you poor, poor man. So easily annoyed. I pity you.
So, Airbus has “nearly 1,000” planes flying and no one has died in them until now, and the EU is considering grounding them ALL until an investigation is underway? If only the some regulatory body in the US (FDA) had as much integrity…
Yeah, why don’t we shut down everyone from driving cars while we’re at it. Thousands more die in car accidents every year. Let’s investigate why cars crash so much. Dumb.
#1, Awake, people obviously aren’t familiar with the concept of reasonable risk.
The European authorities are basically strangling all the Europe based airlines with newly implemented standards for SMS (Safety Management Systems). These standards are slowly making their way over to North America. Transport Canada, for example, is implementing a new comprehensive SMS that starts this September and will roll out in three stages over 3 years. It’s crazy the amount of bureaucratic red tape the airlines (and their suppliers) have to go through to implement this system. My company is one of them. Crazy stuff.
http://imgur.com/Vc70i.jpg
I like the picture, all that’s missing is the sound of a sputtering engine. (like an old tin-lizzie)
Damn, I think I had a seizure watching that graphic. My tongue is bleeding.
Ok people! The EASA has every right to ground the Airbus, and for very good reason.
theaviationpage.com/2009/06/airbus-a310-rudder-failure
The rudder has been failing regularly!
Not going to happen. Overblown article indicating a London solicitor will ask the EASA to ground the fleet…. Or what? The EU will never allow this so much of France, Germany, Spain + UK’s aerospace industry depends on making those planes.
Won’t happen – if you took every single one of these out of service, the airline industry would more than struggle to cope with the passenger load. Responsible airlines maintain these planes correctly, and follow instructions for maintenance from the manufacturer – so I really don’t think there’s much cause for concern.
Agreed. It’s a strongarm tactic.
They won’t pull all the planes out of service, but they will THREATEN to pull all planes out of service unless the airlines upgrade their plane on a set schedule.
So Boeing 737 has had 68 fatal crashes in history, 747 has had 28 fatal crashes in history. Airbus has 1 fatal crash in its history and you think the EU should decide to ground all the flights?
Every airplane is basically “unsafe”.
“Airbus, could you please ground all your airliners?”
There. Now they HAVE been asked.
Bad writing in this headline, folks.
OK #3
All modern Aircraft (Airliners) DO have GPS. The GPS is an inherant part of the Flight Management System, wich is part of the Auto Pilot System.
Its Called FMGEC on A330/A340 Aircraft.
You will also like to know that GPS is NOT the primary method by wich Aircraft know thier current position. It is by recieving Ground Stations and also by gettign data in Real Time from the on-board inertial reference systems, then the GPS is considered in Ranking as 3rd. However over water (oceanic flight) the GPS will be the primary bit of positioning data coupled with the INS System data and thus creating Ground Speed reference. Althugh the Ground Speed is also calculated and presented to the Pilot from the Inertial reference System as well on its own.
For the folks that think this is the first Airbus accident with Fatalities.. The A300/A310/A320 have all been involved in accidents with Fatalities, some were pilot error others were not. Lets not get into a tit for tat about it but beware that this was the First A330 Fatal Crash. The A330 Came on the scene in 2000. The A340 in 1994. An A310 Crashed Yesterday. Also Look up Air Transat..this was an A330 Incident over the Atllantic. Etc Etc Etc..
Airlines and Airline Maintenance Companies follow the Airbus Industrie maintenance and periodic inspection as dictatd by Airbus Industrie. Also the Aircraft are constantly be upgraded with newer avionics systems that improve safety or ease workload for the crew etc.. The Airplane you buy today is not the same plane you finish with, almost every part of the plane has been replaced over time… Any Blanket stateent in this scenario will never fit!!!
I am inherently familiar with Airbus Aircraft and the Systems. What I would be more concerned with is the limited ability to control the aircraft with difficult weather conditions and having lost all primary flight controls. Then the crew are down to Satb trim and rudder pedals only. And thats a trick even in Good Weather in the day time!!!
To date, there have been 23 fatal Airbus crashes, killing 2,584 people.
EXCERPT: Used in law, science and philosophy, a rule known as Occam’s Razor requires that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex, and/or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities.
Part One of this comprehensive report on the viability of the Airbus aircraft can be found here. This follow up piece is published here in its entirety with kind permission of the author William John Cox. First published on Global Research, June 19, 2009.
have a read
http://www.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/ground-airbus
As already pointed out: the pilot (auto or manual) needs to know the plane’s AIR speed, but GPS only gives you ground speed. You might be able to estimate airspeed based on grounds speed and reported wind conditions, but not accurately enough for the job. At cruising altitudes, the stall speed is not that much lower than the airspeed, so there is a smaller margin of error. This is called the “coffin corner” of the envelope: if you look that up on Wikipedia, there’s a link to a 2003 FAA document on flying in those conditions.
People dies while riding horses, and even walking down a road minding your own business. Many people die in bathrooms falling or kill over from cardiovascular disease straining for a bowl movement. The Universe can be a dangerous place.
please keep in mind,
Airbus uses fly-by-wire! so basically, my understanding is that the final word has to come from the computer, rather than the pilot. Repeat, the computer. Am I the only one uncomfortable with this?
The Airbus A320/A330/A340/A380 are all Controlled by Fly By Wire. Wich means they have 5 flight control computers. And Yes thier is NO direct Control by the Aircrew to the Ailerons or Spoilers. The Rudder and ther Stab trim may be manually controlled with 1 good Hydraulic System. (the Aircraft has 3 systems)…
But For those who are unaware…The Boeng B777 aircraft..(rated the worlds safest plane (look it up)) is Also…FLY BY WIRE…Triple rdundent flyt control system..but is FBW!!! The New Dreamliner the B787 is also FLY BY WIRE… The Space Shuttle is FLY BY WIRE the F16 is FLY By WIRE and a whole host of other Aircraft. Thats the Modern World Folks!!! And the Pitot tube technology (theory..) has not reallly changed since aircraft have been in the Air!!! And this is the current discussion point.. seems a mute point to Me!!
#23 Barer in Mind the B777 (rated saftest airliner in the world)(look it up)!! Is also Fly by wire…
Allnew Aircraft are.. the Dreamliner etc.. (B787) A340/A380 etc… A350…
It all started back in the 70’s with Military programs.. And even the Space Shuttle.
The Airbus has 5 seperate flight control computers and the Mechanical Backup is limited to Stabilizer Trim (Horiaontal) and the Rudder if 1 Hydraulic System is Available.
Good Luck if it goes pare shaped) But Rmember Souix City Iowa in 1989? This was a DC-10 and it was Hydraulic Controlled Flight Controls and they has ALL Failed Hydrauic fliud loss..due to severed Hydraulic lines by Engine No.2 (no computer here Boys)… Differential Thrust and a pitch up moment with Applied power is all they had!!!
#23 It’s pretty hard to find a commercial plane built in the last 10 years that isn’t fly-by-wire.
The AirBus has become the DC10 of the century. I don’t think its right to assume the plane is to blame. But that is what will happen. Just like auto accidents. We tend to blame the car for low tires, bad brakes, and such.
When it really is the lack of the driver or owner of that vehicle to maintain and drive it properly. One way or another its human error that causes most accidents. I think we need to realize that we can prevent some accidents but we can never eliminate them.
The picture on this post sucks!Please use just regular photographs.The movement takes my interest away from the story.The only way this technique works for me is bouncing boobs.
That’s a lot of ifs. I think we should ground all air travel until they can prove that their flight will not be brought down by terrorists.
20,
So, the EU is doing the “right” thing? I agree.