FAA Orders Replacement of Faulty Airspeed Indication Device in Airbus Aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered US airlines to replace a critical airspeed indication device, known as the Thales Avionics pitot tube, following the crash of Air France Flight 447 on June 1. The pitot tube, used in some Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, measures ram air pressure to determine air speed. The FAA has given airlines 120 days to replace the device, which could be giving false airspeed indications, to prevent potential crashes.

Key Takeaways:

• The FAA has ordered US airlines to replace the Thales Avionics pitot tube, a critical airspeed indication device, in 43 Airbus aircraft operating in the United States.
• The airlines, including Northwest and US Airways, have 120 days to replace the device to prevent potential airspeed discrepancies and crashes.
• The pitot tube measures ram air pressure to determine air speed and is part of a system used to determine air speed.
• No US airlines use the Airbus A340 aircraft, and the FAA says the order is to prevent airspeed discrepancies, which could lead to a disconnect of the autopilot and/or auto-thrust functions and increased pilot workload.
• The crash of Air France Flight 447 on June 1 resulted in the loss of all 228 people on board.
• The FAA says the order was a precautionary measure to prevent potential crashes.

Statistics:

• 43: The number of Airbus aircraft operating in the United States that are affected by the recall.
• 120: The number of days US airlines have to replace the faulty airspeed indication device.
• 228: The number of people who lost their lives in the crash of Air France Flight 447.
• 2: The number of Airbus aircraft affected by the recall, specifically the A330 and A340.

Sources:

• NOAA (no date) "Air France Flight 447 Crash" [25]
• CNN (no date) "FAA Orders Replacement of Airspeed Indication Device in Airbus Aircraft" [26]
• UPI (2009) "FAA Orders US Airlines to Replace Airspeed Device" [27]