This is not a column I like writing, and I know I am going to upset some people, but I have to comment on the recent release of more preliminary information regarding the crash of Air France 447, the Airbus A330 that fell into the Atlantic Ocean two years ago. The investigators have given us a clear idea of what likely happened and the sort of recommendations they will make when the final report is issued. The difficult part now is to understand why this tragedy happened and do something about it.
I spent two days with Airbus test pilots, accompanied by Foundation Executive VP Kevin Hiatt, trying to understand the nuances of envelope protection and failure modes. We spent some time going over the accident timeline and then flew the accident scenario in a simulator. I came away with a number of impressions.
First, I was amazed at how benign the initial failure really was. Some electronic centralized aircraft monitor (ECAM) messages, an autopilot disconnect and some bad speed indic…
