The Dutch Safety Board, citing ongoing investigations of two serious incidents, is warning airlines to ensure that an airplane’s air pressure measurement system is working properly before the airplane that has been grounded because of the COVID-19 pandemic – or for any other reason – is returned to service.
In a June 3 letter to airlines and maintenance organizations, the board said that the airliners, one operated by Transavia and the other, by TUI, developed problems soon after takeoff with airspeed and altitude indications. “The ongoing investigations provide sufficient grounds for the Safety Board to issue a warning concerning risks relating to the return to service of commercial aircraft,” the letter said.
The letter noted that when aircraft are placed in temporary storage, the air pressure measurement system — the pitot-static system — which provides information to airspeed indicators and altimeters, is covered to guard against any blockages (for …
