“Google Air France Flight 447 to know the reason why.”

Those of us who managed to survive the introduction of the FBW Airbus back in the ‘80’s, when no one knew who was flying the aeroplane (AP, computer, or Bloggs), most knew there were three conventionally reliable sources for navigation – the AI, the ALT, and the ASI – all “steam”. It was a requirement (for Captains) to demonstrate a non-precision approach during the biannual recurrent, using the “steams only”.

With the AF A330, it all turned to bodily waste when proper scans went out the window. With recovery of the DFDR and CVR, the very basic recovery could have been successfully established by use of the “steam” AI, and using the cerebral grey matter to manually set an engine power to maintain an airspeed range coincident with logic for the conditions until they were satisfied the ASI was indicating normally. The F/O should then have chucked the S/O out of the seat – called the Captain back to the cockpit, and allowed the experienced authority to stabilise the situation.

I think this demonstrates the need for high quality “steams” if you intend to fly IMC in any aeroplane, and I LOVE “glass”.

No – I haven’t forgotten God’s greatest gift to post event analysts – HINDSIGHT.

Cheers

Dom Crain

VH-CZJ