Air France Changes Airbus Speed Sensors

Icing concerns fueled replacements beginning last month
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 7, 2009 11:14 AM CDT
Air France Changes Airbus Speed Sensors
Tourists walk at a lookout point near a former Air France communications base at Fernando de Noronha Island in northeast Brazil on Friday, June 5, 2009.    (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Air France is speeding up the process of replacing sensors on its Airbus planes following the crash of Flight 447, the BBC reports, a process it began in April. In May of last year, Air France said, it observed a “small number” of “incidents of loss of airspeed information during cruise flight” on A330s and A340s. The firm told Airbus about its concern, and Airbus suggested replacing the monitors.

While noting that the recommendation didn't mean the airplane was unsafe, the airline released a statement that said "without prejudging a link with the causes of the accident, Air France has accelerated this [replacement] program."

(More Air France stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X