Originally Posted by
Uplinker
Unbelievable.
How can anyone possibly NOT check Pitot probes on an A330?
They are in plain view, very easy to check, as are the Static ports and the AoA vanes. There might not have been streamers attached to the covers, but so what? You simply....Look. At. The. Probes. and you will easily see if they are covered or not.
And as for night time, all engineers and pilots carry a torch don't we, (and I mean a proper, focusable torch, not a phone)........please tell me we all do.
This incident is remeiscent of the BA aircraft that took off with the engine cowls unlatched because nobody did a proper walk-around.
This is really fundamental stuff. Any "pilot" who does not check these most fundamental items before each and every flight is.......well........words fail me.
He most likely carried out the walk around and saw them fitted. Standard procedure to fit covers on transits at BNE due to mud wasps. They get removed prior to push (most likely after the crew walk-around). Yeah, an incident waiting to happen, but bloody mud wasps these days.