With thanks to AV Herald
An Air France Airbus A320-200, registration F-GFKJ performing flight AF1905 from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France), was enroute when all airspeed information as well other air data related indications were lost in the cockpit, autopilot and autothrust systems dropped offline. The crew continued manually until the indications returned about one minute later. The flight continued without further incident and landed safely at the Charles de Gaulle Airport at 20:35 local (18:35Z).
Weather satellite images show a well developed frontal system overhead France at 18:00Z.
Air France said, the airplane was already equipped with the modified pitot tubes (Thales BA type instead of the standard AA type). The maintenance ACARS messages received by Air France are similiar to those, that were received from flight AF-447 on June 1st, that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. An investigation is underway.
The NTSB is investigating two similiar incidents, see Incident: Northwest A333 over East China Sea on Jun 23rd 2009, unreliable airspeed and Incident: TAM A332 enroute on May 21st 2009, unreliable airspeed and altimeter.
French pilot unions are querying similiarities between the crash, these incidents and this new incident and state, that if similiarities do exist, the pitot sensors must be changed to the rival products of Goodrich rather than Thales.
Metars:
LFPG 131930Z 20009KT 170V270 CAVOK 21/15 Q1011 NOSIG
LFPG 131900Z 19009KT CAVOK 21/15 Q1011 NOSIG
LFPG 131830Z VRB09G20KT 9999 FEW040 BKN066 BKN100 22/15 Q1010 NOSIG
LFPG 131800Z 20009KT 9999 FEW040 BKN066 22/14 Q1010 NOSIG
LFPG 131730Z 19011KT 170V260 9999 FEW040 BKN066 22/14 Q1011 NOSIG
LFPG 131700Z 19011KT 9999 FEW040 BKN066 BKN100 23/14 Q1010 NOSIG
LFPG 131630Z 20013KT 9999 FEW040 BKN066 BKN100 23/14 Q1011 NOSIG
LFPG 131600Z 18012KT 9999 FEW040 BKN066 BKN083 23/14 Q1011 NOSIG