Redundancy is a siren on the rocks when one is up against common fault. BA038 had redundancy, but at some stage a system must be parallel, hence the dual rollback. The closer the rubber gets to the road, a system folds into unity, up only against the odds.
Unreliable airspeed became common on this type, hence the acronym, and the training focus. Because three separate pitot static systems generate discrepant airspeeds does NOT necessarily mean they have all iced, together or in some aberrant sequence.
Sailing in the doldrums one experiences no "wind". The mass is expanding around you and rising. Slowly at first, then as this warmth gains altitude, it increases in velocity.
Had 447 entered the mother of all cells? Most likely not. An average one will do nicely relative to upset and airspeeds that rocket up and down. Was any of the Alert/warning/alarm prompts singled out and addressed/cured? Shall we use the RTLU as an impromptu altimeter, by its demonstrated limit after falling out of the sky? The fuselage of the 330 is massive, and the pitots are well away from each other. This attacks the theory of Ice/turbulence, and entertains the discrepant/local theory. 1/2, 1/3, 2/3? Look at the numbering of the Tubes and the ACARS.
Again the autopsies are mentioned. The Captain's remains do not suggest a position in the a/c. Neither do the other peoples' remains who are of necessity assumed to be unseated, mobile, and not just at impact. Specifics of trauma are limited to the determination by BEA that these were seated. Belted? An easy conclusion given the facts? Evidently not. I say again the trauma focussed on by BEA is patent in trauma exhibited by human beings in CAT or upset historically; in this case the posture of each victim is concluded to be known. Mistake?
Last edited by bearfoil; 7th Jun 2010 at 19:24.