Saturn V:
If the crew of AF447 reverted to SELCAL mode (and perhaps even switched to the DAKAR frequency) at 1 h 35 min, they probably missed any communication that may have occurred between ATLANTICO and LH507 on its deviation. Transcripts of communications between ATLANTICO and the LH and IB flights have not been released, nor is there mention in the interim report of whether AF459 was alert to communications between ATLANTICO and IB6024, flying about 25 minutes ahead of them.
In my two decades of experience flying in the Atlantic (North and South), I must say that I have never received any alert message made by Atlantico or Dakar regarding weather conditions that could affect my flights. Quite contrary to the New York, Gander and S. Maria, that sometimes call us for the transmission of SIGMETS or PIREPS, we see nothing like in the South. The only clue of "trouble ahead" (appart from your own ops and met data) is the pilot-to-pilot freq.
For the cases studied, the recording of the flight parameters and the crew
testimony do not suggest application of the memory items(13) in the unreliable
airspeed procedure
...
IMHO, the attitude to be set up in case of unreliable airspeed at high altitudes should be, in fact, 2.5º (not 5º).
Although QRH Memory items are (for the A330):
- Below THRUST REDUCTION ALT 15º;
- Above TR ALT and Below FL100 10º
- Above FL100, 5º.
this numbers are to be used at lower altitudes or close to the terrain. If AF447 pilots have used that attitude by memory, and specially if they kept a low power set up, that must have contributed to enter the Stall.
We know by experience that, the use of 5º is (in most cases) beyond available power, especially when flying in the “coffin corner”, as most pilots do. What we actually do in my company, is to record every hour our actual attitude (and check that stand-by att (or ISIS) is not precessing) together with actual N1. We do know by heart that our average attitude should be around 2,5º up. If one finds himself in the middle of a storm in UAI situation, why then force the envelope with a 5º (ATT) climb, risking to stall the aircraft?
