Originally Posted by
Right Way Up
Sensor validation,
It is possible to tell which is a sole correct pitot reading, as long as you go back to the very basics & fly pitch & power, to corroborate its readings.
To a human pilot maybe, but apparently not for the auto-pilot
If you ever have spare time in an airbus sim try climbing from optimum to somewhere near max alt with blocked pitots. The flight control laws lead to pretty interesting results!!
The classic case where blocked pitot tubes allow decreasing static pressure due to increasing altitude appear as increasing speed. Clearly a significant danger on climb after take-off, which has had fatal results, and an early action of the unreliable speed QRH is to level off.
By why would they be deliberately climbing inside a Cb, no way could they overfly - would conditions be expected to be better at unauthorized FL370?. How about a relatively warm humid low density updraught?