CONF iture said:
Not at all.
Still trying to figure out why the BEA did omit the tracks of IB6024 and LH507 ?!
They have crossed the full red too, but as HN39 wrote much earlier : always keep in mind that the big systems seen by satellites don't necessarily show up like that on an aircraft's weather radar.
Tracks: My understanding is that LH507 was on the exact same track (UN866) as AF447 except they were at least 30 minutes ahead (20 minutes difference at TO from Rio). I don't know what track IB6024 was on. However, in some manner LH507 recognized a weather situation ahead and altered their track ~12 miles to the West. By the time AF447 got to the weather, the storm cells congealed into one with the worst part being towards the Eastern end. Originally, it was four separate cells. I am wondering if LH507 approached in time and picked their way through before the storm congealed? Also, by altering their course Westward, did they passed through a more mundane area? On the other hand, AF447 approached a congealed storm and turned Westward only 3 miles off track, timing of turn unknown but perhaps late?
Pitot tubes: I read somewhere about other A330/A340 problems relating to speed errors, i.e., pitot tube abnormalities. What I remember (not from the BEA reports) was that one crew thought the pitots might be icing, and at some point through the episode, switched the pitot tube heating setting from "automatic" to "on". Then everything settled back down and the flight proceeded normally. What exactly is the difference between the automatic setting and the setting regarding pitot tube heating?