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Old 27th May 2011, 20:22
  #589 (permalink)  
wheelie my boeing
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
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The fact of the matter is that there IS NO PROCEDURE for unreliable airspeed in the cruise. I fly the 319/320/321, so I am not referring to the 330 but given that they are very similar the guessing the procedures are similar. Airbus have a procedure with how to deal with it, and if you google it you will find it. Fact is, above 10,000 ft the procedure is 5 degrees pitch with CLB power. In heavy turbulence when the aircraft is pitching allover the place then you can forget about holding 5 degrees pitch!
Not to mention the fact that 5 degrees pitch with CLB power is certainly not the best thing to do with unreliable airspeed in the cruise. Most Airbus guys now have their own pitch/power settings memorised for this - only because of AF447, and before the accident the majority of guys would have said "well, I guess its 5 degrees with CLB power as technically that is what the QRH says". All of this is not forgetting that there still is NO procedure from Airbus, the procedure in the QRH is suited to unreliable airspeed much lower down.

For those who says "why didn't the Captain take control"? Well, given the aircraft may have been out of control by that point it must have been difficult in getting to the cockpit alone, let alone getting someone who is handling the situation (badly or not) out of their seat and you strapping in. He probably decided that the two people in the seats had the best idea of what was happening as they had seen all the evidence and he had entered later on.
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