Jerry B.
25th Jul 2009, 09:51
New Theories just published in Der Spiegel
Below is a rough translation of an article that appeared in today's Der Spiegel online.
Link Landeanflug im Orkan: Ließ Computerproblem Lufthansa-Maschine beinahe verunglücken? - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - Wissenschaft (http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,638211,00.html)
"Did computer problem Lufthansa plane almost crash?
In investigating the near-crash of a Lufthansa Airbus on 1st March 2008 in Hamburg, there is a surprising turn: the air accident investigators examined after SPIEGEL information the dangerous role the flight computer played in the landing during a hurricane.
Hamburg - First, it was assumed that wind alone or carelessness of the A320 pilots were the cause of the scaping of the wingtip on the runway which was captured by a hobby cameraman. "Now the matter is complex," said Johann Reuss, investigators at the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) for the MIRROR.
"We obviously investigate the role of the aircraft itself has played." According to hitherto secret investigation, results showed the A320 during the hurricane landing apparently unexpected behavior.
The most likely explanation: Because of a tire briefly touching the ground, the computer shifted from the "landing mode" to the "ground mode". The latter mode limited the deflection of the aileron, much less than the pilots commanded due to the extremly gusty conditions. The computer took over and limited the aileron deflection - and the wing tip made contact with the runway.
"Such a behavior of the machine was not documented in any manual," criticized a pilot to the Spiegel - and it is still not in there, because Airbus keeps things close to their chest until the completion of the investigation. This landing could have ended in a terrible catastrophe.
For almost three seconds the computer stayed in command. Only through the decisive and courageous action by the pilot the plane, traveling at over 200 kilometers per hour, was pulled back into the air and stabilised thus preventing a crash."
Hmm, interesting isn't it?
Mods: Feel free to delet because also posted in the original thread at Tech Log. Just thought PPs here would like to know.
Below is a rough translation of an article that appeared in today's Der Spiegel online.
Link Landeanflug im Orkan: Ließ Computerproblem Lufthansa-Maschine beinahe verunglücken? - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - Wissenschaft (http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,638211,00.html)
"Did computer problem Lufthansa plane almost crash?
In investigating the near-crash of a Lufthansa Airbus on 1st March 2008 in Hamburg, there is a surprising turn: the air accident investigators examined after SPIEGEL information the dangerous role the flight computer played in the landing during a hurricane.
Hamburg - First, it was assumed that wind alone or carelessness of the A320 pilots were the cause of the scaping of the wingtip on the runway which was captured by a hobby cameraman. "Now the matter is complex," said Johann Reuss, investigators at the Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) for the MIRROR.
"We obviously investigate the role of the aircraft itself has played." According to hitherto secret investigation, results showed the A320 during the hurricane landing apparently unexpected behavior.
The most likely explanation: Because of a tire briefly touching the ground, the computer shifted from the "landing mode" to the "ground mode". The latter mode limited the deflection of the aileron, much less than the pilots commanded due to the extremly gusty conditions. The computer took over and limited the aileron deflection - and the wing tip made contact with the runway.
"Such a behavior of the machine was not documented in any manual," criticized a pilot to the Spiegel - and it is still not in there, because Airbus keeps things close to their chest until the completion of the investigation. This landing could have ended in a terrible catastrophe.
For almost three seconds the computer stayed in command. Only through the decisive and courageous action by the pilot the plane, traveling at over 200 kilometers per hour, was pulled back into the air and stabilised thus preventing a crash."
Hmm, interesting isn't it?
Mods: Feel free to delet because also posted in the original thread at Tech Log. Just thought PPs here would like to know.