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ATC Watcher
28th May 2010, 20:31
I am reading a book (in french) published last week about Air France ( La face cachee d' AF , by F.Amedeo) where a large part is about the company's safety culture. On the chapters on the AF447 accident and on the subsequent AF445 incident, , some information is different that of the BEA preliminary reports , mainly the speed buffer both a/c had .
On the AF447 :
The data coming from the BEA report indicates weight 205t, weight/balance 37,8%, FL350, Mach .82 and Out Air temp -42C.
The book claims a/c wa at Mach .81 and that with 8.1 Vmax was .02 Mach above and Vs 0.3 mach below IAS.

On the AF 445;
Someone in AF mentioned weight 196 T, FL380 and mach .82 , that to be 700ft above optimum FL .

Can someone with access to a A330 charts confirm those values ?
( and what will be the speed buffer on both a/c with M .82 ?)

CEJM
29th May 2010, 12:41
ATC Watcher.

For the AF445 you need to know the OAT.

According to the QRH and using the same OAT as AF447 (-42c) which is roughly ISA +15 then the max altitude is FL387. So the flight was operated 700ft below the max altitude.

ATC Watcher
30th May 2010, 21:23
Thanks CEJM, unfortunately no info on the OAT on the AF445 as FDR was erased and QAR unreadable, but that gives an indication.

Any chance to check the speed buffer, also for AF447 ?