Flybe flight grounded by bee

[vancouv]

Surprised this hasn't caused a buzz on PPRuNe:

Flybe flight grounded by bee on Southampton to Dublin journey - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-33040634)

[oldshoremore2]

Some mathematicians out there must know the odds of a single bee impacting a pitot head!
The point that I make is why cannot these sensors have a pressure cleaning device which would produce something akin to a sneeze when blocked. Simple to detect and arrange for, surely? Blocked pitots have led to some major problems with speed interpretation, so time for some thoughtful solution?
Cracking story though! have there been any other collisions with airline namesakes in the past? Bluebirds? Condors? Virgins..........
There's got to be a sting in the tail!

[lomapaseo]

Some mathematicians out there must know the odds of a single bee impacting a pitot head!

No worries about bee impacts on wee holes like pitot tubes. The bee simply extrudes around the orifice rather than into it. In order to screw the pitot up you need to carefully line up the bees arse with the oriface and ease into it. At the same time the pilot has to be taking his normal nap so as to ignore the other backup reading instruments.

Now just figure out the probabilities of either one of these possibilities.

[phiggsbroadband]

Looking at the fr24 trace, even the Tail-Slide over Newbury didn't dislodge it...