MAS A330 BNE leaves pitot covers on
I just perused the ATSB web site to see if they have released any information. I only gleaned one thing : their report is not due out until Third Quarter 2019 - i.e about 15 months time. SIgh. This will take such a long time that any educational and operational value for the rest of us will be lost.
How long can it possibly take to analyze the CVR and FDR? How many people were involved in the dispatch of that aircraft, and how long to take written statements form each of them? I guess they're well used to being overtaken by melting glaciers at the ATSB.
How long can it possibly take to analyze the CVR and FDR? How many people were involved in the dispatch of that aircraft, and how long to take written statements form each of them? I guess they're well used to being overtaken by melting glaciers at the ATSB.
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The problem is more likely the reviews, reviews of reviews, submission of draft for comments, reviews of comments, reviews of reviews of comments, resubmission for comments, reviews of resubmission for comments, and so on ad nauseum. Everyone and his dog demands that they have their two bob's worth prior to formal release.
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Possible
To By George: please don't offer sympathy for the "poor devils" - I'm all for forgiveness of mistakes (and learning lessons from them) but this is simply incredible - very basic error. I don't understand why the problem wasn't spotted on the ground, at least during T/O roll. Consequences could be disastrous - remember Birgenair in 1996.
Coming off Boeings onto the A320/330/340, I have to say that the standby speed indication on the Airbus was a nice change. The B777 didn't often have AoA displayed on the PFD, so in the same case, the only rational option was to use a differential between attitude and FPV to ascertain AoA. In around 2010 or so, that was pushed out of the available options, with Boeing recommending not to use the FPV in the case of a loss of all airspeed due to input into the display being degraded. Thereafter, you have GS and not much else other than reverting to the NNCL and the gross unreliable airspeed tables, which at least end up pointing you at planet earth but are hardly a precision system. At least with the 787 that became less of an issue, but, Airbus, your standby speed was a nice solution.
Airspeed indication failure on take-off involving Airbus A330, 9M-MTK
Preliminary report is out...
The pitot probe covers were fitted on the aircraft’s three pitot probes by one of the engineering support personnel, as it was his understanding this was normal practice. He later reported that he advised the operator’s maintenance engineer that pitot probe covers were fitted during a brief exchange discussing turnaround tasks, but that the maintenance engineer did not directly respond. The maintenance engineer later reported that he did not recall hearing the advice, and he did not make an entry in the aircraft’s technical log to record that the covers had been fitted.
The presence of the pitot covers was not detected by the operator’s maintenance engineer or captain during separate external aircraft inspections.
Covers on during push
Preliminary report is out...
The pitot probe covers were fitted on the aircraft’s three pitot probes by one of the engineering support personnel, as it was his understanding this was normal practice. He later reported that he advised the operator’s maintenance engineer that pitot probe covers were fitted during a brief exchange discussing turnaround tasks, but that the maintenance engineer did not directly respond. The maintenance engineer later reported that he did not recall hearing the advice, and he did not make an entry in the aircraft’s technical log to record that the covers had been fitted.
The presence of the pitot covers was not detected by the operator’s maintenance engineer or captain during separate external aircraft inspections.
Covers on during push
The quality of ground staff at Brisbane must truly be substandard. Not one person made any comment about the covers still being on during push back. There is not a single excuse which can be made to defend any of them.
As for the two pilots, one can only weep at their level of negligence and incompetence and wonder how on earth they managed to escape scrutiny for so long as to be able to retain positions on a flag carrier. Truly incomprehensible.
As for the two pilots, one can only weep at their level of negligence and incompetence and wonder how on earth they managed to escape scrutiny for so long as to be able to retain positions on a flag carrier. Truly incomprehensible.
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Is it possible that the pitot covers actually were removed before pushback, and then the flight developed a serious hydraulic issue after takeoff, and the pitot covers refitted later. I know it sounds incredible, but to me as an A330 pilot, it seems even more incredible that they were able to take off with the pitotcovers on.
I think you'll find he meant that they departed, developed tech issue and landed without the covers on. Then a "diligent" member of ground crew replaced the covers.
Obviously, the pic posted above of the alleged pushback would indicate that this theory is incorrect... As one can clearly see the pitot covers in place and it is clearly stated in the initial report that the covers were found on the aircraft.
More concerning is this:
What was the captain reading? The g/s figure? 
Obviously, the pic posted above of the alleged pushback would indicate that this theory is incorrect... As one can clearly see the pitot covers in place and it is clearly stated in the initial report that the covers were found on the aircraft.
More concerning is this:
2331:38: The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recorded that the captain called ‘100 knots’. The the aircraft’s recorded groundspeed at this time was 100 kt.
Data from the FDR showed that ADR1 first sensed airspeed above 30 kt at 2331:39. At rotation, the FDR recorded 38 kt airspeed from ADR1 and the airspeed from ADR3 had not yet reached 30 kt. ADR3 first sensed airspeed above 30 kt at 2331:54.
Last edited by RHSandLovingIt; 30th Aug 2018 at 22:48.
Some informed detail in todays article, may quash the theorists thinking the covers were installed on landing
Brissie times
Brissie times
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Final report has finally been released.
Looks like a long read.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...r/ao-2018-053/
Looks like a long read.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...r/ao-2018-053/
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Final report has finally been released.
Looks like a long read.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...r/ao-2018-053/
Looks like a long read.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...r/ao-2018-053/
There has been a lot of focus on the deterioration of basic flying skills but what this highlights, an incident that occurred 4 years ago, is a deterioration in the basic understanding of the fundamentals of what keeps an aircraft flying! Are there too many pilots who have accepted the mantra that flying is always safe and nothing can go wrong? Is there a lack of understanding that as pilots we are the last line of defense? Are there too many pilots that are merely passengers in a uniform? I don't know what the solution is but reversing the denigration of the job category of pilot by airlines would be a good start.
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Dumb question on my part: why is this not practical on the outside of the airplane ? If one knows the specific model of the airplane why not connect the external covers together with very bright orange colored cords? I would be happy to be corrected.
There has been a lot of focus on the deterioration of basic flying skills but what this highlights, an incident that occurred 4 years ago, is a deterioration in the basic understanding of the fundamentals of what keeps an aircraft flying! Are there too many pilots who have accepted the mantra that flying is always safe and nothing can go wrong? Is there a lack of understanding that as pilots we are the last line of defense? Are there too many pilots that are merely passengers in a uniform? I don't know what the solution is but reversing the denigration of the job category of pilot by airlines would be a good start.
Average. On the aircraft that I worked on the remove before flight tags were red 3 ft streamers that flapped in the breeze
Pretty shabby operation as I see it.
I know nothing about Airbus but the Boeings with which I am familiar have a Before Start checklist item "Gear Pins and Pitot Covers....Removed". That ought to jog your memory about whether you're SURE that you saw them removed.
I know nothing about Airbus but the Boeings with which I am familiar have a Before Start checklist item "Gear Pins and Pitot Covers....Removed". That ought to jog your memory about whether you're SURE that you saw them removed.
"At 2312 the FO called for the Before start procedure. The captain (as PM) commenced the check by stating a phrase captured on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) that sounded like ‘gear pitot covers’ but could also have been ‘gear pins and covers’. The FO immediately responded with ‘removed’."
See also p.36 which quotes QRH and FCOM procedures
Last edited by Maninthebar; 18th Mar 2022 at 15:42.
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Airbus has the same. The PM is responsible for that and it’s part of the Before Start checklist.
Lots of things went wrong and an analysis was required, but did it justify 165 pages?