And absolute blind faith in the establishment isn't a sign of staggering naivety ?

Yes, of course there are conspiracy nutters out there who will not believe any amount of evidence. Likewise, there are naive nutters who gullibly accept, without question, what the establishment tells them. In my opinion there is a significantly greater proportion of the latter.

My point was that people are all too happy to label anyone who questions the official line as conspiracy 'nutters', but the bottom line is that the debacle surrounding the FDR from the Habsheim crash (and the subsequent shameful scapegoating of Cpt Asseline) shows to all that where big bucks are at stake, anything is possible.

Of course, it is already understood that no degree of evidence will silence the naivity nutters.

You'll have to do better than coughing "Habsheim" if you'd like your questions to be taken seriously. All I get from this thread are musings about supposed "hints" in official press releases and speculation about an "open" box, which is ridiculous because 1) it's not split open and 2) this "box" doesn't contain the memory module.

Originally Posted by anengineer...

"(and the subsequent shameful scapegoating of Cpt Asseline)"

Regardless of any conspiracy if any and whether it was in the A320 accident in Habsheim or this newer accident involving the A330 lying at the bottom of the Atlantic, Cpt Asseline deserves to be hung in public and his licence removed permanently because any pilot that decides to take a fully loaded airliner down to 30 feet above ground in a slow speed/high alpha pass regardless of aircraft technology as a few screws missing.

Used to be the "done thing" in the "good old days", but with pax on board ? ? think that was the hanging offence IMHO.

New findings APU
 

Habsheim
 

Arseline, aka "Rambo" in AFR, demonstrated an exceptional lack of professionalism taking handicapped pax to their death in those trees.
He will have to live with that for the rest of his days. Hanging is too kind.

Cpt Asseline has always said it was 30M indicated (or he believed it to be). He has never said that he deliberately took the aircraft down to 30 feet. Either you have more information on this aspect than the French courts or you are assuming he's just a liar. Are you suggesting that the entire accident can be laid squarely, and completely, at Asseline's feet ?

anengineer, from another engineer....
I would think there is probably a thread on PPRuNe still, about Arseline's imbecility. I don't think it's relevant to the AF447 crash yet, since we simply don't know the "Probable Cause" of the AF447 crash.

I would suggest we leave Habsheim out of this discussion, or start a separate new thread on the subject.

CJ

Captain Asseline also reported that the engines didn't respond to his throttle input as he attempted to increase power. In the month prior to the accident, Airbus had posted two Operational Engineering Bulletins (OEBs) indicating anomalous behavior in the A320 aircraft. These bulletins were received by Air France, but were not sent out to pilots until after the accident.

OEB 19/1: Engine Acceleration Deficiency at Low Altitude
This OEB noted that the engines may not respond to throttle input at low altitude.
OEB 06/2: Baro-Setting Cross Check
This OEB stated that the barometric altitude indication on the A320 did not always function properly.
These malfunctions could have caused both the lack of power when the throttle was increased, and the inability of the crew to recognize the sharp sink rate as the plane passed 100 feet into the trees.

Flight recorders: In May of 1998, the Lausanne Institute of Police Forensic Evidence and Criminology (IPSC) determined that the recorders presented to the Court were not the ones taken from the aircraft after the accident.[3]

^^^^^ The salient fact is, HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE LACK OF RESPONSE.

Had he been a Ppruner, I'm damned sure he would have alerted fellow aviators of his "brown trouser moment" Irrespective of any documentation going through official channels.

I'm also damned sure he'd have discussed it with other AF drivers.

The man's personal ethics is another ball of wax altogether and as Christiaanj said, start a new thread if you feel the need, :uhoh:


The fact that the discovery of some wreckage is in the public domain, indicates that it's likely interested parties consider a cover-up to be pretty futile.

http://www.bea.aero/fr/enquetes/vol....r2.reduite.jpg

http://www.bea.aero/fr/enquetes/vol....r2.reduite.jpg

Let's hope it's as intact inside as it appears on the outside.

GB

Wow ! They must be over the moon after searching for so long. Congratulations to all involved. It certainly looks in decent nick. Fingers crossed.

Not so fast
 

My understanding is that this is just the casing, and the memory module is still missing.

No, that is the memory module. The case was found earlier in the week.

FDR Located
 

The press release confirms that it is the memory unit.

Information, 1 May 2011

Good news!

Underside image:
http://www.bea.aero/fr/enquetes/vol....r1.reduite.jpg

More info here: Information, 1 May 2011

(sorry - duplicating Greybeard's link there !)

And the conspiracy theorists suddenly go silent. But for how long? :hmm:

Until the investigation finding is issued. Then there will be calls of foul play and cover up!

Oh do shut up ! How can the 'conspiracy theorists suddenly go silent' ?? Greybeard only posted the news less than 40 minutes ago FFS ! :rolleyes:

Hats off to the search party.
It pays to be persevere. I hope they will find Flash-memory still intact and that we will learn something from this sad accident.