Has the weather changed ?

[First time Juke]

I was wondering the mishap of AF flight 447.

Plane flew in 11 000 km ( 35 000 ft ). The tropical storm reached up to 17 000 km ( 54 000 ft ).

[SCEPTER]

Re: Has the weather changed ?

This is an interesting website for weather and flt 447. From the WAP website http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/af447/

[MMPerk]

Re: Has the weather changed ?

Very interesting reading. I've talked to a couple of pilots that I know, and they are scratching their heads as well. They take this sort of thing very seriously, because like many pilots they believe there are lessons to be learned from this tragedy. I had been thinking that a lightning strike could have torn a hole in the plane...and at FL350, that could have been a catastrophic event in itself. But this report seems to shoot the lightning theory out the window. We all know what turbulence can do to an airframe. I think this guys report demonstrates that aircraft have flown through similar conditions many times without incident. But again, we all know that there is first for everything. It's vital that the 'black box' is found, and I think that we'll see the search for this 'box' intensify. Just my thoughts on this dark matter.

One thing I've neglected to ask my flying friends. If the pitot tube starts to ice over, as it does so, how with this effect the airspeed indicator? Would the aircraft register a decrease in airspeed, and therefore add more power to get the aircraft back to the preset airspeed? Or, as the pitot tube ices over, would the partial blockage cause the air to accelerate (Bernoulli's principle), and thus causing the aircraft to reduce power? Makes my brain hurt. I'm going to call and ask my pilot friends tomorrow about this, plus there's an engineer I know that may shed some light on some of this.

LP

[First time Juke]

Re: Has the weather changed ?

One thing that has merged is that there were two terrorist suspected persons on board. I also read that a finnish lady in a newspaper here tells there was practically no security control in Rio..metal detector did not give a sound for keys or anything.

This theory is backed up by the fact that there seemed to be electricity in tact but no mayday was called...or does it ?

I think the air speed pitot tube icing theory is the strongest now. They did not call mayday when hands were full of work figuring out what was wrong ?

I just read the radio signal wont necessarily be received over there.

[Skyracer]

Re: Has the weather changed ?

Very interesting reading. I've talked to a couple of pilots that I know, and they are scratching their heads as well. They take this sort of thing very seriously, because like many pilots they believe there are lessons to be learned from this tragedy. I had been thinking that a lightning strike could have torn a hole in the plane...and at FL350, that could have been a catastrophic event in itself. But this report seems to shoot the lightning theory out the window. We all know what turbulence can do to an airframe. I think this guys report demonstrates that aircraft have flown through similar conditions many times without incident. But again, we all know that there is first for everything. It's vital that the 'black box' is found, and I think that we'll see the search for this 'box' intensify. Just my thoughts on this dark matter.

One thing I've neglected to ask my flying friends. If the pitot tube starts to ice over, as it does so, how with this effect the airspeed indicator? Would the aircraft register a decrease in airspeed, and therefore add more power to get the aircraft back to the preset airspeed? Or, as the pitot tube ices over, would the partial blockage cause the air to accelerate (Bernoulli's principle), and thus causing the aircraft to reduce power? Makes my brain hurt. I'm going to call and ask my pilot friends tomorrow about this, plus there's an engineer I know that may shed some light on some of this.

LP

Airspeed indication will decrease (been there, done that). Also of note in the weather summation ire comments on A/C speed based on pilot position reports and ACARs. Speed may have been higher (.85-.88M) than expected (.80M) which could have lead to structural damage/failure in turbulance.

[First time Juke]

Re: Has the weather changed ?

Airspeed indication will decrease (been there, done that). Also of note in the weather summation ire comments on A/C speed based on pilot position reports and ACARs. Speed may have been higher (.85-.88M) than expected (.80M) which could have lead to structural damage/failure in turbulance.

Also flying too slow at 35 000 ft could cause a flat spin and structural damage in lower altitude in different kinda winds...couldn't it ?