What Really Happened Aboard Air France 447

[Sasquatch]

Intense read. I felt like I was right there with them .... glad I wasn't.

While I can understand poor decision-making in times of duress, I wasn't quite clear on why this crew didn't have the accurate weather information that allowed other planes in the area to avoid the storm?

 

[joseephuss]

Intense read. I felt like I was right there with them .... glad I wasn't.

While I can understand poor decision-making in times of duress, I wasn't quite clear on why this crew didn't have the accurate weather information that allowed other planes in the area to avoid the storm?

It sounded as if they did have accurate weather information. They just weren't using the equipment correctly.

02:07:00 (Bonin) On est apparemment à la limite de la couche, ça devrait aller.
We seem to be at the end of the cloud layer, it might be okay.

In the meantime Robert has been examining the radar system and has found that it has not been set up in the correct mode. Changing the settings, he scrutinizes the radar map and realizes that they are headed directly toward an area of intense activity.

 

[Sasquatch]

It sounded as if they did have accurate weather information. They just weren't using the equipment correctly.

Earlier in the article it states that the pilots did not "study the pattern of storms" but this quote confused me. What does it mean for the radar system to not be set up in the correct mode? And what is the result of that?

 

[joseephuss]

Earlier in the article it states that the pilots did not "study the pattern of storms" but this quote confused me. What does it mean for the radar system to not be set up in the correct mode? And what is the result of that?

I am not sure what different modes their radar equipment provided. Perhaps a difference in long range and short range. Maybe something else that could have given them a different perspective on the weather. Infrared, maybe?

That statement about them not studying the storms shows that they did have accurate weather information, but for some reason they never made use of it or chose to ignore it. That falls under pilot/crew error like most of what happened on that flight.

 

[Sasquatch]

I am not sure what different modes their radar equipment provided. Perhaps a difference in long range and short range. Maybe something else that could have given them a different perspective on the weather. Infrared, maybe?

That statement about them not studying the storms shows that they did have accurate weather information, but for some reason they never made use of it or chose to ignore it. That falls under pilot/crew error like most of what happened on that flight.

That's the sense I got until I read this which I thought might indicate that their radar wasn't giving them an accurate picture of the weather system they were flying into. Hence, the confusion.

Thanks for trying to sort it out.

Sad story anyway you slice it.

 

[Cythim]

That's the sense I got until I read this which I thought might indicate that their radar wasn't giving them an accurate picture of the weather system they were flying into. Hence, the confusion.

Thanks for trying to sort it out.

Sad story anyway you slice it.

They could have been looking at the wrong altitude as well. They may not have adjusted their radar to the lower altitude so it looked like they were supposed to fly above the worst part of the storm instead of through it. Severe weather is something you deal with on the ground when going through the pre-flight routine.