- GE, Comcast Complete Deal Over NBC Universal: Source
- US May Raise Rates Before Jobs Recover: Fed's Plosser
- Stocks Likely Don't Need Santa to Keep Rally Going
- Ford, GM, Toyota US Sales Up, But Chrysler Falls
- Larry Kudlow's Open Letter to Tiger Woods
- AIG Slashes US Debt Under Deal With New York Fed
- Commercial Property Fears Are Overblown: Zell, LeFrak
- Trump: Time to Force Banks to Start Lending
- Seamstress Fined $5.7 Million for Insider Trading
- Glance: Staples 3rd-quarter earnings
- Binion’s closing Vegas hotel; casino remains
- Admiral: Sea too large to stop all pirate attacks
- Yogis not feeling so Zen about new regulations
- Developing countries present climate proposal
- Xerox to offer senior unsecured notes
- NuVasive slides on XLIF reimbursement concerns
- Va. instructors: Yoga regulations unconstitutional
- Weak economy puts new spotlight on medical pricing
Text Size 
WASHINGTON - U.S. safety officials said Thursday they are investigating two incidents in which airspeed and altitude indications in the cockpits of Airbus A330 planes may have malfunctioned.
The aircraft are the same type as the Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean just off Brazil on May 31 after sending out low airspeed messages, killing all 228 aboard.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement that the first incident occurred May 21, when TAM Airlines Flight 8091 flying from Miami to Sao Paulo, Brazil, experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while cruising.
Initial reports indicate that the flight crew noted an abrupt drop in the outside air temperature reading, followed by disconnection of the autopilot and autothrust, along with the loss of speed and altitude information, the board said. The flight crew used backup instruments, and airspeed and altitude data were restored in about 5 minutes, the board said.
The board only recently became aware of the incident, but it confirmed the event through the Brazilian government.
Information on the second incident is more sketchy, but it involves a Northwest Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo on Tuesday, the board said.
 | Slide show |
 | Awful airlines An editorial cartoon roundup by Daryl Cagle depicting the trials and tribulations of air travel. more photos |
In both cases the planes landed safely, and no one was injured, the board said.
Air France Flight 447 came down in the Atlantic after running into thunderstorms en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The Brazilian military has led the search and recovery efforts for bodies and debris, while the French are in charge of investigating the crash and the hunt for the flight recorders, or black boxes.
The cause of the crash is unclear.
Print
Email
- Goldman Sachs has forbidden employees from gathering in private holiday parties of 12 or more.
- A conservative author aims to remind readers why capitalism works for the common good.
- Do you have what it takes to run your own business? Ask yourself these questions.
- Heavily armed pirates in Somalia have set up a sort of stock exhange to fund their hijackings.
- A recent issue of ESPN Magazine was one of its top sellers ever, and it only took scantily clad athletes to make it happen.
- A famed author has written all his work on an old typewriter that is now up for auction. The NYT reports.
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes