FMT - Anti-wasp plastic covers caused Malaysia Airlines flight emergency (extracts):
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The Australian broadcaster said four plastic covers placed on vital gauges that should have been removed were mistakenly left in place and that after take-off the covers melted and blocked the pitot tubes used to calculate airspeed and altitude for the cockpit crew.
In Brisbane, the report said, there was a problem with insects, particularly wasps, that built hives inside the probes in as little as 20 minutes. Covers are fitted over the probes to stop the wasps from getting in.
The report said an Australian Transport Safety Bureau team was trying to establish who was to blame for this failure.
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KUALA LUMPUR: The emergency that forced a Malaysia Airlines flight to return to Brisbane last week was caused by pre-flight inspection failure, according to ABC News.
The Australian broadcaster said four plastic covers placed on vital gauges that should have been removed were mistakenly left in place and that after take-off the covers melted and blocked the pitot tubes used to calculate airspeed and altitude for the cockpit crew.
In Brisbane, the report said, there was a problem with insects, particularly wasps, that built hives inside the probes in as little as 20 minutes. Covers are fitted over the probes to stop the wasps from getting in.
The report said an Australian Transport Safety Bureau team was trying to establish who was to blame for this failure.
The reason given is bullshit. If the covers over the pitot head and static vents were in place, how could the pilot have taken off without any airspeed indication?
Pilots use airspeed to indicate when the aircraft should be rotated to take off, thus if the covers were NOT removed, there would be NO airspeed, so please tell me how could the pilot have taken off?
Pilots use airspeed to indicate when the aircraft should be rotated to take off, thus if the covers were NOT removed, there would be NO airspeed, so please tell me how could the pilot have taken off?
Or were there other issues?