http://www.pilotbug.com/?p=1624
In a speech given to the Regional Airline Association November 10th, FAA administrator Randy Babbitt spoke about the culture of professionalism, need for mentoring junior pilots and safety. Curiously, he also specifically mentioned Safety Enhancement 175.
Babbitt quotes during the speech, “To prevent loss of pitot static system flight data, airlines/maintenance should provide visible tagging any time the pitot static system … pitot tubes and static ports … are covered during maintenance or servicing, for example, washing. In addition, preflight walk-around procedures should include specific verification that pitot static ports are uncovered.”
It seems to me a curious statement to be bringing this up in a speech about safety in light of all of the other accidents and incidents that have occurred recently. As far as I know, the only related occurrence to this would be Air France flight 447, an Airbus A-330, which was lost on June 1st. Investigators have been looking into the pitot/static system as a cause of the accident. The investigation is not, I presume, focusing on whether the First Officer neglected to remove the pitot covers prior to departure.
A search of the NTSB accident/accident database in the last 10 years resulted in no findings of pitot/static related causes due to covers left on.
In a speech given to the Regional Airline Association November 10th, FAA administrator Randy Babbitt spoke about the culture of professionalism, need for mentoring junior pilots and safety. Curiously, he also specifically mentioned Safety Enhancement 175.
Babbitt quotes during the speech, “To prevent loss of pitot static system flight data, airlines/maintenance should provide visible tagging any time the pitot static system … pitot tubes and static ports … are covered during maintenance or servicing, for example, washing. In addition, preflight walk-around procedures should include specific verification that pitot static ports are uncovered.”
It seems to me a curious statement to be bringing this up in a speech about safety in light of all of the other accidents and incidents that have occurred recently. As far as I know, the only related occurrence to this would be Air France flight 447, an Airbus A-330, which was lost on June 1st. Investigators have been looking into the pitot/static system as a cause of the accident. The investigation is not, I presume, focusing on whether the First Officer neglected to remove the pitot covers prior to departure.
A search of the NTSB accident/accident database in the last 10 years resulted in no findings of pitot/static related causes due to covers left on.