NTSB Investigating Two Possible A330 Speed and Altitude Anomalies
According to a recent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) advisory, its investigators are looking into two incidents where airspeed and altitude readings in the cockpits of Airbus A-330 aircraft may have malfunctioned.
The advisory states that the first incident, on May 21, 2009, happened aboard TAM Airlines Flight 8091, from Miami, Florida, to Sao Paulo, Brazil. The flight reportedly experienced a loss of primary speed and altitude information while in cruise flight. A number of systems reportedly malfunctioned or were lost, including the Air Data Reference System, autopilot and autothrust. After switching to backup instruments, the primary data was, according to the advisory, restored in about five minutes and the plane landed safely in Sao Paulo.
The second incident being investigated happened on a Northwest Airlines Airbus A-330 traveling between Hong Kong and Tokyo on June 23, 2009. According to the advisory, the plane landed safely at its destination in Tokyo.