Blocked Pitot Tubes Results in International Crash Lawsuit
Case Title: Jacomo dos Santos Elias v. Air France, Thales Group and Airbus
On May 31, 2009, an Airbus A330 flight AF 447 flying for Air France took off from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, bound for Charles-de-Gaulle Airport in Paris. About two hours into the flight, the plane stalled and crashed into the ocean. All 228 people on board were killed. The accident was determined to be due to blocked pitot tubes, which help calculate airspeed. As these tubes malfunctioned, the co-pilots took over flying from autopilot and made a series of mistakes resulting in stall warnings. The captain, who had been resting, tried to recover, but the plane hit the ocean belly first and was completely destroyed. Only 154 bodies were recovered from the rescue operation, which took over two years. Slack Davis Sanger represented the family of a Brazilian psychologist who died on the flight.
Ladd Sanger is an attorney and a licensed pilot who focuses on aviation accidents, including product liability, product litigation, and representing clients who have been injured as a result of aviation accidents. His experience as a pilot helps him understand the technical aspects of aviation crashes.
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