BEA calls off search for AF Flight 447's FDR, CVR

The French BEA said yesterday that it has abandoned the search for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the Air France A330-200 that crashed May 31 about 360 mi. off Brazil's northeast coast, killing all 228 aboard, though it has not ruled out restarting the search later this year.

Searches using sophisticated equipment including a specialized submarine "did not make it possible to locate the airplane wreckage," the accident investigation agency said. It added that it will "gather together a team of international investigators in the next few weeks to analyze the data collected with a view to [initiating a new] search phase and to determine the requirements and means to undertake this."

Even without the FDR and CVR, investigators have been able to review significant data sent by AF447. BEA previously confirmed that the doomed A330 sent 24 messages over 15 min. via its aircraft communications addressing and reporting system. That data revealed "inconsistency between the measured speeds as well as the associated consequences," leading to speculation that malfunctioning pitot probes played a role in the crash. BEA said the probes were "a factor but not the cause" of the accident (ATWOnline, July 3).

Meanwhile, Airbus told airlines that Thales pitot probes (used by the crashed aircraft) should be replaced with Goodrich models on all A330s/A340s as a "precautionary measure" (ATWOnline, Aug. 3).