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5/31/11

Experts call for better pilot training amid Air France crash results - by Adam Dunning

After the release of preliminary data regarding the ill-fated Air France flight 447, aviation experts have said that lives could be saved with better pilot training. The recently recovered flight data recorders from the Airbus A330 show that the pilots of the jet had the opportunity to recover it from a three-minute plunge into the Atlantic but instead their reactions only exacerbated the issue, French investigators have said.

The new data shows that the two French pilots made several mistakes during the events on the 1st of June 2009. Among them, the jet entered an aerodynamic stall, which is not related to mechanical problems in any way, and instead of pitching the plane’s nose downward to recover, they did the opposite for the entire three minutes of the plunge.

Now experts say such incidents have been repeated in aviation accidents worldwide and are calling for better preparation for pilots. Flight 447 crashed shortly after departing Rio de Janeiro in June of 2009, killing all 228 people on board and is the most recent example of the trend.

Former pilot Jon Cox wrote on behalf of the British Royal Aeronautical Society that if it were a technical problem that all parties would insist the problem is fixed. Meanwhile, he added that he and others have been saying for years that its thorough pilot training that is actually what is needed and can produce prepared pilots that are not confused and startled by problems that arise during a flight.

For more: Experts call for better pilot training amid Air France crash results | Travel News

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