CAL Employees To Stand Trial For Concorde Crash

[strfyr51]

There was a simple solution that would have prevented all those deaths. On Concorde, if a tire blows on takeoff it can damage a small strip of metal that sits behind the tire. That piece of metal can rip a hole in Concorde's fuel tank causing catastrophic damage. This was a known concern. The recommendation was to tether the piece to the landing gear, so if damaged during a tire failure the piece would remain attached to the gear. BA voluntarily modified every one of their fleet. Air France did not due to cost and the fact that it was only a recommendation and not required.

Even if a part from the CO DC10 caused the tire failure, so could many other things. Tire failures are not THAT uncommon. So AF was a disaster waiting to happen. If not that day, then on some other day. It was a matter of time. Blaming the CO employee is the French finding a scapegoat. Pure and simple.

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If EVERYTHING was as the French Claimed?? Then WHY was a NEW tire design imnplemented that Exceeded the 225 MPH speed rating Directly after the crash?? And WHY were the lower wings recommended reskinned IMMEDIATELY following the crashwhich subsequently LED to the airplane being RETIRED?? It's because they KNEW they HAD skated, and had BEEN skating too close to the "EDGE of DISASTER". That the airplane Had to be retired was indicative of that it was BUILT to flimsily in the first place. As the "French Designed" AIRBUS SERIES of airplanes is built flimsily. In as much as the A320 has Primary Structure Cargo FLOOR made of something near Balsa Wood and to keep it from damage United has installed Stainless steel floor skid plates to protect the floor. Something the 737 series has NEVER had to do.
That Trait and the Overwrought systems designs (like the avionics cooling and the Landing gear control Interface unit) has been the Hallmark of french designs. because they LACK the robustness of Boeing airplanes always concentrating on light Weight. (with all those darn computers they NEED light weight to account for all that TONNAGE in the FWD and MID Avionics Bays) I work with the Airbus A320 series DAILY as a Maintenence Controller and spent the Previous 9 years Primarily with the B737's until United parked them. (all too soon I might add) I can look at the architecture of systems , and operation and tell one thing PLAINLY. The A320 is not much more than a "Cheap copy" of a "REAL Workhorse" that's the B737's Breed and Lineage. And for MY MONEY?? It'll ALWAYS be Boeing! And, that goes right up the Airbus Product Line which INCLUDES the A380! Another "MeTOO" airplane!! I make Plenty of money working the A320/A319's and I damn sure put in a LOT of work when I'm on shift. Most of it because of what I consider Poor system design because the A320/319 series has little to NO damage tolerance. Something the US AirForce might do WELL to keep in mind befire they get Buffalowed by John McCain in to buying that KC-45 Deathtrap. Because I can SURELY tell you THIS in all Honesty. If they take that aitplane over ANY boeing model?? They'll BE sorry with a availability rate less than 75% at the Outset and LESS down the road. Airbus's Engineering is SLOWat BEST in solving problems and Just like the French?? NOTHING is EVER their FAULT!