Second Near-Disaster Reignites Air France 447 Debate

Bethany Whitfield

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 06:57 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

A recent Air France Airbus A340 flight from Paris to Caracas encountered severe turbulence, resulting in autopilot disengagement and a rapid climb before the crew successfully recovered.
The incident's sequence of events drew parallels to the early stages of Air France Flight 447, which crashed in 2009, reigniting debate over the causes of that fatal accident.
French investigators (BEA) are examining the A340 event, interested in the crew's response but cautioning against direct connections to AF447 due to differing circumstances, such as the absence of speed indication malfunctions.

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A second wild ride of an Air France Airbus has gained the attention of safety investigators. French media reports emerged last week about an Air France flight that recently experienced some events similar to those of Flight 447 shortly before it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, reigniting debate over what caused the fatal crash that killed 228 people more than two years ago.

The new incident took place in July on an Air France flight en route from Paris to Caracas, Venezuela, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro, which said it obtained a report of the incident.