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 A340 flight from Paris to Caracas experienced severe turbulence, leading to autopilot disengagement and a rapid climb, drawing parallels to the initial moments of the fatal Flight 447.
The A340 pilots made initial nose-up inputs but successfully corrected the aircraft's deviation and completed the flight without further incident.
French investigators (BEA) are probing the incident, noting differences from AF447 (e.g., speed indication issues) but interested in potential similarities in the pilots' responses.
The incident has reignited debate about the causes of Air France 447, which include discussions about pilot stall recognition and Airbus flight control system design.

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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.