Pitot-Static Blockages

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 09:13 AM ET

Verified

One pitot/static failure mode, involves a blocked pitot tube but an open drain hole. In this scenario, the airspeed indicator shows zero, since the rest of the system is open to static pressure. As the FAA’s Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25B) states, “ram air is no longer able to enter the pitot system. Air already in the system vents through the drain hole, and the remaining pressure drops to ambient (outside) air pressure. Under these circumstances...the ASI senses no difference between ram and static air pressure.”

Key Takeaways:

Pitot tubes, essential for airspeed measurement, are vulnerable to blockages (e.g., ice, covers, internal contamination) which lead to erroneous and often confusing airspeed indications.
Major incidents like Birgenair Flight 301 highlight how blocked pitot tubes, coupled with poor crew resource management, can result in fatal accidents, contrasting with successful recoveries by crews employing effective CRM.
Pitot-static system failures can present complex and contradictory symptoms—such as simultaneous high- and low-speed warnings or discrepancies between pilot/copilot instruments—making accurate diagnosis challenging.
Effective management of pitot-static issues hinges on pilots' ability to diagnose the problem amidst confusing symptoms, requiring robust training, a clear understanding of system architecture, and strong crew resource management practices.

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To sense airspeed, the vast majority of airplanes use a pitot tube. Oncoming air enters the tube and is routed to the airspeed indicator or the air/data sensor. That’s where the air’s pressure is measured and compared with ambient or static, then translated into knots or some other measurement and displayed on the instrument panel. The pitot tube itself is mounted somewhere on the airplane’s exterior. As such, it’s exposed to the elements, whether the airplane is airborne or parked.

The basic device was invented by Henri Pitot in the 1700s. In non-aviation applications, its principle of measuring pressure can be used with other fluids, not just flowing air. Like any similar system, if the pitot tube is blocked, it won’t work. And a blocked pitot tube or system poses a significant challenge for pilots of all airplanes. The best examples of what can happen and how pilots might respond comes from two well-documented events.