Thunderstorm season is in full swing nationwide and around the globe. Nothing could strike more fear in an experienced pilot than accidentally straying into a monster storm.
Yet every year we see news stories about airliners that have their noses punched in by hail or cockpit window layers shattered and cracked. In June 2009, Air France Flight 447, an A330, was destroyed during severe storms over the Atlantic after stalling and plummeting to the ocean. Faulty pitot units and inexperienced relief pilots at the controls were also considered factors in the incident, according to French civil aviation safety investigators.
