Ooops.

[budwieser]

<removed> due to the ridiculous sizes and fonts used.

[Hugh]

Re the A340-600

Snopes

a) the A380-800 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world (the A340-600 is the longest)
b) an Airbus engineer was in the right-hand seat, where the accident report said the control inputs where coming from
c) a "major news black-out" which has over 23000 google links (A340 etihad crash)
d) Aircraft don't normally taxi to a test site, they get towed
e) Ground Proximity Sensors are automatically disabled when the landing gear is down, otherwise landings and take-offs would be a bit noisy.
f) for finally - here is a translation of the accident report

3 people in the cockpit for the test: 2 from Airbus, one from the contractor.

Running the test, in the right seat of the cockpit, in charge of the all controls: Airbus technician, 15 yr employee, 9 yrs experience testing these engines. When he was alerted that the aircraft was moving, his only actions were to kill the parking brake while simultaneously stomping on the main brakes.

In the left seat, observing the test: contractor employee, alerted the test tech that the aircraft was moving. Has no specified role in the test other than to observe.

In the “service” seat (like the navigator’s seat, only the A340 ain’t got no navigator, I don’t believe): Airbus-employed test pilot, 9 yrs experience as a professional pilot, 7 as a test pilot, not type rated (i.e., not an A340 pilot), perhaps a manager qualified to supervise such tests. Once again, no specific role other than to observe, but in the end it was him who pulled the throttles back.

B. There were two main causes: 1) no chocks were used to hold the aircraft’s wheels in place during the test. 2) All four engines were brought to full power to test one leaky engine. Procedures required the use of chocks and running up two engines - the one leaking and one on the other wing (to prevent torquing and yawing of the fuselage). These two procedures had been frequently ignored by all Airbus technicians at the test center for some time.

Short answer: the test was done improperly, not in accordance with written procedures and standards. The fault of the Airbus technician.

[martyh]

have you tried to read it

[Paul M]

Removed due to the insane fonts used in it. If you want to post it, please make it readable.

[Hugh]

and factual.....