UK investigators uncover flight-data issue involving Airbus jetliners

British air-crash investigators looking into an incident last year involving an EasyJet flight have documented how a bug in an electronic flight-data calculator on many Airbus jetliners could lead to take-off problems. The potential hazard and steps to eliminate it were disclosed in a report released last week by Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Pilots of an EasyJet Airbus A319 unintentionally altered some touchscreen settings on a computerised take-off calculator but failed to recognise the changes until after take-off from Belfast International last June, according to the report. Investigators determined that as a result of the data confusion, the crew set engine thrust so that the jet carrying 161 people used up all but the last roughly 650 feet of the strip before becoming airborne, a significantly smaller safety margin than normal. <br/>