Faulty speed readings might have led to An-148 crash

Russian investigators have reached a preliminary determination that ice buildup in the pitot tubes led to a difference in speed reading between the primary and standby air parameter modules in the Saratov Airlines Antonov An-148 that crashed Feb 11 outside Moscow, killing 65 passengers and six crewmembers. Following retrieval of both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, Russia’s International Aviation Committee determined a “dangerous situation” began to unfold two and a half minutes after liftoff. The committee said a malfunction of the pitot tubes’ heating system or failure by the crew to turn on the device caused the ice buildup, thereby feeding the wrong speed reading to the aircraft’s digital flight control system. <br/>