Inquiry reveals blunders behind 777F's 100t weight error

Investigators have disclosed that a 100t weight error led the tail-strike protection mechanism to activate on an Air France Boeing 777F, spurring the crew to command full take-off thrust. Take-off parameters for the aircraft had been calculated using a weight of 243t rather than the actual figure of 343t, says French investigation authority BEA in its findings from the May 22, 2015 incident. This gross error meant the calculated rotation speed of 152kt, with flap position 5, was far below the 175kt and flap 15 required. Five seconds after the 777F rotated at 154kt from the runway at Paris Charles de Gaulle, its tail-strike protection system activated. The system used its maximum authority to stabilise the aircraft’s pitch at 9°. <br/>