Airbus Advises Airlines to Replace Pitot Tubes

According to a story in the New York Times , Airbus is recommending to all operators of its Airbus A330 and A340 wide-body planes replace the pitot tubes made by Thales with those from Goodrich . The move comes in anticipation of a safety directive from the European Air Safety Agency in the wake of the Air France flight 447 crash . Pitot tubes on Airbus 320 models were recommended to be replaced two years ago, the Times says.

Airbus and  EASA say that this is a precautionary measure since the exact cause of the crash of Air France Flight 447 , while suspected to involve pitot tubes, is not yet proven.

Moisture problems with pitot tubes led to a crash of a US Air Force B-2 bomber on take-off at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam in 2008, and a near crash there the year before.

In other Air France 447-related news, Airbus indicated that it is willing to fund an extended search for the crash's flight data recorder and wreckage, the New York Times says .

According to the Times,

"Investigators this month abandoned the audio search for the flight recorders’ 'pingers,' which are designed to emit a signal for 30 to 40 days, but they have continued to hunt using diving equipment and sonar scanners towed by a French frigate. Those efforts are due to go on until Aug. 22."

The Airbus offer will help extend the search if nothing is found by the 22nd of August.