Accidents

A400M Torque Calibration Parameters

A software update apparently wiped the engine torque control parameters. Aircraft crash; four fatalities.

On 9 May 2015, just minutes into a routine, pre-delivery test flight an Airbus A400M military plane crashed  in Spain, killing four of the six crew. Three of the four engines had become stuck at high power and  initially did not respond to the crew’s attempts to control the power setting in the normal way. Pilots  then succeeded in reducing power only after selecting the thrust levers to idle. The engines subsequently  remained stuck in this mode. In an attempt to return to the airport, the aircraft struck power lines and  crashed.

Although not confirmed, reports suggest the torque calibration parameters for the engines were wiped  during a software installation. The torque calibration data is needed to measure and interpret information  coming back from the A400M’s engines, and is crucial for the Electronic Control Units (ECUs) that control  the aircraft’s power systems.

This accident highlights the importance of the completeness Data Property, specifically with respect to the  torque calibration parameters.

Links 

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33078767
  (accessed 29 November 2017).
• http://www.reuters.com/article/us-airbus-a400m-idUSKBN0OP2AS20150609
  (accessed 29 November 2017).