Air France Flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic on June 1, 2009, killing all 228 passengers and crew. Cockpit recordings captured the final moments as Captain Marc Dubois and his co-pilots struggled with “faulty speed sensors.”
Blocked pitot tubes caused incorrect speed and altitude readings, disabling autopilot. The pilots, unaware of the real issue, “pulled the nose up,” triggering an aerodynamic stall. The plane plummeted over 11,500 meters in just four minutes.
A two-year search recovered the black boxes, revealing the tragic sequence of errors. Investigators found that confusion in the cockpit and lack of training contributed to the crash.
In 2023, a Paris court ruled Air France and Airbus “not guilty of manslaughter,” despite accusations of negligence. Families of the victims expressed disappointment, fearing lessons hadn’t been learned.
The disaster raised concerns about pilot training and automation reliance, highlighting the risks of human error when systems fail.
