Cause still uncertain in deadly crash

Experts are still undecided as to what exactly caused the deadly crash which killed more than 200 people in Sao Paulo Brazil last week.

While some believe the problem was with the braking system on the plane, it was recently discovered that theA320 airliner did not have thrust reversers which worked.

Representatives from the plane manufacturer Airbus recently stated that planes like the one which crashed can function for up to ten days with a broken thrust reverser.

From the company’s headquarters, a spokesperson for the airline said: “The A320 Master Minimum Equipment List approved by the certification authorities stipulates that the aircraft can fly for up to 10 days with a thrust reverser inoperative.”

A thrust reverser is designed to compliment the brakes and assist them in halting the airplane but it is not the plane’s primary braking mechanism. As such they do not need to be functional in order for the plane to fly, as was the case with the plane in Sao Paulo.

“Thrust reversers are considered to be nice to have but are not essential kit,” said David Learmount, Operations and Safety Editor at Flight International magazine.

Which is not to say that they wouldn’t have been able to prevent the crash and its magnitude. “It is a different issue as to whether it was wise in the conditions that prevailed at the time,” added Learmount.

Aviation consultant Pierre Condon said that there were several factors to consider in the crash including the speed of landing, the wetness on the runway, the bad weather, the short runway, the touchdown point and other technical problems which may not have come to light yet.

“No one is perfect and no pilot lands perfectly, but there are margins that you get from the runway length and thrust reversers,” Condon said. “But the pilot had no margin because the runway is not long and there was a missing thrust reverser.”