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Probe: Airline didn't replace instruments on 447

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-06-06 22:02

PARIS -- The agency investigating the crash of Flight 447 says Air France had not replaced instruments that measure air speed on the plane, which the manufacturer had recommended.

Related readings:  Investigators ponder what happened to Air France  4 travelers missed doomed Air France Flight 447  Air France: No hope of survivors in Atlantic  Ocean search for Air France jet with 228 aboard continues  Air France flight missing with 228 aboard

Agency head Paul-Louis Arslanian says some problems had been detected with the instruments on the Airbus A330, the model that disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean on May 31.

Arslanian says Airbus had recommended that airlines replace the instruments on the A330. The head of the crash investigation says Air France had not changed the instruments known as Pitot tubes on the plane that crashed.

Arslanian warned on Saturday against jumping to conclusions.

He says planes can be flown safely "with damaged systems."

An Air France memo Friday said it is replacing Pitot tubes on all medium- and long-haul Airbus jets.