The pitot-static system is fundamental for basic flight information (airspeed, altitude, VSI) and its failure, even in highly automated aircraft, can lead to catastrophic accidents. A blocked pitot ...

One pitot/static failure mode, involves a blocked pitot tube but an open drain hole. In this scenario, the airspeed indicator shows zero, since the rest of the system is open to static pressure. As ...

Ask the Editors: The Aviation Week Network invites our readers to submit questions to our editors and analysts. We’ll answer them, and if we can’t we’ll reach out to our wide network of experts for ...