Ouch!

By Thomas Lifson

We all make mistakes, but some mistakes are bigger than others. And some end up costing nine figures, like this mistake: (via Sky News)

An Airbus pilot has written off a brand new jet after slamming it into a wall during engine tests.

He was powering the four-engined A340-600 aircraft up to full throttle whilst applying its brakes at the Airbus base near Toulouse in France when the incident occurred.

Five people were injured, and as of this posting, three remain in the hospital, according to an Airbus press release. The aircraft will be scrapped.

It is unclear whether pilot error or some mechanical malfunction is at fault.

The A340-600 is, to my mind, one of the most beautiful commercial airliners ever built. It is a stretch version of the long range A340 family of airliners, and typically carries just under 400 passengers when full, almost into 747 territory.

Photo by Joe Jones, courtesy of Wikimedia

The A340 family has been selling very badly of late, because the four engines it uses make it less fuel efficient than the very similar A330 twin engine version that is built on the same assembly line.

I wonder of Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier whose airliner was undergoing the tests, will want to replacement A340-600, or if it will convert the order to a more fuel-efficient model?

Hat tip: Nathan V. Bell