On 10 Jan 2011, a BOEING 737 700 operated by Europe Airpost was involved in an aviation accident near Montpelier, France. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: An angle of attack sensor blockage caused a false stick-shaker activation during takeoff. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A ferry flight departing from Montpelier, France, was forced to return to the airport after an angle of attack sensor malfunction.
On January 10, 2011, at 13:30 local time, a Boeing 737-700, operating as F-GIXD, was performing a ferry flight from Montpelier, France, to Toulouse, France. During the takeoff phase, the aircraft experienced a blockage of an angle of attack (AOA) sensor. This malfunction triggered a false stick-shaker indication in the cockpit.
The crew subsequently returned the aircraft to Montpelier. The landing resulted in no injuries and no damage to the aircraft.
An angle of attack sensor blockage caused a false stick-shaker activation during takeoff.