I remember reading the article (Popular Mechanics, I believe) last December and it really highlighted how no system is idiot-proof.

And while I shudder the thought (since I have friends and relatives who fly with AF rather frequently) I sometimes wonder whether it's coincidence that they have experienced the first hull loss during regular commercial service* of three different airliner types, two of which were fatal (447 out of GIG, the 340 which broke up at YYZ and the Concorde that crashed on takeoff from CDG). Not sure whether any other airline has that same characteristic...



*Excluding acts of terrorism