My Aviation Week came in today. It has a full page article on the A400M crash in Spain. Aviation Week is supporting it's earlier story, the computer engine control system screwed up, and shut down three or perhaps all four engines during or shortly after takeoff. That will do it every time. You need engine power on takeoff, you are close to the ground, and any loss of altitude means a crash. Once you get up to cruising altitude, tens of thousands of feet, you have minutes before the plane hits the ground, minutes in which to get the engines back on line.
Airbus is really worried. If the software problem is bad enough, the fix might require re-certification of the software, a lengthy (months long) process that would cost like crazy. Airbus wanted to build, deliver, and get paid for, 23 new aircraft this year. At say $100 million each, that's some real money for Airbus. If they are all tied up re-certifying the engine control software, they won't get paid.
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