BERLIN (AP) Airbus is downplaying a European Aviation Safety Agency safety warning, saying the problem is "very limited." The agency is urging airlines to test an air speed sensor made by Goodrich for Airbus A330 and A340 jets. Experts have suggested a version of the sensor that was made by Thales may have played a role in the Air France crash in June that killed 228 people.

The emergency directive warns that malfunctions have been reported in the Goodrich devices. Modern jet airliners carry at least three of the pitot tubes, which are susceptible to blockage from water and icing. The European agency says there's a risk an in-flight air leak could cause incorrect pressure and airspeed readings.

Airbus says there's a "limited batch of Goodrich pitot tubes which had a quality issue." And the company says it can track the faulty tubes through serial numbers.

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