A power management system, comprising: a pitot tube; one or more heating elements (104a-104d) disposed in the pitot tube; one or more power switches (116, 120), wherein each power switch of the one or more power switches (116, 120) is coupled to a respective one of the one or more heating elements (104a-104d) and configured to energize or de-energize the respective one of the one or more heating elements (104a-104d) in response to a control signal; a temperature detector coupled to the pitot tube and configured to determine a temperature of the pitot tube; and a processor complex coupled to the one or more power switches (116, 120) and the temperature detector; a fault detector having an output coupled to an input of the one or more power switches (116, 120); wherein the processor complex is configured to output the control signal to energize or de-energize at least one of the one or more heating elements (104a-104d) through a respective at least one of the respective one or more power switches (116, 120) in response to at least the determined temperature of the pitot tube; wherein the fault detector is configured to generate and transmit over-ride signals to the one or more power switches (116, 120) when a fault indication is received so that the respective one or more heating elements (104a-104d) becomes or remains energized; characterized in that the fault detector is coupled to the processor complex and is configured to generate and transmit the over-ride signals to control the one or more power switches (116, 120) to energize the respective one of the one or more heating elements (104a-104d) if a processing malfunction occurs in the operation of the processor complex. a pitot tube; one or more heating elements (104a-104d) disposed in the pitot tube; one or more power switches (116, 120), wherein each power switch of the one or more power switches (116, 120) is coupled to a respective one of the one or more heating elements (104a-104d) and configured to energize or de-energize the respective one of the one or more heating elements (104a-104d) in response to a control signal; a temperature detector coupled to the pitot tube and configured to determine a temperature of the pitot tube; and a processor complex coupled to the one or more power switches (116, 120) and the temperature detector; a fault detector having an output coupled to an input of the one or more power switches (116, 120); wherein the processor complex is configured to output the control signal to energize or de-energize at least one of the one or more heating elements (104a-104d) through a respective at least one of the respective one or more power switches (116, 120) in response to at least the determined temperature of the pitot tube; wherein the fault detector is configured to generate and transmit over-ride signals to the one or more power switches (116, 120) when a fault indication is received so that the respective one or more heating elements (104a-104d) becomes or remains energized; characterized in that the fault detector is coupled to the processor complex and is configured to generate and transmit the over-ride signals to control the one or more power switches (116, 120) to energize the respective one of the one or more heating elements (104a-104d) if a processing malfunction occurs in the operation of the processor complex.