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 , wherein each power switch of the one or more power switches 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 and the temperature detector ; a fault detector having an output coupled to an input of the one or more power switches ; 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 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 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 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 , wherein each power switch of the one or more power switches 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 and the temperature detector ; a fault detector having an output coupled to an input of the one or more power switches ; 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 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 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 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 . <EOS>