diff --git a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_AirDataFusion.cpp b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_AirDataFusion.cpp
index 5d31ea4824..d064bc00c0 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_AirDataFusion.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_AirDataFusion.cpp
@@ -32,9 +32,6 @@ void NavEKF3_core::FuseAirspeed()
     Vector24 H_TAS = {};
     float VtasPred;
 
-    // health is set bad until test passed
-    tasHealth = false;
-
     // copy required states to local variable names
     vn = stateStruct.velocity.x;
     ve = stateStruct.velocity.y;
@@ -129,7 +126,7 @@ void NavEKF3_core::FuseAirspeed()
         tasTestRatio = sq(innovVtas) / (sq(MAX(0.01f * (float)frontend->_tasInnovGate, 1.0f)) * varInnovVtas);
 
         // fail if the ratio is > 1, but don't fail if bad IMU data
-        tasHealth = ((tasTestRatio < 1.0f) || badIMUdata);
+        bool tasHealth = ((tasTestRatio < 1.0f) || badIMUdata);
         tasTimeout = (imuSampleTime_ms - lastTasPassTime_ms) > frontend->tasRetryTime_ms;
 
         // test the ratio before fusing data, forcing fusion if airspeed and position are timed out as we have no choice but to try and use airspeed to constrain error growth
diff --git a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_core.h b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_core.h
index eed15e9eba..33c531d325 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_core.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_NavEKF3/AP_NavEKF3_core.h
@@ -938,7 +938,6 @@ private:
     // Variables
     bool statesInitialised;         // boolean true when filter states have been initialised
     bool magHealth;                 // boolean true if magnetometer has passed innovation consistency check
-    bool tasHealth;                 // boolean true if true airspeed has passed innovation consistency check
     bool velTimeout;                // boolean true if velocity measurements have failed innovation consistency check and timed out
     bool posTimeout;                // boolean true if position measurements have failed innovation consistency check and timed out
     bool hgtTimeout;                // boolean true if height measurements have failed innovation consistency check and timed out