Airbus A320 Fly by wire corrupted by radiation in flight
13 days ago
- #Airbus A320
- #Aviation Safety
- #Flight Disruptions
- Possible grounding of Airbus A320 family aircraft worldwide due to an issue with the aileron computer (ELAC).
- Issue identified after a JetBlue A320 incident on October 30th, where the aircraft unexpectedly pitched downward without pilot input.
- National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found the uncontrolled descent likely occurred during an ELAC switch change.
- FAA had previously proposed an airworthiness directive in 2018 for software upgrades or replacements of ELAC units due to angle of attack issues.
- Airbus and Thales are working on a mandatory software update, with potential operational disruptions.
- Compliance expected to be staggered to minimize flight cancellations, but exact impact remains unclear.
- Airbus issued a statement citing intense solar radiation as a possible cause for data corruption in flight controls.
- Some older aircraft may require hardware updates in addition to software, leading to varied compliance timelines.
- Public and industry reactions include concerns over Airbus's communication and potential shifts in airline preferences.