Air TransportIncident involving a JetBlue A320 on October 30 may have prompted Airbus recall
An incident involving a JetBlue Airbus A320 during a flight from Cancun to Newark on October 30 may have prompted the global recall announced by the manufacturer this Friday, the 28th.
The episode involved loss of flight control and a sudden descent, leading the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida, sources from Reuters revealed.
The problem was attributed to the ELAC (Elevator and Aileron Computer) system, a vital component for the control of the aircraft’s movable surfaces. The FAA has initiated an investigation into the incident and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency is preparing an emergency directive requiring corrections on the affected aircraft.
About 340 of the 480 A320s operated by American Airlines will need software replacement, with part of the fleet also subject to hardware changes. American Airlines stated that it expects most of these corrections to be completed by this Saturday, the 29th.
Airbus reported that approximately 3,000 jets from the A320 family were in operation worldwide after the recall announcement. The problem may lead to long wait times due to the logistics involved in updating hundreds of aircraft.
The manufacturer, however, only stated that a significant portion of the global fleet will be affected by the correction.
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