Airbus pilots all over the world have been warned how to react if they suddenly lose data from the angle-of-attack sensors on the aircraft and confuse its fly-by-wire system. EASA and the FAA both issued emergency ADs last week ordering flight manuals for single-aisle Airbuses to be updated. It came two weeks after a similar order for wide-body Airbuses. The root cause of the issue appears to be a cone-shaped mount that Airbus thought would offer better ice protection for the angle-of-attack sensor -- but the opposite turned out to be true.
Airbus alerted the authorities and began telling operators of more than 700 aircraft about potential problems when three angle-of-attack sensors on an A330 iced up and caused the fly-by-wire system to push the aircraft into an uncommanded dive a couple of weeks ago. A new AD dealing with the mounting plate no longer mandates installation of the cone-shaped plate. Unmodified aircraft continue to fly but pilots have been briefed on how to regain manual control of the aircraft if the earth suddenly fills the windscreen.
Email this article
