Abnormal events such as bird strikes and hail strikes can occur at any time. When the aircraft is struck by birds or Foreign Object Debris (FOD), the correct inspection process must be followed, before the next flight, to determine if the aircraft is safe to fly.This article focuses on the effect that a bird or hail strike can have on the radome of the aircraft. It recalls the recommendations to flight and maintenance crews to ensure correct detection, reporting, and management of a bird or hail strike. It also explains why it is important to always check both the outer and inner sides of a ra ..read more

Two recent events with damage to the passenger windows of the aircraft were reported to Airbus. Similar events also happened on non-Airbus aircraft. The damage was caused by the heat of spotlights used during promotional filming sessions. One of these events could have had serious safety consequences as damage was not detected on ground, and caused some window panes to detach from the aircraft during the next flight. This article describes this event in more detail and how to prevent heat damage due to exterior lighting. It also recommends checking the condition of the aircraft before it retur ..read more

by Yannick MALINGE - SVP & Chief Aviation Safety Officer ..read more

Two cases of inappropriate V/S target during an autoflight reversion to V/S mode after a go-around were recently reported to Airbus. In both cases, the inappropriate V/S target resulted in a pitch down command of the autopilot with high thrust. The flight guidance used the previously selected V/S value set during the preceding ILS glide slope intercept from above as a V/S target for the mode reversion.This article describes one of these events in detail and explains the conditions that caused this autoflight behavior. It provides operational recommendations to flight crews to prevent and detec ..read more

Each in-service aircraft is struck by lightning at least once per year, on average. Even if the level of energy of lightning strikes is high, their effects on an aircraft are limited.This article explains the lightning phenomenon and why aircraft are prone to lightning strikes. It describes how aircraft are designed to limit the effects of a lightning strike and ensure that the safety of the flight is not impaired. It also recalls several safety precautions to take in flight and on the ground, and what must be done when an aircraft is struck by lightning ..read more

Airbus has continuously improved takeoff safety since the “TO CONFIG TEST” pushbutton was first introduced on A300 and A310 aircraft, and with the development of the Takeoff Surveillance (TOS1 & TOS2) and Takeoff Monitoring (TOM) functions.The TOS2 package that was initially developed for the A350 is now available for A320 family and A330 aircraft. This is an opportunity to review the checks that are performed by each function, from cockpit preparation to takeoff.  ..read more

Inadvertent use of the wrong cockpit control instead of the intended control is a potential situation that pilots may encounter on any aircraft type. This kind of error can occur with even the most experienced pilots and this article explores what factors can influence and lead to this type of occurrence. The resilience of the aircraft systems to cope with such an error provides effective safety barriers to prevent serious events. The aim of this article is also to raise awareness of the potential causes and effects of cockpit control confusion incidents and provide information about best prac ..read more

by Yannick MALINGE - SVP & Chief Product Safety Officer ..read more

Several in-service events were reported to Airbus where the flight crew inadvertently selected the autopilot while attempting to engage the autothrottle during the takeoff roll. Inadvertent autopilot engagement may result in early rotation that can lead to a tail strike, inability to climb, runway overrun, or even loss of control. The purpose of this article is to describe the circumstances leading to this type of event with a case study and to provide details about the procedure updates and planned product enhancements that aim to prevent recurrence ..read more

Performing similar maintenance tasks on redundant systems at the same time, or by the same person during a particular maintenance check, may lead to the repetition of a maintenance error. This creates a risk of simultaneous failure of the redundant systems when the aircraft is back into service. This article provides best practices to reduce this risk and ensure that the benefits of redundancy of systems or components on the aircraft is not compromised ..read more