Airbus announced that the latest analysis of an aircraft from the A320 family revealed its presence A problem caused by intense solar radiationAffecting a “large number” of aircraft.
As a result, the European manufacturer has asked A320 operators to do so Take a series of “immediate” measures.,By sending alert to operators (AOT).
Measures to be taken include installing “software and/or hardware” protection depending on the model; As a result, the company realized this Passengers may be affected by the need to interrupt the operation of the A320 fleet.
Specifically, the damaged aircraft are Airbus A318, A319, A320, A321which will receive a global software update; All operators flying these aircraft around the world will have to take these emergency measures. Currently, approximately 3,000 A320 family aircraft fly daily, according to FlightRadar24 data.
The A320 issue was discovered after analyzing a “recent event” involving a family aircraft It was caused by “intense solar radiation”; The company did not provide further details about the accident or its consequences during the flight.
The analysis revealed that solar radiation can corrupt critical flight data, specifically, It particularly affects the normal operation of flight control devices; That’s why the company decided to issue this special alert. This alert will in turn be reflected in the Emergency Airworthiness Directive issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
A JetBlue Airbus A320 like the one involved in the accident was caused by solar radiation
Omicrono
Although Airbus did not clarify the flight that sparked the investigation, this announcement comes after a JetBlue A320 flight between Cancun and Newark on October 30. Suddenly experiencing a “severe decline.”; In response, the pilots requested an emergency landing in Tampa.
Although several passengers were transported to a nearby hospital, no injuries were ultimately reported due to the accident. A subsequent investigation revealed that a malfunction in the elevator aileron computers, known as ELAC 2, It caused a nose-down movement without a command from the pilots While the autopilot was still engaged.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) classified the event as a “flight control problem” and continued to investigate; This has now led to Airbus proposing to modernize the ELAC software across the entire A320 fleet.
The effect of solar radiation on electronic components is well known, but it did not become a real problem for industry until recently, especially after recent solar storms that crossed the Earth and left the northern lights in places like Spain.
Experts warn against this A future solar storm could cause widespread power outages around the world.This can be especially dangerous in aircraft control electronics and other electronic components.