Editorial – January 2023
by Yannick MALINGE – SVP & Chief Product Safety Officer
Safe Oxygen Servicing
Oxygen is a vital gas, but when combined with a source of heat and flammable material, it can cause a significant fire hazard. This risk increases in an oxygen-enriched environment and can even lead to an explosion. Oxygen servicing requires specific safety precautions to avoid any hazardous situations. This article explains how a fire can […]
Proper Landing Gear Servicing for Safe Operations
Proper servicing of landing gear is obviously important to ensure proper landing gear operations during takeoff and landing. It is equally important to ensure proper retraction and extension to prevent potential interference with other aircraft systems in the case of abnormal landing gear conditions. If the landing gear servicing tasks are not properly performed, issues […]
Use the Correct BARO Setting for Approach
Using an erroneous barometric reference setting during approach may cause the aircraft to fly lower than the published approach path, when the vertical guidance and trajectory deviations use the barometric reference. This can lead to a risk of controlled flight into terrain in poor visibility conditions or at night. This article explains the potential consequences […]
Take Care of Your Brakes
All Brakes are subject to wear. Some brakes may also experience oxidation which can lead to brake rupture. In the case of a brake rupture or if brakes are too worn, the aircraft braking performance is reduced. This can result in a runway overrun if the full braking capacity is required such as during a […]
Editorial – July 2022
by Yannick MALINGE – SVP & Chief Product Safety Officer
Fuel Microbiological Contamination Treatment
An aircraft fuel tank provides the perfect conditions for microbiological contamination to develop, especially when operating in hot and humid environments. Problems caused by microbiological contamination of fuel can range from inaccurate or erroneous fuel quantity readings to structural corrosion and engine fuel supply difficulties caused by clogged fuel filters. As a result, if treatment […]
Do not Wait to Apply the Engine Fire Procedure
Several recent engine fire events highlight the importance of timely application of the engine fire procedure. This article explains why flight crew must apply this procedure without delay. Decisive action when there is an engine fire alert may prevent further damage to the engine. This can help to ensure that a manageable fire situation does […]
Good Quality Hydraulic Fluid for Safe Operations
Several cases of uncommanded spoiler extension were reported to Airbus in recent years. Investigations showed that a high acidity level of the hydraulic fluid was a contributor to these events. This article recalls the importance of checking the quality of the hydraulic fluid and describes the improvements made to the AMM/MP procedure to perform hydraulic […]
Prevention of EGT Overlimit Events
A number of engine Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) overlimit events at takeoff were reported to Airbus, including dual events leading to a significant increase in flight crew workload at low altitude. This article recalls the importance of monitoring the EGT margin of each engine to detect any degradation in engine performance early, and provides recommendations […]