Training Pilots for Resilience
Resilience training is not a new concept in aviation. It was introduced in mandatory Crew Resource Management (CRM) training for pilots a few years ago. Resilience is built on a pilot’s confidence and competencies. But what if they did not fly for many weeks or months? With many aircraft returning to service following the massive […]
Safe Handling of TCAS Alerts
TCAS RAs are not correctly followed in more than 40% of cases according to a recent study published by Eurocontrol, making non-compliance with TCAS RAs one of the top 5 Air Traffic Management (ATM) operational and safety risks. This article explains how the TCAS Alert Prevention (TCAP) and AP/FD TCAS functions can improve the situation […]
System Reset: Use With Caution
A system reset is not always the quick fix that it may seem. Performing an inappropriate manual system reset in flight can seriously impair the safety of the flight. Multiple system resets on the ground without performing the necessary troubleshooting actions can also have serious consequences. This article addresses when system resets are applicable and […]
Ensuring a Correct Aircraft Technical Configuration
Flying on an aircraft with an incorrect aircraft technical configuration can cause unexpected system behaviors that could lead to an accident or a serious incident. This can occur when an aircraft is dispatched with a computer standard that is not authorized to be installed on that aircraft. Incorrect technical configuration or documentation can also create […]
Editorial – A Tribute to Bernard Ziegler
by Yannick MALINGE – SVP & Chief Product Safety Officer
Take Care of the Wheel Tie Bolts
A significant number of missing wheel tie bolts have been reported to Airbus over the last 5 years. A few of these reports have described significant damage to the wheel or brakes. Carefully checking the condition of the wheel tie bolts during aircraft walkarounds can allow detection of missing or damaged bolts and help to […]
News: A Statistical Analysis of Commercial Aviation Accidents 1958-2020
The latest Statistical Analysis of Commercial Aviation Accidents is available and updated with 2020 figures. In a year that saw half the number of flights of the previous year, there were still three fatal accidents and six hull losses. The industry fatal accident and hull loss rates are steadily decreasing over time, but this trend […]
Unreliable Airspeed at Takeoff
Since the beginning of 2020, Airbus has received an increasing number of reports of unreliable airspeed events at takeoff due to Pitot probe obstruction. Despite the existing prevention means and the preflight exterior walkaround, takeoffs with obstructed air data probes may happen. This article highlights why it is so important for pilots to actively monitor […]
Editorial – January 2021
by Yannick MALINGE – SVP & Chief Product Safety Officer
A Focus on the Takeoff Rotation
An appropriate takeoff rotation maneuver is a balance between good takeoff performance and sufficient margin versus tail strike, stall speed, and minimum control speeds. Applying the 3°/s rotation rate requested in the SOPs is the key to ensure that the aircraft meets the expected takeoff performance. Flight data monitoring shows that the rotation rate values […]