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Airbus has issued a mandatory service bulletin for its entire A320neo family of aircraft, a move that effectively triggers a global recall following a critical flight control incident. The directive, which was made mandatory by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), requires airlines to replace a specific flight control computer to prevent potential loss of control in-flight.
The action was prompted by an incident on October 30 involving a JetBlue flight from Cancun to Newark. The aircraft experienced an uncommanded nosedive during a flight, forcing the pilots to disengage the autopilot and manually recover the plane. The flight diverted to Tampa, Florida, where it landed safely. Reports at the time confirmed that several passengers and crew members were evaluated by medical personnel after the sudden descent.
An investigation traced the malfunction to one of the aircraft's three Flight Control Units (FCUs). According to the service disruption report, a computer fault caused the plane to pitch downward without pilot input. The A320 family operates on a fly-by-wire system, where pilot inputs are processed by computers that then command the control surfaces. The failure of such a critical component raised immediate safety concerns, prompting a mandatory safety directive from Europe’s top aviation regulator.
The recall affects thousands of A320neo and A321neo jets, which are among the most popular single-aisle aircraft in service worldwide. Airlines have been given a strict deadline by EASA to replace the faulty component. The maintenance procedure is expected to take several hours per aircraft, and the logistics of grounding a significant portion of the global fleet are expected to cause widespread disruptions to global travel schedules. The timing is particularly challenging as it coincides with the busy holiday travel season.
Airbus has stated it is working closely with customer airlines to schedule the replacements and minimize operational impacts. The company is supplying the necessary parts and detailed instructions for the maintenance work. This proactive measure is designed to ensure the continued airworthiness of the fleet and prevent any recurrence of a similar control failure.
