Airbus A350 Software Bug Has EASA on Alert

According to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), a software problem could lead to loss of elevator control for certain Airbus A350 aircraft.

 

The directive issued on May 5 by EASA warns operators of Airbus A350-900 and -1000 aircraft to change their applicable AFM (aircraft flight manual) and Minimum Equipment List due to a software problem that could lead to loss of elevator control.

"An occurrence was reported in which PRIMary flight control computers (PRIMs) indicated that both elevator actuators were found to be defective." EASA also states that further investigations revealed that incorrect instructions were implemented with the introduction of the " PRIM P13standard", which is part of the X13 Flight Control and Guidance System (FCGS) standard.

 

Since the effective date for resolving the problem was immediately set for the following days, EASA has also demanded that operators change their applicable AFM, which is subject to a temporary update and revision. The EASA directive also states that they must "inform all flight crews and thereafter operate the aircraft accordingly". Affected operators must also amend the Airbus A350 Minimum Master Equipment List (MMEL) accordingly. This directive is considered to be an interim action, which means that other actions may take place in the coming days.

 

Interestingly, this is not the first software bug related to the Airbus A350. In July 2019, some models of the A350-900 presented an aviation problem, which could be corrected through a software update, or even by turning the aircraft off and on at least once every 149 hours. Carrying out this rudimentary action would have prevented "partial or total loss of some aviation systems or functions".