Airbus A320 safety questioned after cockpit suffers complete power failure
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The safety of certain Airbus A320 planes is being brought into question after more than 50 cases of multiple electronic failure came to light in a report revealed by the Associated Press.
One incident involved a flight carrying 107 people which ran into serious problems over New York City's crowded airspace when the cockpit suffered a complete power failure.
United Flight 731 was climbing out of Newark airport when the pilot and first officer found that their display navigational information screens were blank and their radios dead.
They had no way of detecting other planes around them or communicating with air traffic control.
First officer Douglas Cochran and the plane's captain managed to turn around and land safely - but he believes it was only the clear weather that saved them from crashing.
"I made a comment to the captain about steering clear of New York City, not wanting to get shot down by USAF fighters," said Cochran, speaking to the Associated Press.
Records reviewed by the news service have found more than 50 episodes involving multiple electrical failure on Airbus A320s, which went into service more than 20 years ago.
But could be another few years before the twin-engine jets used around the world are modified to correct the problem. The Federal Aviation Administration issued an order in 2010 giving US airlines four years to make the fixes, and its European counterpart did the same thing in 2009.
But aviation safety consultant Douglas Moss, who has been a pilot for 34 years, said the FAA should have acted a lot quicker.
"These things cost money and the industry is in bad shape, so you have the economics thrown into it. But if the end result is higher airfares and higher cost of transportation, then that is the price we have to pay to ensure a safe transport system."
Revealed! The worst airlines in the world
- No 9 Egyptair<p> These less-than-glowing reviews on <a href="http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/iberia.htm" target="_blank">AirlineQuality.com</a> say it all: ‘…nothing could be as bad as EgyptAir. Dirty aircraft with disinterested crew. The toilets were filthy, food looked like leftovers from other airlines. The seating is exceptionally cramped and uncomfortable’ and ‘I find the staff on EgyptAir lazy and unprofessional.’ And apparently the seats aren’t cheap either!</p>
- No 8 Air China<p> Old planes and unexplained flight delays were among the common complaints about this Chinese airline. Customers alternately complained that flight attendants don’t speak English (although some praising the communication skills). Other comments included criticism of the poor quality of the food and service.</p>
- No 7 China Eastern Airlines<p> Oh dear, customers are not happy with their experience of this airline or its website. Shabby planes, flights being delayed, rescheduled or rerouted without notice or explanation. And the airline got the lowest score for its food. Altogether a big thumbs down from reviewers.</p>
- No 6 China Southern Airlines<p> Chinese air travel isn’t coming off well according to Zagat findings. Customer comments on <a href="http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/c_sthrn.htm" target="_blank">AirQuality.com</a> on this airline’s service included: ‘…poor food, warm drinks, inadequate English language skills of crew (including nonsensical inflight announcements), non-reclining seats… All in all, quite an unpleasant series of flights’ and ‘Be careful to check and re-check your booking, as flight times can (and did) change without notice. You can miss your flight very easily.’</p>
- No 5 US Airways<p> Described by one reviewer as ‘the airline from hell’, you’d be forgiven for giving it a wide berth unless it ups its game considerably! <a href="http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/c_sthrn.htm" target="_blank">Reviews </a>included: ‘First, the airline could not fine my reservation… then they determined that "someone" had canceled it in spite of my confirming it on their website’; ‘The worst thing was the attitude of US airways staff and the lies they told us. I wouldn't touch them again with a barge pole’ and ‘Most of the staff are rude and unfriendly… All in all a terrible experience. Never again.’</p>
- No 4 Aeroflot<p> It was the terminal at the airport that came in for most criticism here. Customers commented on the poor bus transfer to the gate and unfriendly staff. Another criticism was that the elderly and passengers with children weren’t properly catered for. And one <a href="http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/aeroflot-2.htm" target="_blank">reviewer</a> said the pilot announced: 'Sorry, we do not fly today. The plane is broken'.</p>
- No 3 easyJet<p> The general stampede for unallocated seats was a common criticism for easyJet. One customer complained: ‘It would cost the easyJet computer nothing to allocate seats and alleviate the impression one is fighting for a place on a bus that may be overfull’; another said: ‘My biggest concern was the feeling of chaos inboard. The safety demo audio was played at a very low volume, and people were speaking on their mobile phones during the safety demonstration, cabin crew seemingly not giving a damn.’ Other complaints include overbooked flights and disorganised service...</p>
- No 2 Spirit<p> Lack of food on international flights, a poorly kept plane and bad service generally were all at the heart of the complaints by travellers. TOne passenger pulled no punches with the comment: ‘My trip from Lima, Peru to Boston was the biggest nightmare of my life next to getting all four of my wisdom teeth pulled while conscious’; another, commenting on the policy of charging for hand luggage, said: ‘Robbing people as they board your airplane should really help your already abysmal tardy departure record…’ and a third summed up with: ‘They charge for everything, their agents are rude, and the flights are overbooked, late, not that clean, and just an awful experience.’ Biggest gripe of all was the charges the airline makes for hand luggage.</p>
- And the winner is.... No 1 Ryanair<p> It was not hard to find reviewers with a poor opinion of the budget airline. An overriding impression was one of being ripped off. As one customer commented: ‘I've concluded that Ryanair is nothing but a great big social experiment to see how arrogant an airline can get and how low customer service can be pushed before the said airline starts to lose money….We keep coming back to this horrid airline with its miserable service in hope that we'll save a Euro or two. Reality is that we probably end up spending more money than we would have if we opted for a better airline’, while delivered a damning verdict: ‘They have to be the most customer unfriendly company I have come across. Dirty plane when we eventually got on, tired looking and dishevelled cabin crew. What more can I say - a shocking experience that I never wish to repeat.’</p>
- No 10 Iberia<p> Reviews on <a href="http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/iberia.htm" target="_blank">AirlineQuality.com</a> included this scathing comment: ‘Incredibly uncomfortable seats, poor food, rude staff who just wanted to get the meal service out of the way so they could stand at the rear of the plane and chat amongst themselves.’ Hopefully, the merger with British Airways will mean there's a hope for a rise in standards.</p>
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