A320 partial separation of the left-hand elevator continues to destination

[fholbert]

Date:	29-JAN-2023
Time:	c. 13:15 UTC
Type:	Airbus A320-214
Owner/operator:	flyCAA
Registration:	9S-ABM
MSN:	03900
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Location:	Mbuji Mayi - Congo (Democratic Republic)
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Mbuji-Mayi Airport (MJM/FZWA)
Destination airport:	Kinshasa-N'Djili Airport (FIH/FZAA)

Narrative:
FlyCAA flight BU415, an Airbus A320-214, suffered a partial separation of the left-hand elevator during departure from Mbuji Mayi (MJM).
The flight continued to the destination were it landed safely at 14:45 UTC.

 

[derg]

Probably didn't know.

The 350 can have a control surface completely freeze up or down, the flight control computers will solve the roll/pitch moment with a combination of flaps, spoilers, ailerons, etc, and spit out a performance penalty and lead you to continue or land.

But entirely losing a surface, that's something much different.

 

[Beep]

The way I see it they have 2 options as far as dealing with this.
1: CDL
2: could not duplicate, OPS check ok.

 

[NovemberEcho]

It’s gotta take some balls to get on an airplane in some parts of the world

 

[roundout]

MCC be like: "when you do the flight control check does it still go FULL UP FULL DOWN NEUTRAL?"

 

[Skåning]

I wonder if they were doing MX on it the night before. That's a weird thing to just "come off". An old one but maybe similar:

Continental Express Flight 2574 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Tl;dr - MX crew shift change during horizontal stab leading edge removal, new crew didnt add all the screws putting it back together.

 

[CFI A&P]

Piaggio pilots:

 

[Minuteman]

That airplane was made when the contemporary drama in the Lav included:

1. the death of Bea Arthur
2. a discussion about if Fox News is biased
3. Popeye's Chicken running out of chicken
4. a thread about how Swine Flu is really just the flu
5. @Maximilian_Jenius joins the Facebook
6. @WacoFan assuaged our fears that Miss California could keep her title after Donald Trump decided her remarks were not controversial.
   etc.

 

[bLizZuE]

In our old school maintenance book for the 767 it has a reference to PDA : parts departing aircraft. Hope I never have to send that one in.

 

[JordanD]

In our old school maintenance book for the 767 it has a reference to PDA : parts departing aircraft. Hope I never have to send that one in.

I still kind of chuckle at the fact every airplane has an “engine fell off” checklist

 

[FlyingAccountant]

Probably didn't know.

The 350 can have a control surface completely freeze up or down, the flight control computers will solve the roll/pitch moment with a combination of flaps, spoilers, ailerons, etc, and spit out a performance penalty and lead you to continue or land.

But entirely losing a surface, that's something much different.

Are you on the 350 now?

 

[BobDDuck]

In our old school maintenance book for the 767 it has a reference to PDA : parts departing aircraft. Hope I never have to send that one in.

During the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics (before they got delayed and then nobody was actually allowed to go) there was a really big deal made to carriers flying in and out of HND about PDA. We got a memo about doing extra thorough walk around to make sure we didn't miss a loose access panel or something.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Today’s weather forecast…

72 degrees, partly cloudy, with heavy plane fall in some areas.

 

[bLizZuE]

I still kind of chuckle at the fact every airplane has an “engine fell off” checklist

It’s not designed to do that.

 

[DropTank]

The way I see it they have 2 options as far as dealing with this.
1: CDL
2: could not duplicate, OPS check ok.

How long did you work at Mesa?

 

[derg]

Are you on the 350 now?

Halfway through initial!

Yeah, I should probably throttle back talking about it so much. Message received.

 

[fholbert]

Halfway through initial!

Yeah, I should probably throttle back talking about it so much. Message received.

Wrong message, I like hearing about it.

 

[///AMG]

Halfway through initial!

Yeah, I should probably throttle back talking about it so much. Message received.

Well you did unintentionally reveal to us that you guys have constant near midairs, even in the simulator (I mean, how does that even happen?). I guess that is because the 350 invalidates the sage wisdom of "little plane big sky".

 

[FlyingAccountant]

Halfway through initial!

Yeah, I should probably throttle back talking about it so much. Message received.

Nah, I wasn’t take a shot, that’s genuinely cool. I got to fly on BA’s a few months back, loved the airplane.

 

[Stone Cold]

I still kind of chuckle at the fact every airplane has an “engine fell off” checklist

Well, there’s a reason for us specifically to have one. MRDSCC ftw.