Airbus A320
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
| A320 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Role | Narrow-body jet aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Airbus |
| First flight | 22 February 1987 |
| Introduction | 28 March 1988 |
| Status | In use |
| Primary users | US Airways United Airlines Air France Northwest Airlines |
| Number built | 3,504 as of May 2008]])[1] |
| Unit cost | €47.5 (US$73.3) million[2] |
The Airbus A320 is an airplane made by multi-national company Airbus that first flew in 1987. At the most, it can hold about 180 passengers. Other versions have space for between 105 and 220 seats. First delivered in 1988, the A320 was one of the first aircraft to use digital fly-by-wire flight control systems in a commercial aircraft. With more than 3,000 aircraft of the A320 family built, it is the second best-selling jet airliner family of all time after the Boeing 737.
The A320 has been involved in several accidents—some of these have killed a lot of people. The worst accident happened in 2007 when a TAM Airlines Airbus A320 crashed when it landed in São Paulo in Brazil during heavy rain. The crash killed almost 200 people. The A320 has also had a number of accidents involving the undercarriage.
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[change] Development
The A320 was the world's first commercial jet to use a small joystick, also called a sidestick, to fly it instead of a normal yoke (a steering-wheel like device). This matched the new digital 'fly-by-wire' system, the first use of this in a civilian aircraft, which makes the A320 much easier and safer to fly.
The A320 also has a full "glass-cockpit", where most instruments in the cockpit (the front part of the plane where the pilot is) have been replaced by television screens. Most of the technology first used on the A320 has been used in other Airbus aircraft made afterwards. Other manufacturers, like Boeing, have also used much of the technology like a glass-cockpit and fly-by-wire in the Boeing 777.
[change] Design
[change] Engines
The A319, A320 and A321 have engines made by two different companies; International Aero Engines (IAE) supply the V2500 and CFM International provide the CFM56. Over 70% of the A320 family have IAE engines.
The significantly smaller A318 has either Pratt and Whitney PW6000 engines or CFM56-5. The PW6000 was not as good as expected and this may have reduced the number of sales; several airlines cancelled their orders before the more efficient CFM engine arrived.
[change] Use
The Airbus A320 has sold very well, making it the second most popular airliner in the world. Major customers include large airlines like:
[change] Types
A version known as the A318 has not sold as well and the only large operator is Frontier Airlines. The A320 has been shortened to produce the A319 and stretched to produce the A321. Recently it was shortened even more to make the A318.
These different versions are known as "A320 derivatives". When talking about all of them, they are known as the "A320 family" or "A32x".
Changes in size are done by removing or adding sections of fuselage (the part of the aircraft passengers sit in) and adjusting the power of the engines. Airbus try to keep the airplanes the same where possible, to reduce operating costs.
Pilots only need one licence (called a type-rating) to fly all A320 derivatives.
[change] Accidents and problems
The A320 has been very reliable in service. Many early problems were caused by pilots not being use to the new "glass cockpit" and "fly-by-wire", but these no longer happen. In recent years, the A320 has had a number of problems involving its front undercarriage. The following accidents are some of those which have occurred since 1988:
- June 26, 1988 - Air France Flight 296 crashed into the tops of trees beyond the runway on a demonstration flight at Habsheim, France. Three passengers were killed.[3]
- February 14, 1990 - Indian Airlines Flight 605, an A320-231 carrying 146 people crashed on its final approach to Bangalore Airport, killing 88 passengers and four crew members.[4]
- January 20, 1992 - Air Inter Flight 148, an A320-111 crashed into a high ridge near Mount Sainte-Odile in the Vosges mountains while on final approach to Strasbourg at the end of a scheduled flight from Lyon. This accident resulted in the deaths of 87 of the aircraft's occupants (five crew members, 82 passengers).[5]
- September 14, 1993 - Lufthansa Flight 2904, in Warsaw an A320-211 coming from Frankfurt am Main with 70 people crashed into an earth wall at the end of the runway. A fire started in the left wing area and penetrated into the passenger cabin. The copilot and a passenger died.[6]
- March 22, 1998, Philippine Airlines Flight 137, an A320-214 crashed and overran the runway of Bacolod City Domestic Airport, RPVB, in Bacolod, plowing through homes near it. None of the passengers or crew died, but many were injured and three on the ground were killed.[7]
- August 23, 2000 - Gulf Air Flight 072, an A320-212 crashed into the Persian Gulf on approach to Bahrain Airport. All 143 passengers and crew on board lost their lives.[8]
- May 3, 2006 - Armavia Flight 967, an A320-211 crashed into the Black Sea while attempting to conduct a go-around following its first approach to Sochi Airport, Russia. All 113 passengers and crew on board lost their lives. The accident was a Pilot error / Controlled flight into terrain accident.[9]
- July 17, 2007 - TAM Airlines Flight 3054, the A320-233 on the route, was not able to stop while landing at Congonhas International Airport in São Paulo, Brazil. As of 2008 the cause of the accident is under investigation by Brazilian and international authorities. All 187 passengers and crew died with 12 fatalities on the ground.[10]
- May 30, 2008 - TACA Airlines Flight 390, the A320-233 from San Salvador overran the runway on its final approach to Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with bad weather conditions. There were five fatalities, including two people on the ground.[11]
Seven incidents of nose gear malfunction, including JetBlue Airways Flight 292.[12]
[change] Specifications
[change] Similar aircraft
- Boeing 727
- Boeing 737
- Boeing 757
- Douglas DC-9
- McDonnell-Douglas MD-80
- Hawker-Siddley HS-121 Trident
- Tupolev Tu-154
- Tupolev Tu-204
[change] References
- ↑ "Airbus - Orders and Deliveries", Airbus S.A.S., 30 April 2008.
- ↑ "Tiger Airways confirms order for 30 Airbus A320 planes", Channel NewsAsia, 10 October 2007. Retrieved on 22 March 2008.
- ↑ Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Accident. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
- ↑ Emergency landing televised on JetBlue flight. MSNBC (22 September, 2005). Retrieved on 20 July 2008.
[change] Other websites
