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🚨 BREAKING: EASA Issues Emergency AD for A320 Family over Critical Flight Control Risk

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency ( EASA ) has published an Emergency Airworthiness Directive ( AD 2025-0268-E ), requiring the immediate replacement or modification of a specific flight control computer on Airbus A319 , A320 , and A321 family aircraft. Issued on November 28, 2025, the AD takes effect at 23:59 UTC on November 29, 2025. The directive follows a safety investigation into a recent incident that revealed a critical vulnerability within the aircraft's control systems. The Unsafe Condition: Uncommanded Pitch Down The EASA directive stems from an incident where an Airbus A320 experienced an uncommanded and limited pitch down event. While the autopilot remained engaged and the loss of altitude was brief, a preliminary technical assessment by Airbus identified a malfunction in the Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) as a possible contributing factor. The core concern is that this malfunction, if uncorrected, could lead to an uncommanded elevator movement. In the "...

Understanding Ground Effect in Airplane Landing

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Have you ever wondered why an airplane seems to "float" just above the runway before finally settling down? It's not just the pilot being extra gentle; it's a fascinating aerodynamic phenomenon known as the Ground Effect . This "magic cushion" plays a crucial role in how aircraft behave during the landing phase, and understanding it is key to appreciating the intricacies of flight. What Exactly is Ground Effect? Imagine pushing air out of the way as you move. An airplane wing does something similar, but in three dimensions. As the wing generates lift, it creates a high-pressure zone underneath and a low-pressure zone above. At the wingtips, the higher pressure air tries to "escape" to the lower pressure zone, curling upwards and forming swirling wingtip vortices These vortices are a form of induced drag , which is the drag created as a byproduct of generating lift. Ground effect occurs when an aircraft flies very close to a surface (like the groun...

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