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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Aircraft Flotation Gear Drops|& Seats Move, by Themselves

WASHINGTON (CN) - Operators of certain Airbus airplanes must fix pilot and co-pilot seats that, while the plane is in flight, may move "in the horizontal direction" on their own, according to a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directive.

Operators of Eurocopter France Model EC130 B4 helicopter must fix uncommanded deployment of emergency flotation gear.

When the Airbus seat movement problem was first discovered, the FAA told operators to unhook the electricity from the seat controls, and with certain interim repairs, operators were to inspect the seats every two months.

The FAA has determined that a permanent solution is to install an enlarged shim for the horizontal switch actuation on each seat. Operators are to accomplish this within a year of the April 26, 2011 effective date.

When the permanent solution is completed, the operators may stop performing the bi-monthly seat control inspections.

The seat control airworthiness directive applies to Airbus Model A310 series airplanes, and Airbus Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes, and Model C4-605R Variant F airplanes.

The Eurocopter France Model EC130 B4 helicopter may deploy the emergency flotation gear while in-flight, which may cause the aircraft to crash.

The interim solution has been to make sure the wires in the switch that deploys the gear are not touching each other.

The final solution is to replace the"1G" unit with an airworthy one.

Click the document icon for these regulations and others.

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