AAIB Report: Airbus A320-232 burning smell in the cockpit
News story
The flight crew of an Airbus A320-232 (G-EUYB) detected strong acrid fumes on the flight deck, 23 September 2019. After landing and removing their masks, the co-pilot became incapacitated and the commander felt unwell; both pilots were taken to hospital but released later that day. This report reviews five other similar fumes events that have been reported to the AAIB and CAA.
During the approach to London Heathrow Airport the flight crew of an Airbus A320-232 (G-EUYB) detected strong acrid fumes on the flight deck. They donned oxygen masks and continued to land at Heathrow. After shutting down on a taxiway and removing their masks, the co-pilot became incapacitated and the commander felt unwell; both pilots were taken to hospital but released later that day.
Numerous other similar fume events have been reported to the AAIB and the CAA. This report reviews five other similar events which occurred with the same operator on the same aircraft type. Detailed investigations carried out by the AAIB and the operator did not identify the source of the fumes and it was not possible to identify the cause of these events. However, a number of common features have been identified.
The operator and aircraft manufacturer have taken action to try to reduce the number of events, which include; the development of detailed maintenance procedures to identify the source of fumes, changes to flight crew operating procedures and the evaluation of modifications to enhance cabin air recirculation filtration systems.
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Published 30 July 2020