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Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

17th Performance and Operations Conference in Dubai

Title: Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked


Subtitle Need to descend or not?

Presented by Yves LEMELLE


Director of A320/A330/A340 Flight Operational Standards
Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Presentation Objectives

Can we avoid descending to


lower FL and avoid diversion?

In flight, is there a way to


determine if structural integrity
of the windshield is affected?

Design evolution on new programs

Constructive discussions between Operators and Airbus

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Contents

1 Windshield design

2 Previous procedure

3 Airline’s feedback

4 New Procedure

5 Conclusion

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Contents

1 Windshield design

2 Previous procedure

3 Airline’s feedback

4 New Procedure

5 Conclusion

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Windshield design: 3 Glass layers (plies)

OUTSIDE Outer Ply


Heating Film
and Bus Bars
Middle
Structural Ply
Inner
Structural
Ply
INSIDE

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Windshield design and Certification requirements

• Normal Configuration:
The windshield sustains five (5) times
the max pressurization loads

• Failure Configuration:
The windshield with one cracked structural ply
sustains twice (2) the max pressurization loads

• Bird impact tests

1.8 Kg at Vmo

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

In-flight Cracking
Cracking of the heating film
• Heating elements defects

Outer ply cracking Heating Film cracking

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

In-flight Cracking
• Cracking of the outer ply
• More exposed to foreign damage, delamination, moisture ingress,
heating film arcing

Outer ply cracking

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

In-flight Cracking
• Cracking of the Medium or Inner ply
• Chipping during windshield installation
• Arcing at the power braid level

Inner or Middle ply


cracking

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

In-flight Cracking

Do not try to determine which ply is cracked


with the geometry of the cracks
• Interpretation could be difficult

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Contents

1 Windshield design

2 Previous procedure

3 Airline’s feedback

4 New Procedure

5 Conclusion

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Previous Procedure (A320 Family A330,


A340, A300, A310 )
• Previous procedure required to limit Flight Level whatever
the reason for cracking:
• To increase safety margins
• Not to ask for trouble shooting in flight

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Current Procedure (A380 / A350)

• On A380 (& A350): heating bar enable to determine which layer


is cracked

At least one
External layer cracked layer on
OR
cracked cockpit side of heat
bars

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Current Procedure (A380 / A350)


• Therefore , A380 procedure is different from previous Airbus
aircraft types.

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Current Procedure (A380 / A350)


• Therefore , A380 procedure is different from previous Airbus
aircraft types.

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Contents

1 Windshield design

2 Previous procedure

3 Airline’s feedback

4 New Procedure

5 Conclusion

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Airline’s feedback
on A320 Family A330, A340, A300, A310 procedure

• For same windshield, other aircraft manufacturers do not request


to descent systematically (« Descent if needed »)

• Is there an advantage to increase safety margin beyond 2 times


the max pressurization loads if at least one structural ply is in good
condition?

• Can we avoid to systematically restrict FL?

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Analysis of Airline’s feedback

Causes of windshield removal


Year 2010 (up to 25-Nov-10)

0% 0%

27% 25%

Elec Unknown
arcing
Inner or middle 2% FOD
ply cracking 9%

Outer ply
cracking

37%

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Analysis of Airline’s feedback

Similarly to A380, if there is a means to confirm that at least


one structural ply is not cracked Airbus agrees with Operators
to modify the COCKPIT WINDSHIELD / WINDOW CRACKED
procedure (for A320 Family, A330, A340, A300, A310)

• In flight it is possible to check the integrity of the inner ply only:

If at least the inner (structural) ply is in good condition it


avoids to be limited to FL 230:
No fuel consumption increase
No diversion
No need to control the cabin pressure manually.

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Contents

1 Windshield design

2 Previous procedure

3 Airline’s feedback

4 New Procedure

5 Conclusion

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

New Procedure
on A320 Family A330, A340,
A300, A310 procedure

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

New Procedure
on A320 Family A330, A340,
A300, A310 procedure

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

New Procedure
on A320 Family A330, A340,
A300, A310 procedure

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Ops Document References


• FCOM /QRH:
Description of cockpit windshield/window
New procedure
• A320Family, A330 & A340: May 2011
• A300 & A310: April 2011
• A380: No change
• FCTM:
• A320Family, A330 & A340: June 2011
• A300 & A310: April 2011
• A380: No change

Flight crews have or will have appropriate means to be


prepared to windshield cracking.

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.


Cockpit Windshield / Window Cracked May 2011

Conclusion

Previous procedure A320 Family/A330/A340/A300/A310

• Conservative approach – Operational drawbacks


Design enhancement A380/A350

• Eases pilot assessment of the situation and already prevents


unnecessary descent - No need to change
New procedure A320 Family/A330/A340/A300/A310
• No longer need to reduce FL in 95 % events - Avoids
diversion
FAIR OPS
• Enabled to assess Airline operational constraints
• Constructive discussions between operators and Airbus to
ease operator’s operation while remaining safe

© AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

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