A320

From SKYbrary Wiki

Article Information
Category:	Aircraft Types
Content source:	SKYbrary
Content control:	EUROCONTROL

A320
Name	A-320
Manufacturer	AIRBUS
Body	Narrow
Type	Fixed Wing
WTC	Medium
APC	C
Engine	Jet
Engine count	Multi
Also manufacturered as: AIRBUS A-320 AIRBUS A-320 Prestige AIRBUS Prestige (A-320)

AIRBUS A-320

Image source: IANS

Description

Short to medium range single aisle airliner. In service since 1988. First airliner with a fly-by-wire-system with side stick controlling and an EFIS-cockpit. Total of 2532 aircraft ordered, 1563 delivered, 1542 in operation. There are total of 3469 aircraft from A320 family in operation (including 318/319/320/321 - May 2008). The A320 is a member of the A320 family of aircraft.

General

Aircraft name	A-320
ICAO code/WTC	A320 / M
Manufacturer	AIRBUS
Type Code/APC	L2J / C

Technical Data

Wing span	34.1 m111.877 ft
Length	37.57 m123.261 ft
Heigth	11.76 m38.583 ft
Powerplant	2 x 111kN CFM56-5A1 or 2 x 118kN CFM56-5A3 or 2 x 125kN IAE V2500 turbofans.
Engine Model	CFM International CFM56, International Aero Engines V2500

For further details consult EUROCONTROL Aircraft Performance Database:

• AIRBUS A-320

Accidents & Serious Incidents involving A320

• A320 / B738, vicinity Launceston Australia, 2008 (LOS HF) (On 1 May 2008 an Airbus A320-200 being operated by JetStar on a scheduled passenger flight from Melbourne to Launceston, Tasmania was making a missed approach from runway 32L when it came into close proximity in night VMC with a Boeing 737-800 being operated by Virgin Blue and also inbound to Launceston from Melbourne which was manoeuvring about 5nm north west of the airport after carrying out a similar missed approach. Minimum separation was 3 nm at the same altitude and the situation was fully resolved by the A320 climbing to 4000 feet.)
• A320 / CRJ2, Sofia Bulgaria, 2007 (AGC RI HF) (On 13 April 2007 an Airbus A320, operated by Air France, in VMC with line training in progress, entered an active runway for take-off without ATC clearance at Sofia Airport. Consequently a CRJ-200 on short final with a valid ATC clearance was instructed to go around.)
• A320, Ballykelly Northern Ireland UK, 2006 (HF RE) (On 29 March 2006, an Eirjet Airbus 320 was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Liverpool to Londonderry Airport in Northern Ireland for Ryanair in daylight. At 8nm from LDY, the operating crew reported that they were having problems with the ILS glideslope on approach to Runway 26. They judged that they were too high to carry out a safe landing from the ILS approach and requested permission from ATC to carry out a visual approach. The aircraft, with the commander as PF, then flew a right hand descending orbit followed by a visual circuit from which it landed. Upon landing, the crew were advised by Londonderry ATC, who had had the aircraft in sight when it called Finals and had then cleared it to land that they had, in fact, landed at Ballykelly airfield, a military helicopter base 5nm to the east-north-east of Londonderry.)
• A320, Bilbao Spain, 2001 (WX AW) (On 7th February 2001, an Iberia A320 was about to make a night touch down at Bilbao in light winds when it experienced unexpected windshear. The attempt to counter the effect of this by initiation of a go around failed because the automatic activation of AOA protection in accordance with design criteria which opposed the crew pitch input. The aircraft then hit the runway so hard that a go around was no longer possible. Severe airframe structural damage and evacuation injuries to some of the occupants followed. A mandatory modification to the software involved was subsequently introduced.)
• A320, Cochin India, 2011 (RE HF) (On 29 August 2011, a Gulf Air Airbus A320 deviated from the extended centreline of the landing runway below 200 feet aal but continued to a night touchdown which occurred on the edge of the 3400 metre runway and was followed by exit from the side onto soft ground before eventually coming to a stop adjacent to the runway about a third of the way along it. The subsequent investigation attributed the event to poor crew performance.)
• … further results