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Computer-Related Incidents with Commercial Aircraft

The A320 Maintenance Incident at Gatwick

21 February 1995

Synopsis An A320 operated by Excalibur Airways took off from Gatwick, and the pilot found he could not turn left, and needed full left stick to keep the wings level. The airplane immediately returned for landing and landed safely. The airplane had come out of maintenance and some right-hand spoilers had been left in maintenance mode, during which they are free-moving. Reduced upper-wing pressure in flight caused them partially to deploy. Peter Mellor analyses the official report of the incident and draws some conclusions.

An edited abbreviation of AAIB Aircraft Accident Report 2/95 published in Aerospace, April 1995, the monthly of the Royal Aeronautical Society, London.

Computer-Related Factors in Incident to A320 G-KMAM, Gatwick on 26 August 1993,
by Peter Mellor.

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