On February 12th, 2020 a British Airways Airbus A350 had a rocky landing due to an electronic system failure. The aircraft was able to land at its final destination of Toronto, but not without emergency services being called in as a precautionary measure. When the plane finally came to a stop, the breaks were incredibly hot, and there was hydraulic fluid leaking from the aircraft, indicating an issue in terms of hydraulic monitoring.
The hydraulic leak was so severe, that there actually was a 24-hour delay in the passengers receiving their cargo, as the hydraulic lift could not be open. This was the only delay caused by the incident, as the plane was taken out of circulation for 48 hours before returning to London on February 14th, 2020.
This is not the first ‘hard-landing’ British Airways’ A350 aircraft line has suffered in recent months. On January 19th, another aircraft of the same flight had a hard landing in Tel-Aviv, and suffered slight damage to their aircraft. Likewise, on February 19th, an airplane had to be towed from the runway of Heathrow Airport due to a supposed Hydraulics leak.
With over 4 issues in just 3 months, Hydraulics seems to clearly be the root of all of the issues. Given the delays and rocky landings, British Airways should consider revolutionizing their leak detection operations with Acoustic Ultrasound Technologies. Current practices involve feeling around operating machinery or failed parts with their hands to find leaks or spraying down components with soap and water solution looking for bubbles to find leaks. This is incredibly time-consuming, and ultimately not feasible to be checked between flights.
However, Acoustic Ultrasound can cut detection time down to less than 5 minutes and effectively locate leaks, even in peak operation or quickly between flights. Ultrasound Leak Detection is not hindered by facility operation noise, allowing the operator to utilize the equipment even on a busy runway. Likewise, the Ultrasonic Leak Detector’s applications extend far beyond hydraulic leaks. For Commercial Aviation Industries, Ultrasound Technology can be used for monitoring pressurization, air conditioning, Bleed Air Check, Oxygen, and other pressure components. To see if Ultrasound Leak Detection Technology is right for you, contact one of our Ultrasound Experts today!