Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Relative to other aircraft, the A320 has a strong safety record, but it has had a number of well-known crashes. Recent incidents include a Gulf Air crash in 2000, in which an A320 attempting to land for the third time crashed, killing everyone on board, and a TAM Linhas Aereas crash in 2007, in which an A320-200 crashed into a building upon landing, killing everyone on board and several people on the ground.
In addition to fatal crashes, the A320 is known for some major safety incidents that ended more successfully. In a US Airways crash in 2009, an A320-200 fell prey to a major bird strike that resulted in both engines failing. The aircraft successfully crash landed into a river, and everyone on board survived the incident. Similarly, a Lufthansa A320-200 crashed after overrunning a runway in 1993, but everyone on board except for one crew member and one passenger survived the crash.
The most well-known safety feature of the A320 family is the fly-by-wire system. Prior to the launch of this aircraft, pilots had to fly planes through a cord and pulley system and did not control the plane electronically. The new system provides pilots with a completely overhauled system that controls the plane electronically. The sophisticated flight system contains automatic safety fallbacks, including protection against pilot maneuvers that exceed the plane's thermodynamic capabilities or that pull the aircraft below stall speed.
Although the A320's new safety features have generally received favorable reviews from pilots, some people have complained that the sophisticated safety systems are difficult to use. Specifically, a representative from the Aviation Safety Alliance has said that the plane's computer systems are so complicated that pilots occasionally lose control of the aircraft's movements, and Airbus has made adjustments to the aircraft displays in order to address these problems.