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Airbus A310

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Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy datesTemplate:Use British English Template:Infobox aircraft

The Airbus A310 is a wide-body aircraft, designed and manufactured by Airbus Industrie GIE, then a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers. Airbus had identified a demand for an aircraft smaller than the A300, the first twin-jet wide-body. On 7 July 1978, the A310 (initially the A300B10) was launched with orders from Swissair and Lufthansa. On 3 April 1982, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight, and the A310 received its type certificate on 11 March 1983.

Keeping the same eight-abreast cross-section, the A310 is Template:Cvt shorter than the initial A300 variants, and has a smaller wing, down from Template:Cvt. The A310 introduced a two-crew glass cockpit, later adopted for the A300-600 with a common type rating. It was powered by the same General Electric CF6-80 or Pratt & Whitney JT9D then PW4000 turbofan jet engines. It can seat 220 passengers in two classes, or 240 in all-economy, and has a flying range up to Template:Convert. It has overwing exits between the two main front and rear door pairs.

In April 1983, the aircraft entered revenue service with Swissair, and competed with the Boeing 767-200, introduced six months before. Its longer range and ETOPS regulations allowed it to be operated on transatlantic flights. Until the last delivery in June 1998, 255 aircraft were produced, as it was succeeded by the larger Airbus A330-200. It was available as a cargo aircraft version, and was also developed into a military variant, the A310 MRTT multi-role transport, then tanker.

DevelopmentEdit

BackgroundEdit

File:Pan Am A300 and A310.jpg
The A310 (background) is a shrunken version of the Airbus A300 (foreground)

On 26 September 1967, the governments of France, West Germany and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding to commence the joint development of the 300-seat Airbus A300.<ref>Simons 2014, p. 38.</ref><ref>Endres 2004, p. 43.</ref><ref>Pitt and Norsworthy 2012, p. 57.</ref> The French and West Germans reached a firm agreement on 29 May 1969, after the British withdrew from the project on 10 April 1969. This collaborative effort between the two states resulted in the production of the consortium's first airliner, known as the Airbus A300. The A300 was a wide-body medium-to-long range passenger airliner; it holds the distinction of being the first twin-engine wide-body aircraft in the world.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Senguttuvan 2006, p. 34.</ref><ref name=Tech-lead>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Pitt and Norsworthy 2012, pp. 57, 60.</ref> The design was relatively revolutionary for its time, and featured a number of industry firsts, making the first use of composite materials on a commercial aircraft; during 1977, the A300 became the first ETOPS-compliant aircraft, which was made possible due to its high performance and safety standards.<ref>Simons 2014, p. 40.</ref> The A300 would be produced in a range of models, and sold relatively well to airlines across the world, eventually reaching a total of 816 delivered aircraft during its production life.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During the development of the earlier A300, a range of different aircraft size and capacity were studied by the consortium; the resulting Airbus A300B proposal was one of the smaller options. When the A300B1 prototypes emerged, a number of airlines issued requests for an aircraft with greater capacity, which resulted in the initial production A300B2 version. As the A300 entered service, it became increasingly apparent that there was also a sizeable market for a smaller aircraft; some operators did not have enough traffic to justify the relatively large A300, while others wanted more frequency or lower aircraft-distance costs at the expense of higher seat-distance cost (specifically Swissair and Lufthansa). At the same time, there was great pressure for Airbus to validate itself beyond the design and manufacture of a single airliner. In response to these desires, Airbus explored the options for producing a smaller derivative of the A300B2.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

Design effortEdit

Template:Quote box In order to minimise the associated research and development costs for the tentative project, Airbus chose to examine several early design studies performed during the A300 programme. The company ultimately chose to prioritise its focus on one option, which became known as the A300B10MC (standing for Minimum Change). As envisioned, the airliner's capacity was reduced to a maximum of 220 passengers, which was viewed at the time as being a desired capacity amongst many airlines. However, such a design would have resulted in a relatively small fuselage being mated to a comparatively large wing and oversized undercarriage; such an arrangement would have, amongst other things, made the aircraft consume an unnecessarily larger amount of fuel as it carried heavier weight than what was otherwise required.<ref name=Gun-86 />

Another problem for the programme was presented in the form of inflation, the rate of which in the United Kingdom (one of the early members of the Airbus consortium) was around 35 per cent during 1979–80. This factor was responsible for significantly raising the program's development costs and, as a knock-on effect, increase the per-unit cost of the resulting airliner.<ref name=Gun-86>Template:Harvnb</ref> During the development of the A300, British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley Aviation (HSA) had been appointed as the subcontractor to perform the manufacturing of the wing of the aircraft; shortly afterwards, the British government chose to withdraw from the newly formed venture during 1969. In 1977, HSA subsequently merged with three other British aircraft companies, resulting in the formation of British Aerospace (BAe). By this point in time, the British government had publicly indicated its intentions to rejoin the Airbus programme. In May 1976, the French government entered into a series of discussions on cooperation, during which its representatives stated that the placing of an order by British Airways (BA) was a condition for the re-admission of the United Kingdom into Airbus Industrie as a full partner.<ref name=Gun-87 />

However, both BA and Rolls-Royce had not relinquished their will to collaborate with the Americans in future aircraft endeavours and, in BA's case, procure American aircraft. During the late 1970s, BA sought to purchase two separate types of aircraft in development by American company Boeing, initially known as the 7N7 and 7X7, which would develop into the 757 and 767, the latter of which being an intended rival to the upcoming A310, as well as the existing Boeing 747. Independent of the British government, BAe commenced its own dialogue between itself and American aircraft manufacturers Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, for the purpose of assessing if BAe could participate in any of their future programmes, although the company's chairman, Lord Beswick, publicly stated that the overall aim of the firm was to pursue collaboration in Europe.<ref name=Gun-87>Template:Harvnb</ref> At the 1978 Farnborough Air Show, Eric Varley, the British Secretary of State for Industry, announced that BAe was to rejoin Airbus Industrie and participate as a full partner from 1 January 1979 onwards. Under the negotiated arrangement, BAe would be allocated a 20 per cent shareholding in Airbus Industrie, and would perform "a full part in the development and manufacturing of the A310".<ref name=Gunston-p89 />

From late 1977, prior to the Varley announcement, BAe had already commenced work on the design of the new wing at its facility in Hatfield. However, due to negotiations with Britain on its return to the Airbus consortium being protracted, alternative options were explored, including potentially manufacturing the wing elsewhere.<ref name=Tech-lead /> At the same time as the British efforts, French aerospace firm Aérospatiale, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), and Dutch-German joint venture company VFW-Fokker were also conducting their individual studies into possible options for the wing of the prospective airliner.Template:Citation needed

Programme launchEdit

File:Lufthansa and Swissair A310-200.jpg
The A310-200 prototype, featuring the liveries of Swissair (left) and Lufthansa (right), the first customers.<ref name=Gunston-p89 />

At the April 1978 Hanover Air Show, Airbus exhibited a model of the proposed A310. Its wing area, at Template:Cvt was slightly larger than that studied, at Template:Cvt; its passenger cabin was twelve frames shorter than the A300,Template:Efn accommodating typical passenger loads of 195 in two-class, or 245 in all-economy.<ref name=Gunston-p89 /> However, during the next twelve months, almost every aspect was further refined. On 9 June 1978, Swissair and Lufthansa developed a joint specification for the aircraft, and within a month, announced that they would place the launch orders. On 15 March, Swissair became the first airline to place a firm order for the type, announcing that it would acquire ten aircraft, with a further ten under option, to replace its McDonnell Douglas DC-9s on its major intra-European routes. Lufthansa was quick to place a $240 million ten-aircraft order; additional orders from French operator Air France and Spanish airline Iberia shortly followed.<ref name=Gunston-p89 />

Increasingly strong interest in the tentative airliner, coupled with the recovery of the industry during the late 1970s, contributed to Airbus deciding to put the A310 into production on 7 July 1978.<ref name=Airbus_MBI1999 /> During the latter half of 1978, an order for ten A300s was placed by independent British airline Laker Airways, satisfying Airbus's demand for the placing of a British order for their aircraft.<ref name=Tech-lead /> On 1 April 1979, Lufthansa decided to raise its commitment for the type to 25 aircraft, along with 25 options. Two days later, Dutch operator KLM signed its order for ten aircraft and ten options at £238 million.<ref name=Gunston-p89>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name=A310-history1 /><ref name=A310-history2 /> On 6 July 1979, Air France announced that it had raised its order from four to thirty-five airliners.Template:Citation needed Other airlines announcing orders for the A310 during 1979 included Martinair, Sabena, and Air Afrique.<ref name=A310-history1>Flight International 27 October 1979 edition.</ref><ref name=A310-history2>Airclaims Jet Programs 1995.</ref>

Initially, a pair of distinct versions of the A310 had been planned by Airbus; the regional A310-100, and the transcontinental A310-200. The A310-100 featured a range of Template:Cvt with 200 passengers, whilst the A310-200 possessed a higher MTOW and centre section fuel, being able to carry the same load a further Template:Cvt.<ref name=Gunston-p91>Template:Harvnb</ref> Basic engines offered for the type included the General Electric CF6-45B2 and Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4. At one point, British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce was openly considering offering an engine for the A310, the Rolls-Royce RB.207, however, it ultimately chose to discard such efforts in favour of a smaller three-spool design, the RB.211.

Entry into serviceEdit

The range of the A310 exceeds that of the A300 series, with the exception of the A300-600R, which in turn surpasses that of the A310-200. The greater range of the A310 contributed to the airliner being used extensively by operators on transatlantic routes. The A300 and A310 introduced the concept of commonality: A300-600 and A310 pilots can cross-qualify for the other aircraft with one day of training.Template:Citation needed

Sales of the A310 continued through the early 1980s. On 3 April 1982, the prototype A310-200 airliner conducted its maiden flight; by this point, the type had accumulated a combined orders and options for 181 aircraft, which had been placed by fifteen airlines worldwide, which was a better start than the original A300. The launch customer of A310, Swissair, became the launch operator in April 1983.<ref name=Airbus_MBI1999>Template:Cite book</ref> Over time, it had become clear that the longer-range series −200 aircraft was the more popular of the two models on offer. During 1979, in response to the lack of demand for the A310-100, Airbus decided to stop offering the lower gross weight model which had been originally proposed for Lufthansa; as a consequence, none of this variant were ultimately manufactured.<ref name=A310-history1 />

Sales and production endEdit

File:Interflug Airbus A310-300 Manteufel.jpg
In 1988, an A310 was delivered to Interflug: the first Airbus for an Eastern-bloc airline.

During the early 1990s, demand for the aircraft began to slacken; there were no new A310 passenger orders placed during the late 1990s, in part due to the introduction of the newer and more advanced Airbus A330 during this time. As a result, on June 15, 1998, the last delivery of an A310 (msn. 706, reg.UK-31003) was made to Uzbekistan Airways.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The A310, along with its A300 stablemate, officially ceased production during July 2007, though an order from Iraqi Airways for five A310s had remained on the books until July 2008. The remaining freighter sales were to be instead fulfilled by the new A330-200F derivative.<ref name=FI-20060314>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The A310 had been commonly marketed as an introduction to wide-body operations for airlines based in developing countries. The airliner was replaced in Airbus' range by the highly successful A330-200, which shares its fuselage cross-section. Between 1983, and the last aircraft produced in 1998, 255 A310s were delivered.<ref name=Airbus-deliveries /> The A300 and A310 established Airbus as a competitor to Boeing, and allowed it to go ahead with the more ambitious A320, and A330 / A340 families.Template:Citation needed

Template:As of, thirty-seven A310s remain in commercial service; major operators are Air Transat and Mahan Air with nine aircraft each; Fedex Express (six), and seven other airlines operating thirteen aircraft between them.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Update inline

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) currently operates a fleet of five Airbus CC-150 Polaris, civilian Airbus A310-300s, originally owned by Wardair, and subsequently Canadian Airlines International, after the airlines merged. The aircraft were then sold to the Canadian government, and have been converted for use as the primary long-distance transport aircraft as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force's fleet of Royal Canadian Air Force VIP aircraft.

As of January 2025, only 33 remain in service, with 22 being ACJs, 8 being in passenger service (with Ariana Afghan Airlines(3), Iran Air (1), Iran Airtour (4) being the only remaining passenger operators) and 3 in cargo service (UPS Airlines).

DesignEdit

File:Biman Airbus A310 Lofting-1.jpg
The A310 has front and rear main doors, and a smaller emergency exit wing door over the wing.
File:Airbus A310-304, Lufthansa AN0422291.jpg
2-4-2 economy cabin
File:Das Cockpit des Parabelfliegers - 50375105997.jpg
The cockpit of the Airbus A310

The Airbus A310 is a medium- to long-range twin-engined wide-body jet airliner. Initially a derivative of the A300, the aircraft had originally been designated the A300B10. It was essentially a shortened variant of the earlier aircraft; however, there were considerable differences between the two aircraft.<ref name=A310-success-1982 /> Specifically, the fuselage possessed the same cross-section, but being shorter than the A300, it provided capacity for a typical maximum of 200 passengers. The rear fuselage was heavily re-designed, featuring altered tapering, while involved a move aft of the rear bulkhead to create additional capacity; this same design change was later transferred back to later variants of the A300, such as the A300-600 and A330/A340 fuselages.<ref name=A310-success-1982 /> The A310 also had a different emergency exit configuration, consisting of four main doors (two at the front and two at the rear of the aircraft), and two smaller doors over the wings.Template:Citation needed

The wing of the A310 was redesigned, possessing a reduced span and wing area, and incorporating simpler single-slotted Fowler flaps designed by British Aerospace shortly following its decision to join the Airbus consortium.<ref name=A310-success-1982 /> Other changes to the wing included the elimination of the outer ailerons, which were occasionally referred to by the manufacturer as being "low speed ailerons", and the addition of electrically actuated spoilers. The wing also featured common pylons, which were able to support all types of engines that were offered to customers to power the airliner.<ref name=A310-success-1982 /> From 1985 onwards, the A310-300 introduced wingtip fences which reduced vortex drag and thus improved cruise fuel consumption by over 1.5%.<ref>Airbus The European Triumph, Bill Gunston 1988,Template:ISBN, p.113</ref> A limited number of alterations were also performed to the airliner's tail unit, such as the adoption of smaller horizontal tail surfaces.<ref name=A310-success-1982 />

The A310 was furnished with a two-crew glass cockpit configuration as standard, removing the requirement for a flight engineer; Airbus referred to this concept as the Forward-Facing Crew Cockpit.<ref name=Tech-lead /> The company had developed the cockpit to significantly enhance the aircraft's man-machine interface, thereby improving operational safety. It was outfitted with an array of six computer-based cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays to provide the flight crew with centralised navigational, warning, monitoring, and general flight information, in place of the more traditional analogue instrumentation and dials, which were used in conjunction with a range of modern electronic systems.<ref name=Tech-lead /> The same flight deck was incorporated into the A300-600, a move which increased commonality between the two types, and enabled a dual type rating to be achieved, this same approach was later used on many future Airbus aircraft. In addition to the two flying crew, provisions for third and fourth crew seats were present within the flight deck.<ref name=Tech-lead />

The A310 was initially proposed with a choice of three engines: the General Electric CF6-80A1, the Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4D1, and the Rolls-Royce RB211-524.<ref>Airbus The European Triumph, Bill Gunston 1988,Template:ISBN, p.97</ref> The A310 was launched with the Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4D1 or the General Electric CF6-80A3. Subsequently available were the Template:Cvt CF6-80C2A2 or the Template:CvtPW4152. From late 1991 the higher thrust Template:Cvt CF6-80C2A8 or Template:CvtPW4156A became available.<ref>Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1992-93,Template:ISBN, p.93</ref>

The A310 was equipped with a modified undercarriage, derived from the A300; the landing gear were outfitted with carbon brakes, which were fitted as standard.<ref name=A310-success-1982 /> The structure of the airliner featured a high level of composite materials throughout both primary and secondary structures, increased beyond that of the earlier A300. The A310 is outfitted with integrated drive electrical generators along with auxiliary power unit, which were improved versions of those used on the A300.<ref name=A310-success-1982>"A310 Europe builds on Airbus success." Flight International, 27 February 1982.</ref>

VariantsEdit

The A310 is available in two basic versions, the medium range -200 and the longer range -300. The first version of the aircraft to be developed was the −200, but this was later joined by the -300, which then became the standard production version of the aircraft. The short range -100 variant was never developed due to low demand.

A310-200Edit

File:Airbus A310-221, Swissair AN1031000.jpg
The prototype Airbus A310-200
The first A310, the 162nd Airbus off the production line, made its maiden flight on 3 April 1982 powered by the earlier Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4D1 engines. The -200 entered service with Swissair and Lufthansa a year later. Late series -200 also featured wing fences identical to those of the -300. The first three A310s were initially fitted with outboard ailerons; they were later removed once testing showed them to be unnecessary.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Production of the A310-200 ended in 1988.

A310-200CEdit

A convertible version, the seats can be removed and cargo placed on the main deck, the A310-200C entered service with Martinair on 29 November 1984.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A310-200FEdit

File:FedEx Airbus A310-200 Monty.jpg
FedEx Express A310-200F without wingtip fences
The freight version of the A310-200 was available as a new build, or as a conversion of existing wide-bodied aircraft. The A310-200F freighter can carry Template:Cvt of freight for Template:Cvt.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> No production freighters of the A310-200F were produced. The converted Airbus A310-200F entered service with FedEx Express in 1994.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A310-300Edit

File:Airbus A310-300 Air Transat (TSC) C-GLAT - MSN 588 (9510329329).jpg
Air Transat A310-300 with wingtip fences
First flown on 8 July 1985, the −300 is dimensionally identical to the −200, although it provides an increased Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) and an increase in range, provided by additional centre and horizontal stabiliser (trim-tank) fuel tanks. This model also introduced wingtip fences to improve aerodynamic efficiency, a feature that has since been retrofitted to some −200s. The aircraft entered service in 1986 with Swissair. The A310-300 incorporates a computerised fuel distribution system which allows it to be trimmed in flight, optimising the centre of gravity by shuttling up to Template:Cvt of fuel in and out of the horizontal stabiliser tank, controlled by the Centre of Gravity Control Computer.

A310-300CEdit

The combi version of the A310-300. It can be easily converted for passenger or cargo transport: the seats can be removed and cargo placed on the main deck.

A310-300FEdit

The freight version of the A310-300. Operators such as FedEx Express acquired modified ex-passenger A310s, usually starting with the −300 version. No production freighters of the A310-300F were produced.
File:Airbus A310-304(MRTT), Germany - Air Force JP7415094.jpg
Airbus A310 MRTT of the German Air Force

A310 MRT/MRTTEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

The A310 has been operated by several air forces as a pure transport, the A310-300 MRT Multi-Role Transport. However several have now been converted to the A310 MRTT Multi-Role Tanker Transport configuration by EADS, providing an air-to-air refuelling capability. At least six have been completed; four by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), and two by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Deliveries began in 2004. Three were converted at EADS EFW in Dresden, Germany; the other three at Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany.

A310 Zero GEdit

One A310 airframe became a scientific research laboratory dedicated to weightlessness. This reduced-gravity aircraft is used to realise parabolas, allowing to perform twenty-two seconds of weightlessness. Operated by Template:Interlanguage link, subsidiary of CNES, French Space Agency, A310 Zero G is based at Bordeaux Mérignac airport.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> It also performs scientific flights and movie special effects, such as for The Mummy (2017).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

OperatorsEdit

File:Airbus A310-304, Mahan Air JP7443693.jpg
Mahan Air A310-300
File:RCAF CC-150 Polaris Davies.jpg
Royal Canadian Air Force CC-150 Polaris

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:As of, there are 48 A310 family aircraft in service.<ref name="Airbus_O&D">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Civilian operatorsEdit

Template:As of, the following airlines are the known remaining civilian operators of A310 aircraft:<ref name="Airbus_O&D" />

Military operatorsEdit

The A310 is also used by the armed forces of the following countries:Template:Citation needed

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

DeliveriesEdit

By the end of production, a total of 255 A310s had been ordered and delivered.<ref name=Airbus-deliveries>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

total 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983
deliveries 255 1 2 2 2 2 22 24 19 18 23 28 21 19 26 29 17

Accidents and incidentsEdit

As of September 2015 there have been 12 hull-loss accidents involving A310s with a total of 825 fatalities; and 9 hijackings with a total of five fatalities.<ref>"Airbus A310." Aviation Safety Net. Retrieved: 30 September 2015.</ref>

Accidents with fatalitiesEdit

  • 31 July 1992: Thai Airways International Flight 311, an A310-304 carrying 99 passengers and 14 crew, crashed on approach to Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. All 113 on board were killed.
  • 23 March 1994: Aeroflot Flight 593, an A310-304 carrying 63 passengers and 12 crew, crashed in Siberia after the pilot let his son sit at the controls and the autopilot partially disconnected. All 75 on board were killed.
  • 31 March 1995: TAROM Flight 371, an A310-324 carrying 49 passengers and 11 crew, crashed near Otopeni International Airport, Bucharest, Romania after the throttle on the starboard engine jammed with no subsequent resolution by the pilots, at the same time as the captain suffered a medical crisis. All 60 on board were killed.
  • 11 December 1998: Thai Airways International Flight 261 crashed near Surat Thani Airport in Thailand. There were 101 fatalities and 45 survived with serious injuries.
  • 30 January 2000: Kenya Airways Flight 431, an A310-300 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire. 169 passengers and crew were killed and 10 passengers survived with serious injuries. This is the deadliest aviation accident involving the Airbus A310.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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  • On 24 December 2015, at 08:35, an Airbus A310-304F cargo aircraft, registration 9Q-CVH, operated by Congolese company Services Air on a domestic flight, ran off the end of the runway and crashed in a residential area while landing at Mbuji-Mayi Airport in the city of Mbuji-Mayi, the capital of Kasai-Oriental province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eight people were killed and nine others were injured.

HijackingsEdit

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Other incidentsEdit

  • On 11 February 1991, an Interflug flight from Berlin to Moscow was involved in a go-around incident at Sheremetyevo International Airport. The captain of the A310 (registered D-AOAC) disagreed with the flight computer settings for the go-around, and the resulting opposite control inputs from the flight computer caused a total of four stalls, including one that pitched the aircraft up to 88 degrees (nearly vertical). The pilots eventually recovered control and landed the aircraft.<ref>Template:ASN accident</ref>
  • On 24 September 1994, TAROM Flight 381, an Airbus A310 registered YR-LCA flying from Bucharest to Paris Orly, went into a sudden and uncommanded nose-up position and stalled. The crew attempted to countermand the aircraft's flight control system but were unable to get the nose down while remaining on course. Witnesses saw the aircraft climb with an extreme nose-up attitude, then bank sharply left, then right, then fall into a steep dive. Only when the dive produced additional speed was the crew able to recover steady flight. An investigation found that an overshoot of flap placard speed during the approach, incorrectly commanded by the captain, caused a mode transition to flight level change. The auto-throttles increased power and trim went full nose-up as a result. The crew's attempt at commanding the nose-down elevator could not counteract the effect of stabilizer nose-up trim, and the resulting dive brought the aircraft from a height of Template:Convert at the time of the stall to Template:Convert when the crew was able to recover command. The aircraft landed safely after a second approach. There were 186 people on board.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 12 July 2000: Hapag-Lloyd Flight 3378, an A310-304, crashed during an emergency landing near Vienna in Austria due to fuel exhaustion. All 143 passengers and 8 crew on board survived.
  • On 6 March 2005, Air Transat Flight 961, an Airbus A310-308, en route from Cuba to Quebec City with nine crew and 261 passengers on board, experienced a structural failure in which the rudder detached in flight. The A310 experienced a sudden jolt, This is similar to Northwest Flight 85 due to a panel breaking off, Flight 85 landed in Anchorage International, Alaska. But in this situation, The aircraft returned to Varadero, Cuba, where they made a safe landing. The crew made no unusual rudder inputs during the flight nor was the rudder being manipulated when it failed; there was no obvious fault in the rudder or yaw-damper system. Subsequent investigation determined that Airbus' inspection procedure for the composite rudder was inadequate; inspection procedures for composite structures on airliners were changed following this accident.
  • 23 February 2006: A Mahan Air Airbus A310 operating a flight from Tehran, Iran, was involved in a serious incident while on approach to Birmingham International Airport. The aircraft descended to the published minimum descent altitude of Template:Convert despite still being Template:Convert from the runway threshold. At a point 6 nm from the runway the aircraft had descended to an altitude of Template:Convert, which was Template:Convert above ground level. Having noticed the descent profile, Birmingham air traffic control issued an immediate climb instruction to the aircraft, however, the crew had already commenced a missed approach, having received a GPWS alert. The aircraft was radar vectored for a second approach during which the flight crew again initiated an early descent. On this occasion, the radar controller instructed the crew to maintain their altitude and the crew completed the approach to a safe landing. The accident investigation determined that the primary cause was the use of the incorrect DME for the approach, combined with a substantial breakdown in the Crew Resource Management. Three safety recommendations were made.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 12 March 2007: Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight 006, an A310-325 carrying 250 passengers and crew, suffered a collapsed nose gear during its takeoff run. There were no fatalities in the accident at Dubai International Airport. The aircraft came to rest at the end of the runway and was evacuated, but blocked the only active runway and forced the airport to close for nearly eight hours. The aircraft was written off.<ref>"ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A.310–325 S2-ADE Dubai Airport (DXB)." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved: 6 November 2011.</ref>
  • 24 December 2015: A Mahan Air Airbus A310-300 operating a flight from Tehran (Iran) to Istanbul (Turkey) failed to stop at its stand at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, instead colliding with a concrete barrier and bus. The aircraft, registration EP-MNP, sustained substantial damage but was repaired and returned to service a year later. Another A310 crashed the same day and year.<ref>"Accident: Mahan A313 at Istanbul on Dec 24th 2015, failed to stop at stand" Aviation Herald. Retrieved: 1 September 2022.</ref>
  • 19 July 2023: a CC150 Polaris and crew were tasked to repatriate personnel and equipment from Exercise Mobility Guardian 23, a multinational Air Mobility exercise led by the United States at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. The aircraft, operating under callsign Can Force 3149 (CFC3149), arrived in Guam at approximately 2145 Local Time on 21 Jul 23 and was directed to parking by United States Air Force personnel. After shutting down, the crew carried out post flight checks as well as loading the aircraft with baggage and equipment for the return flight the following day. After completing their duties, the crew departed for the hotel at approximately 2300 Local Time. At approximately 1030 Local Time on 22 Jul 23, the unattended aircraft rolled backwards, followed a curved trajectory, and impacted a French Air and Space Force Airbus A400M parked on an adjacent spot. The impact resulted in serious damage to both aircraft, but no injuries. The investigation revealed the aircraft to be serviceable prior to the accident. A lack of installed chocks allowed the aircraft to roll from its position after the parking brake reached its designed holding period of 12 hours. Expectation bias, crew fatigue and checklist design contributed to chocks not being installed as well as the crew not detecting the lack of chocks prior to leaving the aircraft. The investigation recommends changes to checklists, availability of fatigue prediction software for planning, and a review of the Fatigue Assessment Report.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Preserved aircraftEdit

Currently preservedEdit

File:B-2301 at the Civil Aviation Museum of China (20240518141835).jpg
The first Airbus delivered in China was this A310, to China Eastern Airlines in 1985, retired in 2006 and displayed at the Beijing Civil Aviation Museum.

Eight A310 aircraft are preserved:

Formerly preserved, scrapped during preservationEdit

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SpecificationsEdit

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Model A310-200 A310-300
Cockpit Crew Two
2-class 220 passengers (20F + 200Y)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

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1-class 237Y 8-abreast 243Y 8-abreast / 265Y 9-abreast
Exit limit 275 passengers<ref name=TCDS />
Lower deck 14 LD3 containers
Length Template:Cvt
Height Template:Cvt fuselage
Wing Template:Cvt span, Template:Cvt area, 28 ° sweep<ref name=elsevier>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> {{#expr:43.9^2/219round1}} aspect ratio

Cross section Template:Cvt
Maximum Payload Template:Cvt Template:Cvt
MTOW Template:Cvt Template:Cvt
Template:Abbr JT9D: Template:Cvt
PW4000/CF6-80: Template:Cvt
Max fuel 47,940 kg (105,689 lb)
Engines JT9D-7R4 / GE CF6-80 JT9D-7R4E1 / PW4000 / CF6-80C2
Thrust (×2) Template:Cvt<ref name=TCDS />
Speed Cruise: Template:Cvt<ref name=AirlinersSpecs>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>
MMO: Template:Cvt<ref name=TCDS />

Ceiling Template:Cvt<ref name=TCDS />
Range Template:CvtTemplate:Efn Template:CvtTemplate:Efn

Aircraft model designationsEdit

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Model Certification Date Engines
A310-203 11 March 1983 GE CF6-80A3
A310-203C 27 November 1984 GE CF6-80A3
A310-204 23 April 1986 GE CF6-80C2A2
A310-221 11 March 1983 PW JT9D-7R4D1
A310-222 22 September 1983 PW JT9D-7R4E1
A310-304 11 March 1986 GE CF6-80C2A2
A310-308 5 June 1991 GE CF6-80C2A8/A2
A310-322 5 December 1985 PW JT9D-7R4E1
A310-324 27 May 1987 PW4152
A310-325 6 March 1992 PW4156A

See alsoEdit

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ReferencesEdit

CitationsEdit

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BibliographyEdit

NotesEdit

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External linksEdit

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