What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Event summary: on 10/30/2025 at approximately 1757Z – an A320-232, operating as a revenue passenger flight from cancun international airport (mmun) to newark liberty international airport (ewr), encountered an un-commanded pitch down event. The crew contacted miami ATC to request to be diverted to Tampa international airport (tpa) due to an issue with flight controls. The aircraft landed at tpa at 1819Z.
The CVR /dvdr boxes were removed and quarantined. The dvdr was sent to Airbus for analysis. The elac 2 troubleshooting data analyzed by Airbus confirmed elac 2 failure. Elac 1 and 2 were replaced, and the flight control data concentrator (fdc 1 and 2) were also replaced as recommended by Airbus.
The blue hydraulic reservoir and system was inspected with no defects. The reason message hyd b rsvr lo lvl came on was due to movement of the internal float inside the reservoir during the pitch down event.
The elac communication and monitoring wiring circuits checked for loss of the left and right elevator servo loops no discrepancies noted, operational checks of the side stick assemblies performed, and all test passed, flight control integrity test accomplished and tested satisfactory. Several cabin and lavatory interior panels were found damaged and replaced. A severe turbulence phase 1 inspection accomplished with no discrepancies. Test flight accomplished with no discrepancies noted, there was no turbulence reported during this event; the turbulence inspection was a precautionary action to ensure aircraft structure integrity.
On November 28, 2025, the FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive - FAA AD 2025-24-51.
The emergency AD was prompted by an un-commanded and limited pitch down event that occurred on an Airbus A320 airplane, where the autopilot remained engaged with a brief and limited loss of altitude. The emergency AD is to address a malfunction of the affected elevator aileron computer (elac). The AD was accomplished on aircraft N605JB prior to further flight on November 30, 2025.
No previous history was identified leading to this incident. Since the repairs and emergency AD have been accomplished, the aircraft operated with no further reported issues with the flight control system. A comprehensive investigation is currently ongoing to determine the root cause of the elac 2 failure. All findings will be shared with the relevant parties to support the continuing operational safety and airworthiness of the aircraft and fleet type.
As the FAA filed it
EVENT SUMMARY: ON 10/30/2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 1757Z – AN A320-232, OPERATING AS A REVENUE PASSENGER FLIGHT FROM CANCUN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MMUN) TO NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (EWR), ENCOUNTERED AN UN-COMMANDED PITCH DOWN EVENT. THE CREW CONTACTED MIAMI ATC TO REQUEST TO BE DIVERTED TO TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (TPA) DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT TPA AT 1819Z.
THE CVR /DVDR BOXES WERE REMOVED AND QUARANTINED. THE DVDR WAS SENT TO AIRBUS FOR ANALYSIS. THE ELAC 2 TROUBLESHOOTING DATA ANALYZED BY AIRBUS CONFIRMED ELAC 2 FAILURE. ELAC 1 AND 2 WERE REPLACED, AND THE FLIGHT CONTROL DATA CONCENTRATOR (FDC 1 AND 2) WERE ALSO REPLACED AS RECOMMENDED BY AIRBUS.
THE BLUE HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR AND SYSTEM WAS INSPECTED WITH NO DEFECTS. THE REASON MESSAGE HYD B RSVR LO LVL CAME ON WAS DUE TO MOVEMENT OF THE INTERNAL FLOAT INSIDE THE RESERVOIR DURING THE PITCH DOWN EVENT.
THE ELAC COMMUNICATION AND MONITORING WIRING CIRCUITS CHECKED FOR LOSS OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT ELEVATOR SERVO LOOPS NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED, OPERATIONAL CHECKS OF THE SIDE STICK ASSEMBLIES PERFORMED, AND ALL TEST PASSED, FLIGHT CONTROL INTEGRITY TEST ACCOMPLISHED AND TESTED SATISFACTORY. SEVERAL CABIN AND LAVATORY INTERIOR PANELS WERE FOUND DAMAGED AND REPLACED. A SEVERE TURBULENCE PHASE 1 INSPECTION ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES. TEST FLIGHT ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED, THERE WAS NO TURBULENCE REPORTED DURING THIS EVENT; THE TURBULENCE INSPECTION WAS A PRECAUTIONARY ACTION TO ENSURE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE INTEGRITY.
ON NOVEMBER 28, 2025, THE FAA ISSUED AN EMERGENCY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE - FAA AD 2025-24-51.
THE EMERGENCY AD WAS PROMPTED BY AN UN-COMMANDED AND LIMITED PITCH DOWN EVENT THAT OCCURRED ON AN AIRBUS A320 AIRPLANE, WHERE THE AUTOPILOT REMAINED ENGAGED WITH A BRIEF AND LIMITED LOSS OF ALTITUDE. THE EMERGENCY AD IS TO ADDRESS A MALFUNCTION OF THE AFFECTED ELEVATOR AILERON COMPUTER (ELAC). THE AD WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON AIRCRAFT N605JB PRIOR TO FURTHER FLIGHT ON NOVEMBER 30, 2025.
NO PREVIOUS HISTORY WAS IDENTIFIED LEADING TO THIS INCIDENT. SINCE THE REPAIRS AND EMERGENCY AD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, THE AIRCRAFT OPERATED WITH NO FURTHER REPORTED ISSUES WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM. A COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION IS CURRENTLY ONGOING TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ELAC 2 FAILURE. ALL FINDINGS WILL BE SHARED WITH THE RELEVANT PARTIES TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUING OPERATIONAL SAFETY AND AIRWORTHINESS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FLEET TYPE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N605JB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.