AIRBUS Performance & Operations Conference

Flight Operations Support Bangkok 2005

OEB TRACKING POLICY

By Christophe LEMOZIT

Manager Flight Operations Safety Enhancement

1. INTRODUCTION
In a permanent and conscientious effort to further improve operations relative to our aircraft, Airbus
continuously monitor the status of Operations Engineering Bulletins (OEBs), and the retrofit of associated
Service Bulletins to enable the cancellation of applicable OEBs. The goal is to curtail, as much as
possible, the number of OEBs applicable to an airline’s fleet.

The objective is, therefore, to inform you that Airbus proposes to review and confirm the current status of
your fleet in order to determine how to reduce the number of your existing OEBs, if necessary.

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT OEB

As you know, OEBs are issued in parallel with the FCOM/QRH in order to provide temporary operational
procedures that address any digression, from initial design objectives, having an operational impact.
However, the existence of an excessive number of OEBs within an airline’s fleet may increase the flight
crew workload. This increase in workload can be reduced, if a technical solution exists to cancel such
OEBs via the retrofit of a modification.

As a general reminder, there are two types of OEBs: RED and WHITE.

• A red OEB is issued to indicate that non-compliance with recommended procedures can significantly
impact and hinder safe aircraft operations.

• A white OEB is issued in all other cases.

From OEB creation to OEB cancellation

Digression from initial

design objectives having
an operational impact

Technical
solution & SB OEB
available cancelled

B OE
OE B
© AIRBUS 2005 S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Retrofit
completed

OEB Tracking Policy 4 14th Performance & Operations Conference Bangkok, 4-8 April 2005

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The List of Effective OEB (LEOEB) gives the actual status of the OEBs applicable to an airline’s fleet.
Such an LEOEB is included in the FCOM.

3. HOW CAN THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE OEB BE REDUCED?

3.1. How is the airline aware of an existing technical solution?

For each OEB, a technical solution (MOD/SB) shall be defined to allow its cancellation.

When the technical solution is available, the OEB is updated and then released to the operators. The
technical solution is stated in the “Cancelled by” field of the OEB itself. Therefore, the Flight Operations
department is aware that a technical solution exists to cancel the OEB.

The Engineering department will receive the Service Bulletin associated to the embodiment of this
technical solution. The OEB reference is part of the SB. Therefore, the Engineering department is aware
of the technical solution that cancels an OEB.

Area of improvement is to reinforce communication between Flight Operations and Engineering within the
airline to ensure that people are aware that a technical solution exists.

1
Please find at the end of this article an overview of OEBs applicable to SA and LR programs that have a
technical solution to cancel them.

3.2. How is an OEB cancelled?

If an OEB is red, Airworthiness Authorities render the implementation of a technical solution mandatory,
via a “Consigne de Navigabilité” (CN) or Airworthiness Directive (AD). The OEB must be cancelled before
the deadline of the “Consigne de Navigabilité” and/or “ Airworthiness Directive” accordingly.

If an OEB is white, Airbus recommends that the technical solution be implemented. This recommendation
is indicated by a specific “RECOMMENDED SB” label on the SB itself. Airbus will take all necessary
steps to ensure fastest possible SB embodiment but final decision remains an airline's decision.

To actually cancel an OEB in the FCOM/QRH (i.e.: OEB is removed from the LEOEB), the key element is
to comply with the SB reporting process established between airline and Airbus so that the
documentation is up-to-date and compliant with the aircraft configuration.

The following generic e-mail should be used for SB reporting: sb.reporting@airbus.com.

3.3. OEB tracking policy

The objective is to minimize the number of OEB per airline’s fleet in order to reduce the increase in
workload. Statistical data shows that some operators have more than 10 OEBs applicable to their fleet.
On the other hand, the number of OEB could be significantly reduced through the embodiment of
available technical solution (e.g.: on the SA program, 80% of OEBs have a technical solution).

3.3.1. Airline
From the airline side, the operations department would have to emphasize to the engineering department
the need for SB embodiment in order to tackle the operational burden of a high number of OEBs.

1
For WB program, please refer to the “A300/A300-600/A310 OEB status” article prepared for the
A300/A300-600/A310 session.

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Note:
Pending the SB embodiment, the OEB reminder device, when available, provides help to the crew by
enabling them to clearly identify (on the ECAM) all procedures and status messages affected by an OEB.
When a situation leading to a warning/caution occurs, a message informs the crew in real time that an
OEB exists for the displayed warning and/or status and, consequently, that the procedure and/or status
presented on the ECAM is not applicable. Such a device may reduce the crew workload.

3.4. Airbus
During one of our future visits to your airline, your Customer Support Director will be in contact with you to
review your OEB status and will assist you to take the appropriate actions to cancel applicable OEBs,
when possible, via the embodiment of Service Bulletins.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact your Resident Customer Support Manager, if you
require any assistance or additional information.

4. CONCLUSION

A letter has been sent to all airlines to advise them of the reinforcement of the OEB tracking by Airbus.

To further improve operations relative to our aircraft, the upcoming achievements are:

- Fill the gap, if any, between actual aircraft configuration and Airbus configuration database to
update the List of Effective OEB in your FCOM/QRH,

- Recommend the retrofit of technical solutions when they have not been embodied yet.

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Flight Operations Support Bangkok 2005

LIST OF OEBs ON SA AND LR PROGRAMS

THAT HAVE A TECHNICAL SOLUTION (February 2005)

Note:
Please refer to the LEOB published in the FCOM to know the effectivity of these OEBs on your fleet.
Criteria of applicability are not published in these tables, neither for OEB nor for SB. Moreover, these
tables do not list all the SBs (i.e.: only initial technical solution is given, but not all subsequent system
standards).

A340 (For information only)

OEB TECHNICAL SOLUTION

TITLE
A340 (SB)

23-4006
21-4037
10/3 AIR CONDITIONING CABIN COMFORT 21-4039
21-4016
21-4015

34-4030
12/2 VOR BEARING FLUCTUATION or
34-4053

RESET OF A/SKID SWITCH SUBSEQUENT TO A "BRAKES ANTI-

44/1 SKID FAULT" AND/OR A "WHEEL N/W STRG FAULT" ECAM 32-5029
CAUTION

45/2 ENG 1(2) (3) (4) BLEED FAULT 36-4028

32-5037
49/2 LANDING GEAR GRAVITY EXTENSION
32-5029
31-4087
31-5012
52/3 LOSS OF DISPLAY UNITS IN FLIGHT
31A4094
31A5016

A330 (For information only)

OEB TECHNICAL SOLUTION

TITLE
A330 (SB)

INTERMITTENT AND SPURIOUS “A.ICE ENG VALVE CLOSED” ECAM

32/2 73-3030
WARNING

35/1 ENGINE START AIR VALVE SLOW TO CLOSE 80-3001

73-3034
38/4 ENGINE STALL AND SHUTDOWN AT ACCELERATION FROM IDLE or
71-3018

40/2 RR ENGINE TURBINE OVERHEAT IN ONE ENGINE OUT CONDITION 77-3001

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OEB TECHNICAL SOLUTION

TITLE (CONT’D)
A330 (SB)

41/1 RUDDER PEDAL SENSOR FAILURE 27-3118

43/1 THRUST ASYMMETRY DURING CLIMB 73-3036

44/2 LOSS OF ENGINES PARAMETERS 73-3036

45/2 DUAL FWC LOSS DURING APPROACH 31-3066

31-3069
46/3 LOSS OF DISPLAY UNITS IN FLIGHT
31A3080

31-3069
47/3 LOSS OF DISPLAY UNITS IN FLIGHT
31A3080

ON GROUND ENGINE STALL AND SHUTDOWN AT ACCELERATION

48/1 71-3018
FROM IDLE

A318/A319/A320/A321 (For information only)

OEB TECHNICAL SOLUTION

TITLE
SA (SB)

78/6 BRAKING MISBEHAVIOURS 32-1125

101/2 NOSE LANDING GEAR 32-1107

124/4 VOR BEARING FLUCTUATIONS (BENDIX VOR) 34-1107

137/1 LOSS OF BRAKING 32-1196

138/1 PARTIAL DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER OXYGEN MASKS 35-1020

139/1 CABIN DEPRESSURIZATION 21-1116

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OEB TECHNICAL SOLUTION

TITLE (CONT’D)
SA (SB)

140/2 FALSE ECAM AMBER CAUTIONS 31A1144

22-1083 or
22-1084 or
22-1114 or
22-1080 or
22-1081 or
INSUFFICIENT BANK ANGLE AP/FD ORDER DURING TURN IN NAV
141/2 22-1089 or
OR HDG/TRK MODE
22-1090 or
22-1103 or
22-1152 or
22-1116 or
22-1153

142/1 DUAL FWC FAILURE 31-1155

22-1083 or
143/1 UNTIMELY GLIDESLOPE CAPTURE LEADING TO A -NOSE UP-
22-1084
22-1089 or
22-1090 or
144/3 NO TRANSITION TO GO-AROUND PHASE
22-1086 or
22-1087
FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION COMPUTER (FQIC) CHANNEL
145/2 28-1107
FAULTS

147/3 GOODRICH BRAKES - REDUCED BRAKING EFFICIENCY 32-1247

FWC SPURIOUS FAULTS OR INVALID PIN PROGRAM

148/1 31A1202
CONFIGURATION

VSB 342-36-05 or
149/3 DUAL BLEED LOSS
ISB 36-1049 or 36E1003

150/2 EPR SHORTFALL DURING FLEX TAKEOFF 73-1075

34-1249 or
MAGNETIC VARIATION TABLES FOR HONEYWELL INERTIAL
151/1 34-1240 or
REFERENCE SYSTEM (IRS)
34-1231

27-1151 or
153/2 A321 ROLL CONTROL IN CONF FULL
27-1152

22-1146 or
UNDUE HIGH SPEED TARGET AT GO-AROUND WITH ONE ENGINE
154/3 22-1144 or
INOPERATIVE
22-1168

ERRONEOUS LANDING CAPABILITY ON FMA UPON ILS RECEIVER

157/2 22-1155
OR MMR FAULT

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OEB
TITLE (CONT’D) TECHNICAL SOLUTION (SB)
SA

IDENTIFIED IN-SERVICE MISBEHAVIORS WITH FMS2 22-1146 or

158/3
THALES/SMITHS 22-1147

31A1220 or
160/2 LOSS OF DISPLAY UNITS IN FLIGHT
31-1234

INSUFFICIENT FD PITCH CORRECTION ORDERS IN ILS

161/2 22-1155
APPROACH WITH AP OFF

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