Three passengers on a JetBlue flight that experienced a sudden unplanned descent are suing the airline, Airbus, and Thales Avionics over injuries and “mental anguish” caused by the incident.
A complaint filed last month in federal court in Tampa, Florida, alleges JetBlue knew there were problems with the Thales-made elevator aileron computers (ELACs) used on certain A320-family aircraft.
The incident, which took place in October 2025, prompted a worldwide grounding of those aircraft and upgrades to the flight computers. Airbus said at the time that intense solar radiation could corrupt data used by the systems.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs noted that French aviation experts did not list solar radiation as a likely cause of the pitch-down event, pointing instead to an ELAC switchover.
“Upon information and belief Defendant JetBlue was aware of a fleet-wide reoccurring autopilot glitch during an ELAC switchover, which caused an uncommanded and sudden pitch change,” the complaint read. “Despite the knowledge of the critically dangerous, fleet wide, ELAC-related condition, Defendant JetBlue permitted the Aircraft to perform commercial operations for hire, which resulted in the incident material to the claims herein, and the Plaintiffs’ resulting injuries and harms.”
The plaintiffs are seeking compensation over $75,000, their attorneys said.
The JetBlue flight, which used an A320, was traveling from Cancun to Newark when the aircraft pitched nose down, “resulting in a sudden and uncommanded loss of altitude.”
The crew diverted to Tampa and landed there safely. According to initial communications with air traffic controllers, at least three people were injured.
The A320 grounding came one day after Thanksgiving, during one of the busiest travel periods in the U.S. Most airlines completed the upgrade within days, allowing the aircraft to return to service and preventing potentially massive flight disruptions.
