A fire in the cockpit of a Jetstar Airbus A330 in 2009 was caused by a production fault with the electrical connection to the windshield heating system, which the Australian Transport Safety Bureau inquiry concluded it was related to the use of a polysulfide sealant that led to unintended effects.
Airbus was prompted to replace 1500 aircraft windscreens worldwide, when it concluded similar incidents were the result of contact between braided wires and the unintended migration of the sealant.
"The ATSB have been advised that due to the limited fleet-wide completion of the worldwide replacement program, the European Aviation Safety Authority is considering the implementation of an airworthiness directive that will require all European operators of applicable Airbus aircraft to comply with the Airbus windshield replacement program," the report says.
"The ATSB were also advised that the windshield replacement program was completed across the Qantas Group of applicable aircraft in April, 2011 and that windshields fitted to other Australian-operated A330 aircraft are not affected by the replacement program."