A320 at cruise gives cargo smoke warning very short duration.

Attributes
ACN	273658
Time
Date	199406
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	273658
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Had a cargo smoke warning in cruise flight. Only lasted about 1/2 second. I treated it as a spurious warning because it only lasted a very short time. The inlet and exhaust valves to this compartment (aft cargo) closed as if it was an actual smoke event. I wrote it up in the logbook as a spurious warning, but became concerned that the FAA (if and when) they looked through the logbook, might say I disregarded a smoke warning. This aircraft had been giving us numerous spurious messages during the 2 legs we had flown it, A320. We had a spoiler message, lavatory smoke detector, fire loop B fault, left wing bleed leak all before this cargo smoke message. All but the spoiler message were momentary spurious messages. I called the A320 technical people that I deal with and they researched the aircraft history. The aircraft had a long history of the same kind of spurious messages. They told me aircraft maintenance had decided to pull and replace the smoke detection control unit as it was apparently the cause of these messages. Some of the new generation aircraft cause many problems through faulty system monitoring.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 AT CRUISE GIVES CARGO SMOKE WARNING VERY SHORT DURATION.

Narrative: HAD A CARGO SMOKE WARNING IN CRUISE FLT. ONLY LASTED ABOUT 1/2 SECOND. I TREATED IT AS A SPURIOUS WARNING BECAUSE IT ONLY LASTED A VERY SHORT TIME. THE INLET AND EXHAUST VALVES TO THIS COMPARTMENT (AFT CARGO) CLOSED AS IF IT WAS AN ACTUAL SMOKE EVENT. I WROTE IT UP IN THE LOGBOOK AS A SPURIOUS WARNING, BUT BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE FAA (IF AND WHEN) THEY LOOKED THROUGH THE LOGBOOK, MIGHT SAY I DISREGARDED A SMOKE WARNING. THIS ACFT HAD BEEN GIVING US NUMEROUS SPURIOUS MESSAGES DURING THE 2 LEGS WE HAD FLOWN IT, A320. WE HAD A SPOILER MESSAGE, LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR, FIRE LOOP B FAULT, L WING BLEED LEAK ALL BEFORE THIS CARGO SMOKE MESSAGE. ALL BUT THE SPOILER MESSAGE WERE MOMENTARY SPURIOUS MESSAGES. I CALLED THE A320 TECHNICAL PEOPLE THAT I DEAL WITH AND THEY RESEARCHED THE ACFT HISTORY. THE ACFT HAD A LONG HISTORY OF THE SAME KIND OF SPURIOUS MESSAGES. THEY TOLD ME ACFT MAINT HAD DECIDED TO PULL AND REPLACE THE SMOKE DETECTION CTL UNIT AS IT WAS APPARENTLY THE CAUSE OF THESE MESSAGES. SOME OF THE NEW GENERATION ACFT CAUSE MANY PROBS THROUGH FAULTY SYS MONITORING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.