Narrative:

Airbus procedures had been changed about late july/xx/94 to require the generator switched on before engine start so that when the power transfer takes place in several of our aircraft. (So far noted in airbuses) a piercing sharp spike is heard in the first officer's headset, with molded earpiece, company issued and approved, the spike causes tenderness to the eardrum, lasting for sometimes days, causing probable permanent ear damage to hearing. I have advised company fleet manager for A-320 several times, and he has noted once in response that airbus is looking at problem, my greatest concern is for the hearing damage being caused myself, jeopardizing my flight medical and other crewmembers on the A-320. The FAA required us to wear headsets when below FL180 and company procedures require now for generators to be in on position for start, when in past they were manually selected on after start. The problem seems to be the company and FAA and airbus need to find a fix before more damage is done my ear and to my first class medical. Why can they not request a temporary procedure change, relief from FAA requirement to wear headset during start, and airbus to correct problem or cover my medical cost and career earning loss due to failure of FAA medical. I appreciate your advising some agency or manufacturer of this problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the flcs are required to wear the headsets on engine start and pushback as per the far's. (Use of headsets required under 18000 ft). Reporter had talked with his fleet manager on the A-320S and that manager stated that the problem of the 'spike' that is so bothersome is 'being looked at by the company through airbus.' the air carrier requires that the #2 engine be started first during the pushback. The generator 'pbs' (push button switches) are in prior to engine start. The APU is running, with the APU generator supplying the required electrical power. The 'spike' occurs when the #2 generator comes 'on-line' during engine start. It is an odd circumstance that, when #1 engine is started instead of #2, there is no 'spike' experienced on the headsets. This has been brought to the company's attention and a suggestion made that #1 engine be started first as 'SOP.' but the air carrier does not plan on any changes to the start procedures. Another interesting point, the reporter stated that his 'spike' situation did not exist when the generator 'pbs' switches were left out and only pushed in after the engines were started, the APU generator supplying the aircraft's requirements. There was no spike when the generators were brought on-line using this procedure. This 'spike' event, prior to this procedural change of the 'pbs' in prior to start, was occurring only during arrival procedure at the gate during the #1 engine shut down. Reporter could not relate this to the 'on or off' position of the APU generator.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A-320 FO COMPLAINS OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT DUE TO FREQ 'SPIKE' CREATED BY GENERATOR DURING ENG STARTING.

Narrative: AIRBUS PROCS HAD BEEN CHANGED ABOUT LATE JULY/XX/94 TO REQUIRE THE GENERATOR SWITCHED ON BEFORE ENG START SO THAT WHEN THE PWR TRANSFER TAKES PLACE IN SEVERAL OF OUR ACFT. (SO FAR NOTED IN AIRBUSES) A PIERCING SHARP SPIKE IS HEARD IN THE FO'S HEADSET, WITH MOLDED EARPIECE, COMPANY ISSUED AND APPROVED, THE SPIKE CAUSES TENDERNESS TO THE EARDRUM, LASTING FOR SOMETIMES DAYS, CAUSING PROBABLE PERMANENT EAR DAMAGE TO HEARING. I HAVE ADVISED COMPANY FLEET MANAGER FOR A-320 SEVERAL TIMES, AND HE HAS NOTED ONCE IN RESPONSE THAT AIRBUS IS LOOKING AT PROB, MY GREATEST CONCERN IS FOR THE HEARING DAMAGE BEING CAUSED MYSELF, JEOPARDIZING MY FLT MEDICAL AND OTHER CREWMEMBERS ON THE A-320. THE FAA REQUIRED US TO WEAR HEADSETS WHEN BELOW FL180 AND COMPANY PROCS REQUIRE NOW FOR GENERATORS TO BE IN ON POS FOR START, WHEN IN PAST THEY WERE MANUALLY SELECTED ON AFTER START. THE PROB SEEMS TO BE THE COMPANY AND FAA AND AIRBUS NEED TO FIND A FIX BEFORE MORE DAMAGE IS DONE MY EAR AND TO MY FIRST CLASS MEDICAL. WHY CAN THEY NOT REQUEST A TEMPORARY PROC CHANGE, RELIEF FROM FAA REQUIREMENT TO WEAR HEADSET DURING START, AND AIRBUS TO CORRECT PROB OR COVER MY MEDICAL COST AND CAREER EARNING LOSS DUE TO FAILURE OF FAA MEDICAL. I APPRECIATE YOUR ADVISING SOME AGENCY OR MANUFACTURER OF THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FLCS ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR THE HEADSETS ON ENGINE START AND PUSHBACK AS PER THE FAR'S. (USE OF HEADSETS REQUIRED UNDER 18000 FT). RPTR HAD TALKED WITH HIS FLEET MGR ON THE A-320S AND THAT MGR STATED THAT THE PROB OF THE 'SPIKE' THAT IS SO BOTHERSOME IS 'BEING LOOKED AT BY THE COMPANY THROUGH AIRBUS.' THE ACR REQUIRES THAT THE #2 ENG BE STARTED FIRST DURING THE PUSHBACK. THE GENERATOR 'PBS' (PUSH BUTTON SWITCHES) ARE IN PRIOR TO ENG START. THE APU IS RUNNING, WITH THE APU GENERATOR SUPPLYING THE REQUIRED ELECTRICAL PWR. THE 'SPIKE' OCCURS WHEN THE #2 GENERATOR COMES 'ON-LINE' DURING ENG START. IT IS AN ODD CIRCUMSTANCE THAT, WHEN #1 ENG IS STARTED INSTEAD OF #2, THERE IS NO 'SPIKE' EXPERIENCED ON THE HEADSETS. THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE COMPANY'S ATTN AND A SUGGESTION MADE THAT #1 ENG BE STARTED FIRST AS 'SOP.' BUT THE ACR DOES NOT PLAN ON ANY CHANGES TO THE START PROCS. ANOTHER INTERESTING POINT, THE RPTR STATED THAT HIS 'SPIKE' SIT DID NOT EXIST WHEN THE GENERATOR 'PBS' SWITCHES WERE LEFT OUT AND ONLY PUSHED IN AFTER THE ENGS WERE STARTED, THE APU GENERATOR SUPPLYING THE ACFT'S REQUIREMENTS. THERE WAS NO SPIKE WHEN THE GENERATORS WERE BROUGHT ON-LINE USING THIS PROC. THIS 'SPIKE' EVENT, PRIOR TO THIS PROCEDURAL CHANGE OF THE 'PBS' IN PRIOR TO START, WAS OCCURRING ONLY DURING ARR PROC AT THE GATE DURING THE #1 ENG SHUT DOWN. RPTR COULD NOT RELATE THIS TO THE 'ON OR OFF' POS OF THE APU GENERATOR.

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.