Narrative:

Aircraft was dispatched with #1 engine fadec class ii message. Previous flight had numerous problems with same. APU inoperative started #2 engine at gate. Got fadec message on ECAM which went away. Pushed back and started engine, using xbleed start. After #1 engine was running, got fadec message again, which went away. At 1500 ft MSL, got another fadec message which had been inhibited during takeoff. It was cleared and we continued climb to northwest until around 16000 ft. The #1 engine readings disappeared and engine began surging. We leveled off at FL230 and informed ATC, requesting vectors to mem. Engine ran ok for about 3 mins while captain talked to dispatch and maintenance control, and ran checklists. Then it began surging again. Captain reduced power to idle in response to checklist and #1 engine quit. We declared emergency, returned to mem. Landing and taxi in was uneventful and aircraft was not evacuate/evacuationed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting first officer states that the fadecs controling the engine were ok. But the fadec generator supplying power to the fadecs was not operating properly, it was cutting in and out. This caused the fadecs to switch back and forth from 'a' to 'B.' a further complication was the switching mechanism that is supposed to direct ship's power to the fadecs. It, too, failed. When the fadecs had no power to them, they automatically shut the engine down. A class ii ECAM message is one that is minor in nature that will be taken care of later but is ok for operation at the present time. The ability for ship's power to pick up the fadec load is a change from the original confign of the fadecs and their power sources. Supplemental information from acn 295871: during climb out, several fadec 'a' and 'B' faults occurred. Maintenance changed ecu and alternator. Preliminary reports indicate the alternator was failing. Intermittent failure of the alternator never allowed the ship's electric system to take over operation of the fadec. The alternator has been sent to airbus for detailed analysis. I feel the software may need improvement to allow positive change of control from the alternator to ship's electrical system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN. FLAMEOUT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH #1 ENG FADEC CLASS II MESSAGE. PREVIOUS FLT HAD NUMEROUS PROBS WITH SAME. APU INOP STARTED #2 ENG AT GATE. GOT FADEC MESSAGE ON ECAM WHICH WENT AWAY. PUSHED BACK AND STARTED ENG, USING XBLEED START. AFTER #1 ENG WAS RUNNING, GOT FADEC MESSAGE AGAIN, WHICH WENT AWAY. AT 1500 FT MSL, GOT ANOTHER FADEC MESSAGE WHICH HAD BEEN INHIBITED DURING TKOF. IT WAS CLRED AND WE CONTINUED CLB TO NW UNTIL AROUND 16000 FT. THE #1 ENG READINGS DISAPPEARED AND ENG BEGAN SURGING. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL230 AND INFORMED ATC, REQUESTING VECTORS TO MEM. ENG RAN OK FOR ABOUT 3 MINS WHILE CAPT TALKED TO DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL, AND RAN CHKLISTS. THEN IT BEGAN SURGING AGAIN. CAPT REDUCED PWR TO IDLE IN RESPONSE TO CHKLIST AND #1 ENG QUIT. WE DECLARED EMER, RETURNED TO MEM. LNDG AND TAXI IN WAS UNEVENTFUL AND ACFT WAS NOT EVACED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT THE FADECS CTLING THE ENG WERE OK. BUT THE FADEC GENERATOR SUPPLYING PWR TO THE FADECS WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY, IT WAS CUTTING IN AND OUT. THIS CAUSED THE FADECS TO SWITCH BACK AND FORTH FROM 'A' TO 'B.' A FURTHER COMPLICATION WAS THE SWITCHING MECHANISM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO DIRECT SHIP'S PWR TO THE FADECS. IT, TOO, FAILED. WHEN THE FADECS HAD NO PWR TO THEM, THEY AUTOMATICALLY SHUT THE ENG DOWN. A CLASS II ECAM MESSAGE IS ONE THAT IS MINOR IN NATURE THAT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF LATER BUT IS OK FOR OP AT THE PRESENT TIME. THE ABILITY FOR SHIP'S PWR TO PICK UP THE FADEC LOAD IS A CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL CONFIGN OF THE FADECS AND THEIR PWR SOURCES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 295871: DURING CLBOUT, SEVERAL FADEC 'A' AND 'B' FAULTS OCCURRED. MAINT CHANGED ECU AND ALTERNATOR. PRELIMINARY RPTS INDICATE THE ALTERNATOR WAS FAILING. INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE ALTERNATOR NEVER ALLOWED THE SHIP'S ELECTRIC SYS TO TAKE OVER OP OF THE FADEC. THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN SENT TO AIRBUS FOR DETAILED ANALYSIS. I FEEL THE SOFTWARE MAY NEED IMPROVEMENT TO ALLOW POSITIVE CHANGE OF CTL FROM THE ALTERNATOR TO SHIP'S ELECTRICAL SYS.

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.