Narrative:

After pushback and taxing to runway 21R, we experienced several caution bells with a very brief display on the lower ECAM. The display immediately cleared and I could only catch a couple of words (engine and vane). I could not tell which engine was being displayed. I looked at the status page which was clear. Although not policy I did further investigate by interrogating the centralized fault display system page to see if it had logged the failure. At that time even though we had several quick warnings the centralized fault display system had not logged anything. We determined that the warnings were just computer glitches and we continued for takeoff. I was unaware until arriving back at the gate that the captain in trying to figure out what this warning message was had emergency canceled the warning and then recalled it to see the message. I believe the canceled message would have been in the centralized fault display system at that time but his lack of experience and my not knowing he did it prevented us from seeing it prior to takeoff. After takeoff the left engine overtemped and even after retarding it to the climb detent it still stayed in the red. We shut down the left engine, performed the necessary emergency procedures and returned to land without any problems. After returning to the gate, maintenance pulled up the centralized fault display system messages and it showed an engine 1 vane fault canceled prior to our takeoff. No one would takeoff with this problem but we were unaware. If we are to be responsible for warnings stored in the maintenance computer then there should be a positive confirmation from the crew that they are aware of all faults stored in the computer at all times so they can make decisions appropriate to the information at hand. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter first officer says that over the yrs he has had many warning 'dings,' without ECAM messages, and they invariably disappear. He and the inexperienced captain assumed that it was 'just another one of those computer glitches which fix themselves without flight crew action.' in this incident, when the captain pushed the emergency cancel key, he thought it would aid in recalling the faulty item. Reporter says that the variable guide vanes in the engines are controled by 6-8 inch rods with attached cables and those rods become worn and twisted and broken, resulting in overtemps and engine compressor vane warnings. Usually, when an overtemp occurs after takeoff, it can be corrected by selecting a lower power setting. In this incident, during taxi there were intermittent warnings but they were unable to recall the fault on the ECAM. After takeoff they got the overtemp, shutdown the engine and returned to land at the departure airport. After landing, the post- flight centralized fault display system showed that the engine 1 vane fault had been canceled by emergency cancel key and since it was discovered by an FAA mechanic inspector, the flight crew had a review with the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. INCORRECT TROUBLE SHOOTING AND SUBSEQUENT ENG SHUTDOWN.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK AND TAXING TO RWY 21R, WE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL CAUTION BELLS WITH A VERY BRIEF DISPLAY ON THE LOWER ECAM. THE DISPLAY IMMEDIATELY CLRED AND I COULD ONLY CATCH A COUPLE OF WORDS (ENG AND VANE). I COULD NOT TELL WHICH ENG WAS BEING DISPLAYED. I LOOKED AT THE STATUS PAGE WHICH WAS CLR. ALTHOUGH NOT POLICY I DID FURTHER INVESTIGATE BY INTERROGATING THE CENTRALIZED FAULT DISPLAY SYS PAGE TO SEE IF IT HAD LOGGED THE FAILURE. AT THAT TIME EVEN THOUGH WE HAD SEVERAL QUICK WARNINGS THE CENTRALIZED FAULT DISPLAY SYS HAD NOT LOGGED ANYTHING. WE DETERMINED THAT THE WARNINGS WERE JUST COMPUTER GLITCHES AND WE CONTINUED FOR TKOF. I WAS UNAWARE UNTIL ARRIVING BACK AT THE GATE THAT THE CAPT IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS WARNING MESSAGE WAS HAD EMER CANCELED THE WARNING AND THEN RECALLED IT TO SEE THE MESSAGE. I BELIEVE THE CANCELED MESSAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CENTRALIZED FAULT DISPLAY SYS AT THAT TIME BUT HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND MY NOT KNOWING HE DID IT PREVENTED US FROM SEEING IT PRIOR TO TKOF. AFTER TKOF THE L ENG OVERTEMPED AND EVEN AFTER RETARDING IT TO THE CLB DETENT IT STILL STAYED IN THE RED. WE SHUT DOWN THE L ENG, PERFORMED THE NECESSARY EMER PROCS AND RETURNED TO LAND WITHOUT ANY PROBS. AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE, MAINT PULLED UP THE CENTRALIZED FAULT DISPLAY SYS MESSAGES AND IT SHOWED AN ENG 1 VANE FAULT CANCELED PRIOR TO OUR TKOF. NO ONE WOULD TKOF WITH THIS PROB BUT WE WERE UNAWARE. IF WE ARE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WARNINGS STORED IN THE MAINT COMPUTER THEN THERE SHOULD BE A POSITIVE CONFIRMATION FROM THE CREW THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF ALL FAULTS STORED IN THE COMPUTER AT ALL TIMES SO THEY CAN MAKE DECISIONS APPROPRIATE TO THE INFO AT HAND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR FO SAYS THAT OVER THE YRS HE HAS HAD MANY WARNING 'DINGS,' WITHOUT ECAM MESSAGES, AND THEY INVARIABLY DISAPPEAR. HE AND THE INEXPERIENCED CAPT ASSUMED THAT IT WAS 'JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE COMPUTER GLITCHES WHICH FIX THEMSELVES WITHOUT FLC ACTION.' IN THIS INCIDENT, WHEN THE CAPT PUSHED THE EMER CANCEL KEY, HE THOUGHT IT WOULD AID IN RECALLING THE FAULTY ITEM. RPTR SAYS THAT THE VARIABLE GUIDE VANES IN THE ENGS ARE CTLED BY 6-8 INCH RODS WITH ATTACHED CABLES AND THOSE RODS BECOME WORN AND TWISTED AND BROKEN, RESULTING IN OVERTEMPS AND ENG COMPRESSOR VANE WARNINGS. USUALLY, WHEN AN OVERTEMP OCCURS AFTER TKOF, IT CAN BE CORRECTED BY SELECTING A LOWER PWR SETTING. IN THIS INCIDENT, DURING TAXI THERE WERE INTERMITTENT WARNINGS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO RECALL THE FAULT ON THE ECAM. AFTER TKOF THEY GOT THE OVERTEMP, SHUTDOWN THE ENG AND RETURNED TO LAND AT THE DEP ARPT. AFTER LNDG, THE POST- FLT CENTRALIZED FAULT DISPLAY SYS SHOWED THAT THE ENG 1 VANE FAULT HAD BEEN CANCELED BY EMER CANCEL KEY AND SINCE IT WAS DISCOVERED BY AN FAA MECH INSPECTOR, THE FLC HAD A REVIEW WITH THE FAA.

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.