Narrative:

Automatic-refuel panel improperly set by mechanics after refuel at fll. Discovered 10000 pounds lateral fuel imbalance approximately 80 NM from atl on sinca arrival (maximum allowable imbalance is 2000 pounds). It was not annunciated by ECAM -- happened to notice aileron/yoke displacement and discovered imbalance on checking various ECAM system pages. Initiated fuel xfeed balancing procedures and continued downwind at atl while checking controllability and attempting to regain fuel balance. Cleared to descend to 5000 ft on extended base leg. Momentarily descended 300 ft low on base leg due to pre- occupation with the emergency and aircraft controllability. Alerted by atl approach, and we corrected back to 5000 ft immediately, no conflict. I was flying the aircraft while giving IOE to a new captain trainee, on his first flight. The A310 altitude capture and altitude alert system both failed during this descent. I was basically a single pilot, hand-flying a badly out of center of gravity airplane, running an emergency procedure, and just missed the altitude deviation with no altitude capture nor altitude alert to back me up. The trainee captain was completely overwhelmed and of no help. Supplemental information from acn 318021: my line check airman/instructor and I had discussed fueling problems and how to tell when refueling was complete. Neither of us could believe that as we had checked the fuel not less then 20 mins earlier and it was in limits. We descended and configured early to see what controllability problems we would encounter. We also requested from approach control an extended final of at least 20 mi. During this time we fully configured flaps 40 degrees, gear down, and turned off the fuel pumps in the right wing tanks to attempt to burn fuel from the left wing. What neither the check pilot nor myself remembered is that in this model of A310, when the flaps are set to 40 degrees the autoplt will not capture the selected altitude. When we landed we had approximately a 2500 pound fuel imbalance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING DSCNT IN AN EMER FUEL IMBALANCE CONDITION, THE FLC FAILED TO LEVEL AT ASSIGNED ALT. ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT.

Narrative: AUTO-REFUEL PANEL IMPROPERLY SET BY MECHS AFTER REFUEL AT FLL. DISCOVERED 10000 LBS LATERAL FUEL IMBALANCE APPROX 80 NM FROM ATL ON SINCA ARR (MAX ALLOWABLE IMBALANCE IS 2000 LBS). IT WAS NOT ANNUNCIATED BY ECAM -- HAPPENED TO NOTICE AILERON/YOKE DISPLACEMENT AND DISCOVERED IMBALANCE ON CHKING VARIOUS ECAM SYS PAGES. INITIATED FUEL XFEED BALANCING PROCS AND CONTINUED DOWNWIND AT ATL WHILE CHKING CONTROLLABILITY AND ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN FUEL BALANCE. CLRED TO DSND TO 5000 FT ON EXTENDED BASE LEG. MOMENTARILY DSNDED 300 FT LOW ON BASE LEG DUE TO PRE- OCCUPATION WITH THE EMER AND ACFT CONTROLLABILITY. ALERTED BY ATL APCH, AND WE CORRECTED BACK TO 5000 FT IMMEDIATELY, NO CONFLICT. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT WHILE GIVING IOE TO A NEW CAPT TRAINEE, ON HIS FIRST FLT. THE A310 ALT CAPTURE AND ALT ALERT SYS BOTH FAILED DURING THIS DSCNT. I WAS BASICALLY A SINGLE PLT, HAND-FLYING A BADLY OUT OF CTR OF GRAVITY AIRPLANE, RUNNING AN EMER PROC, AND JUST MISSED THE ALTDEV WITH NO ALT CAPTURE NOR ALT ALERT TO BACK ME UP. THE TRAINEE CAPT WAS COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED AND OF NO HELP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 318021: MY LINE CHK AIRMAN/INSTRUCTOR AND I HAD DISCUSSED FUELING PROBS AND HOW TO TELL WHEN REFUELING WAS COMPLETE. NEITHER OF US COULD BELIEVE THAT AS WE HAD CHKED THE FUEL NOT LESS THEN 20 MINS EARLIER AND IT WAS IN LIMITS. WE DSNDED AND CONFIGURED EARLY TO SEE WHAT CONTROLLABILITY PROBS WE WOULD ENCOUNTER. WE ALSO REQUESTED FROM APCH CTL AN EXTENDED FINAL OF AT LEAST 20 MI. DURING THIS TIME WE FULLY CONFIGURED FLAPS 40 DEGS, GEAR DOWN, AND TURNED OFF THE FUEL PUMPS IN THE R WING TANKS TO ATTEMPT TO BURN FUEL FROM THE L WING. WHAT NEITHER THE CHK PLT NOR MYSELF REMEMBERED IS THAT IN THIS MODEL OF A310, WHEN THE FLAPS ARE SET TO 40 DEGS THE AUTOPLT WILL NOT CAPTURE THE SELECTED ALT. WHEN WE LANDED WE HAD APPROX A 2500 LB FUEL IMBALANCE.

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.