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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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En route cruise, flight control units (FCU's) 1 and 2 faulted, causing loss of CRT displays as well as autoplt and autothrottles. Momentary cockpit confusion with aural and visual warnings on ECAM. Aircraft started climb, and before the pilot corrected, had gone above assigned altitude by 400 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 326433 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199601 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lnk |
| State Reference | NE |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4400 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 326433 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 130 |
| ASRS Report | 326798 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Stable cruise flight, autoplt connected. WX not a factor. Autoplt disconnected, autothrottles disconnected, flight directors disappeared, and all CRT displays either froze or changed. Several warnings suddenly sounded and appeared. Extreme confusion existed for several seconds. ECAM message appeared (airbus 320) 'FCU 1 and 2 fault.' PNF began ECAM action, PF returned aircraft from 37200 ft MSL to FL370. Center called to inform us of altitude deviation to 37400 ft MSL. The problem: flight control unit, channel 1 had failed, and took channel 2 with it. Result: glass cockpit with jurassic jet capabilities. Able to do raw data CAT 1 approach. No autoplt, flight data or altitude. The altitude deviation was triggered by the barometric altimeter, the standby altimeter. The altitude warning (mode C) defaulted to the standby altitude upon the FCU failure. Our standby altitude differed from other altimeters by 180 to 200 ft during this segment. Recommendation: change ECAM message from 'check baro reference' to 'check baro altimeter' or 'check standby altimeter.' also, eliminate some of the aural warnings, much too confusing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ENRTE CRUISE, FLT CTL UNITS (FCU'S) 1 AND 2 FAULTED, CAUSING LOSS OF CRT DISPLAYS AS WELL AS AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES. MOMENTARY COCKPIT CONFUSION WITH AURAL AND VISUAL WARNINGS ON ECAM. ACFT STARTED CLB, AND BEFORE THE PLT CORRECTED, HAD GONE ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT BY 400 FT.
Narrative: STABLE CRUISE FLT, AUTOPLT CONNECTED. WX NOT A FACTOR. AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED, AUTOTHROTTLES DISCONNECTED, FLT DIRECTORS DISAPPEARED, AND ALL CRT DISPLAYS EITHER FROZE OR CHANGED. SEVERAL WARNINGS SUDDENLY SOUNDED AND APPEARED. EXTREME CONFUSION EXISTED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. ECAM MESSAGE APPEARED (AIRBUS 320) 'FCU 1 AND 2 FAULT.' PNF BEGAN ECAM ACTION, PF RETURNED ACFT FROM 37200 FT MSL TO FL370. CTR CALLED TO INFORM US OF ALT DEV TO 37400 FT MSL. THE PROB: FLT CTL UNIT, CHANNEL 1 HAD FAILED, AND TOOK CHANNEL 2 WITH IT. RESULT: GLASS COCKPIT WITH JURASSIC JET CAPABILITIES. ABLE TO DO RAW DATA CAT 1 APCH. NO AUTOPLT, FLT DATA OR ALT. THE ALTDEV WAS TRIGGERED BY THE BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER, THE STANDBY ALTIMETER. THE ALT WARNING (MODE C) DEFAULTED TO THE STANDBY ALT UPON THE FCU FAILURE. OUR STANDBY ALT DIFFERED FROM OTHER ALTIMETERS BY 180 TO 200 FT DURING THIS SEGMENT. RECOMMENDATION: CHANGE ECAM MESSAGE FROM 'CHK BARO REF' TO 'CHK BARO ALTIMETER' OR 'CHK STANDBY ALTIMETER.' ALSO, ELIMINATE SOME OF THE AURAL WARNINGS, MUCH TOO CONFUSING.
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.