Elac (elevator aileron computer) fault. Flight controls degraded to alternate law, protection lost. Flight crew contacted company maintenance, they tried resetting the elac with no help, declared an emergency and returned to departure airport with uneventful landing.

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Attributes
ACN	330761
Time
Date	199603
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dqn
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid tracon : uca
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 : 240 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	330761
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I don't believe we did anything wrong. However, we declared an emergency and returned to original destination. At cruise we got multiple flight control faults which degraded our flight control laws. Requested the emergency equipment to stand by. No problems landing. No deviation from requested route or altitude. I just wanted to cover all bases in case I did miss something. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter captain expanded on the degraded flight control laws. The problem was an elac (elevator aileron computer) fault. They contacted their company maintenance who had them reset the elac, but to no avail. Their maintenance control recommended they return to dtw where they had better maintenance than the destination they were going to. The captain elected to declare an emergency and they returned and landed uneventfully. He filled out a company report which he says will be forwarded to the FAA because of the emergency declaration. He has had no feedback on the problem with the elac, but said that the aircraft had a history of elac problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELAC (ELEVATOR AILERON COMPUTER) FAULT. FLT CTLS DEGRADED TO ALTERNATE LAW, PROTECTION LOST. FLC CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT, THEY TRIED RESETTING THE ELAC WITH NO HELP, DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT WITH UNEVENTFUL LNDG.

Narrative: I DON'T BELIEVE WE DID ANYTHING WRONG. HOWEVER, WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO ORIGINAL DEST. AT CRUISE WE GOT MULTIPLE FLT CTL FAULTS WHICH DEGRADED OUR FLT CTL LAWS. REQUESTED THE EMER EQUIP TO STAND BY. NO PROBS LNDG. NO DEV FROM REQUESTED RTE OR ALT. I JUST WANTED TO COVER ALL BASES IN CASE I DID MISS SOMETHING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CAPT EXPANDED ON THE DEGRADED FLT CTL LAWS. THE PROB WAS AN ELAC (ELEVATOR AILERON COMPUTER) FAULT. THEY CONTACTED THEIR COMPANY MAINT WHO HAD THEM RESET THE ELAC, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THEIR MAINT CTL RECOMMENDED THEY RETURN TO DTW WHERE THEY HAD BETTER MAINT THAN THE DEST THEY WERE GOING TO. THE CAPT ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND THEY RETURNED AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. HE FILLED OUT A COMPANY RPT WHICH HE SAYS WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE FAA BECAUSE OF THE EMER DECLARATION. HE HAS HAD NO FEEDBACK ON THE PROB WITH THE ELAC, BUT SAID THAT THE ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF ELAC PROBS.

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.