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An A320 loses its automated system when the autoplt, autothrust, flight director system and the air data inertial reference system fails. Flight was flown manually and ATC advised of the aircraft problems and expected altdevs.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 403504 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tul |
| State Reference | OK |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc |
| 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 |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| ASRS Report | 403504 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was the captain of flight on may/fri/98, scheduled air carrier flight from mem to sfo. The flight was an airbus 320 model. After 1 1/2 hours into the flight the autoplt, autothrust, and flight directors disengaged and would not re-engage. Manual flight regime would be the norm for the next 3 1/2 hours. The ECAM displayed the loss of the automation but did not reveal what caused the loss. Looking in the cfds (centralized fault display system) portion of the computer, we found that a discrepancy had occurred between the #2 adiru (air data inertial reference unit) and the other two. After trying to install the magnetic heading in the #2 adiru, a try to sync it up was futile. After landing, the captain's FMGC (flight management guidance computer) showed timed out, the ECAM (electronic centralized aircraft monitoring) displayed multiple failures including the #2 adiru heading input. ATC was advised as to our loss of automation and the need for airspace in our vicinity to be clear due to that loss. Altdevs were less than 200 ft and we used that tracking device on the navigation display for navigation guidance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 LOSES ITS AUTOMATED SYS WHEN THE AUTOPLT, AUTOTHRUST, FLT DIRECTOR SYS AND THE AIR DATA INERTIAL REF SYS FAILS. FLT WAS FLOWN MANUALLY AND ATC ADVISED OF THE ACFT PROBS AND EXPECTED ALTDEVS.
Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT ON MAY/FRI/98, SCHEDULED ACR FLT FROM MEM TO SFO. THE FLT WAS AN AIRBUS 320 MODEL. AFTER 1 1/2 HRS INTO THE FLT THE AUTOPLT, AUTOTHRUST, AND FLT DIRECTORS DISENGAGED AND WOULD NOT RE-ENGAGE. MANUAL FLT REGIME WOULD BE THE NORM FOR THE NEXT 3 1/2 HRS. THE ECAM DISPLAYED THE LOSS OF THE AUTOMATION BUT DID NOT REVEAL WHAT CAUSED THE LOSS. LOOKING IN THE CFDS (CENTRALIZED FAULT DISPLAY SYS) PORTION OF THE COMPUTER, WE FOUND THAT A DISCREPANCY HAD OCCURRED BTWN THE #2 ADIRU (AIR DATA INERTIAL REF UNIT) AND THE OTHER TWO. AFTER TRYING TO INSTALL THE MAGNETIC HEADING IN THE #2 ADIRU, A TRY TO SYNC IT UP WAS FUTILE. AFTER LNDG, THE CAPT'S FMGC (FLT MGMNT GUIDANCE COMPUTER) SHOWED TIMED OUT, THE ECAM (ELECTRONIC CENTRALIZED ACFT MONITORING) DISPLAYED MULTIPLE FAILURES INCLUDING THE #2 ADIRU HEADING INPUT. ATC WAS ADVISED AS TO OUR LOSS OF AUTOMATION AND THE NEED FOR AIRSPACE IN OUR VICINITY TO BE CLR DUE TO THAT LOSS. ALTDEVS WERE LESS THAN 200 FT AND WE USED THAT TRACKING DEVICE ON THE NAV DISPLAY FOR NAV GUIDANCE.
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.