Narrative:

An airbus 319 was on final approach to runway 36R at approximately 25 DME, 3600 ft assigned. Aircraft was doing 160 KIAS assigned with gear up and flaps 2 degrees. Aircraft had captured the runway 36R ILS localizer and was 5 mi in trail to ILS runway 36R when aircraft suddenly pitched up approximately 20-25 degrees and autothrottles went to maximum thrust. (Autoplts 1 and 2 were connected. Altitude set was 3600 ft.) aircraft reached approximately 4200 ft MSL. Autoplt was switched off. Autothrust was disengaged. ATC was notified of our problems with aircraft control and the airspace was cleared around us. While descending to 3600 ft autothrust again went full forward (maximum thrust) while retracting the flaps and aircraft's airspeed exceeded 250 KIAS to approximately 270 KIAS. Altitude deviation, aircraft was now at approximately 2800 ft. Aircraft's autothrust was again disconnected and airspeed and altitude were stabilized. ATC gave us radar vectors to the facility ILS runway 36R. The approach was re-entered into the FMGC and the approach was continued again. After an uneventful landing we were unable to determine why the aircraft suddenly pitched nose-up and applied full power. Maintenance, safety, training and union were advised. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reason the aircraft was 30 mi out at that low altitude was the high winds aloft that were giving spacing problems for ATC. The winds at 5000 ft were at 70 KTS. The crew had the A319 on autoplt, in the approach confign. That confign should have locked in the selected altitude to an altitude hold mode. At this point it is not know why the aircraft left the selected altitude. The approach mode selection may be a key. The captain lost some time prior to effecting an autothrust disconnect due to not, initially, matching throttle position to the current thrust position that was assumed by the autothrust. This autothrust activation was caused by the faulty sensing of aircraft speed by the two angle of attack vanes located on each side of the aircraft. They are sensors that can, for stall protection, default the autothrust (even if disconnected) into a 'toga' mode (called 'alpha floor') accelerating the engines but not moving the throttles. (Postflt diagnosis stated that the vane speed sensing envelopes were out of tolerance.) the first officer was retracting the flaps to a flaps 1 position and then to flaps 0 during the nose over at 4200 ft when the faulty sensors then reactivated alpha floor and the autothrust into a stall recovery (toga) mode again. Airspeed was above 200 KTS at this point, accelerating the aircraft to 270 KTS. Supplemental information from acn 461312: on runway 36R ILS CAT IIIB approach clt. I believe this A319's autoplt was faulty and gave erroneous commands. There was no reason for this to occur. Unaware of any further action, to my knowledge, that would have prevented this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 PIC'S RPT ON AN AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION THAT CREATED AN UNCOMMANDED CLB FROM INITIAL APCH ALT 30 MI S OF CLT, NC.

Narrative: AN AIRBUS 319 WAS ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 36R AT APPROX 25 DME, 3600 FT ASSIGNED. ACFT WAS DOING 160 KIAS ASSIGNED WITH GEAR UP AND FLAPS 2 DEGS. ACFT HAD CAPTURED THE RWY 36R ILS LOC AND WAS 5 MI IN TRAIL TO ILS RWY 36R WHEN ACFT SUDDENLY PITCHED UP APPROX 20-25 DEGS AND AUTOTHROTTLES WENT TO MAX THRUST. (AUTOPLTS 1 AND 2 WERE CONNECTED. ALT SET WAS 3600 FT.) ACFT REACHED APPROX 4200 FT MSL. AUTOPLT WAS SWITCHED OFF. AUTOTHRUST WAS DISENGAGED. ATC WAS NOTIFIED OF OUR PROBS WITH ACFT CTL AND THE AIRSPACE WAS CLRED AROUND US. WHILE DESCENDING TO 3600 FT AUTOTHRUST AGAIN WENT FULL FORWARD (MAX THRUST) WHILE RETRACTING THE FLAPS AND ACFT'S AIRSPD EXCEEDED 250 KIAS TO APPROX 270 KIAS. ALT DEV, ACFT WAS NOW AT APPROX 2800 FT. ACFT'S AUTOTHRUST WAS AGAIN DISCONNECTED AND AIRSPD AND ALT WERE STABILIZED. ATC GAVE US RADAR VECTORS TO THE FAC ILS RWY 36R. THE APCH WAS RE-ENTERED INTO THE FMGC AND THE APCH WAS CONTINUED AGAIN. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE ACFT SUDDENLY PITCHED NOSE-UP AND APPLIED FULL PWR. MAINT, SAFETY, TRAINING AND UNION WERE ADVISED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REASON THE ACFT WAS 30 MI OUT AT THAT LOW ALT WAS THE HIGH WINDS ALOFT THAT WERE GIVING SPACING PROBS FOR ATC. THE WINDS AT 5000 FT WERE AT 70 KTS. THE CREW HAD THE A319 ON AUTOPLT, IN THE APCH CONFIGN. THAT CONFIGN SHOULD HAVE LOCKED IN THE SELECTED ALT TO AN ALT HOLD MODE. AT THIS POINT IT IS NOT KNOW WHY THE ACFT LEFT THE SELECTED ALT. THE APCH MODE SELECTION MAY BE A KEY. THE CAPT LOST SOME TIME PRIOR TO EFFECTING AN AUTOTHRUST DISCONNECT DUE TO NOT, INITIALLY, MATCHING THROTTLE POS TO THE CURRENT THRUST POS THAT WAS ASSUMED BY THE AUTOTHRUST. THIS AUTOTHRUST ACTIVATION WAS CAUSED BY THE FAULTY SENSING OF ACFT SPD BY THE TWO ANGLE OF ATTACK VANES LOCATED ON EACH SIDE OF THE ACFT. THEY ARE SENSORS THAT CAN, FOR STALL PROTECTION, DEFAULT THE AUTOTHRUST (EVEN IF DISCONNECTED) INTO A 'TOGA' MODE (CALLED 'ALPHA FLOOR') ACCELERATING THE ENGS BUT NOT MOVING THE THROTTLES. (POSTFLT DIAGNOSIS STATED THAT THE VANE SPD SENSING ENVELOPES WERE OUT OF TOLERANCE.) THE FO WAS RETRACTING THE FLAPS TO A FLAPS 1 POS AND THEN TO FLAPS 0 DURING THE NOSE OVER AT 4200 FT WHEN THE FAULTY SENSORS THEN REACTIVATED ALPHA FLOOR AND THE AUTOTHRUST INTO A STALL RECOVERY (TOGA) MODE AGAIN. AIRSPD WAS ABOVE 200 KTS AT THIS POINT, ACCELERATING THE ACFT TO 270 KTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 461312: ON RWY 36R ILS CAT IIIB APCH CLT. I BELIEVE THIS A319'S AUTOPLT WAS FAULTY AND GAVE ERRONEOUS COMMANDS. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THIS TO OCCUR. UNAWARE OF ANY FURTHER ACTION, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS.

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.