Narrative:

We had a hydraulic pump failure earlier that should have caused the slats to extend slowly. Instead, the slats failed to extend when called for by the first officer, who was flying. I completed the ECAM procedures and cockpit operating manual procedures, which are quite simple. I have landed with no slats before, and also had this malfunction during my last simulator training. There is a possibility under certain failures to have the aircraft revert to direct control law resulting in lack of automatic-trim when the landing gear is lowered, or when autoplt is disconnected. This usually only happens with computer problems, which we did not have. Nevertheless, it is recommended not to take the airplane off autoplt or lower the gear until the airplane is stabilized on speed and on GS so it is all trimmed up when the autoplt is disconnected. We had already selected landing flaps, and when the autoplt was disconnected the airplane remained in normal flight control law with automatic-trim. We should have had a clue that something was wrong when the airplane wouldn't slow down, but it is hard to slow at only flaps 3 degrees anyway. At 500 ft the gear warning sounded. We were both surprised that pilots of our experience (both pilots over 20 yrs in jet transport part 121 operations) would land gear up, but we almost did. Several mergers ago, checklists for engine-out and other abnormal lndgs included all landing checks, making it unnecessary to refer back to normal checklists for landing. Since we configured the aircraft out of normal sequence, there was no 'trigger' to accomplish the normal landing check. I recommend that every emergency and abnormal checklist that requires nonstandard landing procedures have an appropriate landing checklist at the end of the procedure to eliminate the need to refer back to the normal checklist for landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain has flown 33 yrs without having a near gear up landing incident. He said that the airline enhances their fleet consistency by having all aircraft type checklists have the same response, 'triggers' and format. The A320 is one slight exception where the ECAM has to be cleared first in conjunction with other checklists. The PIC did not advise company of the incident nor his idea about the checklist changes. He said he will contact them so some information about the incident will be produced in their safety magazine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EXPERIENCED A320 FLC NEARLY LANDS THEIR ACFT GEAR UP AND PERFORM A GAR FROM 500 FT AGL 1 PT 5 MI FROM RWY 21L AT DTW, MI.

Narrative: WE HAD A HYD PUMP FAILURE EARLIER THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THE SLATS TO EXTEND SLOWLY. INSTEAD, THE SLATS FAILED TO EXTEND WHEN CALLED FOR BY THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING. I COMPLETED THE ECAM PROCS AND COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL PROCS, WHICH ARE QUITE SIMPLE. I HAVE LANDED WITH NO SLATS BEFORE, AND ALSO HAD THIS MALFUNCTION DURING MY LAST SIMULATOR TRAINING. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY UNDER CERTAIN FAILURES TO HAVE THE ACFT REVERT TO DIRECT CTL LAW RESULTING IN LACK OF AUTO-TRIM WHEN THE LNDG GEAR IS LOWERED, OR WHEN AUTOPLT IS DISCONNECTED. THIS USUALLY ONLY HAPPENS WITH COMPUTER PROBS, WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE. NEVERTHELESS, IT IS RECOMMENDED NOT TO TAKE THE AIRPLANE OFF AUTOPLT OR LOWER THE GEAR UNTIL THE AIRPLANE IS STABILIZED ON SPD AND ON GS SO IT IS ALL TRIMMED UP WHEN THE AUTOPLT IS DISCONNECTED. WE HAD ALREADY SELECTED LNDG FLAPS, AND WHEN THE AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED THE AIRPLANE REMAINED IN NORMAL FLT CTL LAW WITH AUTO-TRIM. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A CLUE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN THE AIRPLANE WOULDN'T SLOW DOWN, BUT IT IS HARD TO SLOW AT ONLY FLAPS 3 DEGS ANYWAY. AT 500 FT THE GEAR WARNING SOUNDED. WE WERE BOTH SURPRISED THAT PLTS OF OUR EXPERIENCE (BOTH PLTS OVER 20 YRS IN JET TRANSPORT PART 121 OPS) WOULD LAND GEAR UP, BUT WE ALMOST DID. SEVERAL MERGERS AGO, CHKLISTS FOR ENG-OUT AND OTHER ABNORMAL LNDGS INCLUDED ALL LNDG CHKS, MAKING IT UNNECESSARY TO REFER BACK TO NORMAL CHKLISTS FOR LNDG. SINCE WE CONFIGURED THE ACFT OUT OF NORMAL SEQUENCE, THERE WAS NO 'TRIGGER' TO ACCOMPLISH THE NORMAL LNDG CHK. I RECOMMEND THAT EVERY EMER AND ABNORMAL CHKLIST THAT REQUIRES NONSTANDARD LNDG PROCS HAVE AN APPROPRIATE LNDG CHKLIST AT THE END OF THE PROC TO ELIMINATE THE NEED TO REFER BACK TO THE NORMAL CHKLIST FOR LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT HAS FLOWN 33 YRS WITHOUT HAVING A NEAR GEAR UP LNDG INCIDENT. HE SAID THAT THE AIRLINE ENHANCES THEIR FLEET CONSISTENCY BY HAVING ALL ACFT TYPE CHKLISTS HAVE THE SAME RESPONSE, 'TRIGGERS' AND FORMAT. THE A320 IS ONE SLIGHT EXCEPTION WHERE THE ECAM HAS TO BE CLRED FIRST IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER CHKLISTS. THE PIC DID NOT ADVISE COMPANY OF THE INCIDENT NOR HIS IDEA ABOUT THE CHKLIST CHANGES. HE SAID HE WILL CONTACT THEM SO SOME INFO ABOUT THE INCIDENT WILL BE PRODUCED IN THEIR SAFETY MAGAZINE.

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.