An airbus 319 on final approach at 9000 ft captain armed approach mode on mode control panel immediately aircraft pitched up 10-12 degrees gaining 700 ft before autoplt disconnected.

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Attributes
ACN	487586
Time
Date	200010
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d01.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 35r other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000
ASRS Report	487586
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	487591
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : glide slope dev.ind. other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

On final for ILS 35 right. Level 9000 ft cleared for approach, captain flying with autoplt on. When cleared for approach, captain armed approach mode on the MCP (A319). On GS case break on the raw data, the aircraft violently pitched up gaining 700 ft before the captain disconnected the autoplt and corrected back to altitude of 9000 ft. Hand flown remainder of acph to uneventful landing. The autoplt pitched up to about 15 degress in order to capture the GS. This appears to be a software problem in the A319 only. Software needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the company issued a bulletin to all airbus 319 pilots to be aware of a slight pitch up when the glide slope deviation bar first comes into view. The reporter said in engaging the approach mode on the autoplt mode control panel as soon as the glide slope deviation bar started to descend the aircraft made an immediate pitch up to 10 to 12 degrees. The reporter said the engines were throttled back and with the pitch up we were 10 seconds from a stall. The reporter stated this was no slight pitch up and this recurrent problem needs immediate correction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 319 ON FINAL APCH AT 9000 FT CAPT ARMED APCH MODE ON MODE CTL PANEL IMMEDIATELY ACFT PITCHED UP 10-12 DEGREES GAINING 700 FT BEFORE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED.

Narrative: ON FINAL FOR ILS 35 R. LEVEL 9000 FT CLRED FOR APCH, CAPT FLYING WITH AUTOPLT ON. WHEN CLRED FOR APCH, CAPT ARMED APCH MODE ON THE MCP (A319). ON GS CASE BREAK ON THE RAW DATA, THE ACFT VIOLENTLY PITCHED UP GAINING 700 FT BEFORE THE CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CORRECTED BACK TO ALT OF 9000 FT. HAND FLOWN REMAINDER OF ACPH TO UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE AUTOPLT PITCHED UP TO ABOUT 15 DEGRESS IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE GS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SOFTWARE PROB IN THE A319 ONLY. SOFTWARE NEEDS TO BE FIXED ASAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY ISSUED A BULLETIN TO ALL AIRBUS 319 PLTS TO BE AWARE OF A SLIGHT PITCH UP WHEN THE GLIDE SLOPE DEVIATION BAR FIRST COMES INTO VIEW. THE RPTR SAID IN ENGAGING THE APCH MODE ON THE AUTOPLT MODE CTL PANEL AS SOON AS THE GLIDE SLOPE DEVIATION BAR STARTED TO DESCEND THE ACFT MADE AN IMMEDIATE PITCH UP TO 10 TO 12 DEGREES. THE RPTR SAID THE ENGS WERE THROTTLED BACK AND WITH THE PITCH UP WE WERE 10 SECONDS FROM A STALL. THE RPTR STATED THIS WAS NO SLIGHT PITCH UP AND THIS RECURRENT PROB NEEDS IMMEDIATE CORRECTION.

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.