A320 crew had an ECAM 'cooling valve avionics' warning after takeoff. Aircraft could not pressurize.

Attributes
ACN	515137
Time
Date	200106
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : p50.tracon
State Reference	AZ
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : p50.tracon tower : phx.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	515137
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At approximately 110 KTS, received warning. Continued takeoff and contacted maintenance control and dispatch recommended we return to phx. Declared an emergency and landed normally phx. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: crew was flying an airbus A320 aircraft. They were dispatched with an 'avionics system fault' ECAM warning MEL'ed inoperative. The avionics rack has an outflow valve that is full open on the ground for proper avionics cooling. At liftoff, the valve either partially closes or fully closes depending on temperature. The aircraft cannot pressurize with this valve fully open. This valve did not close as it was supposed to leaving the aircraft unable to pressurize.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW HAD AN ECAM 'COOLING VALVE AVIONICS' WARNING AFTER TKOF. ACFT COULD NOT PRESSURIZE.

Narrative: AT APPROX 110 KTS, RECEIVED WARNING. CONTINUED TKOF AND CONTACTED MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH RECOMMENDED WE RETURN TO PHX. DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED NORMALLY PHX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW WAS FLYING AN AIRBUS A320 ACFT. THEY WERE DISPATCHED WITH AN 'AVIONICS SYS FAULT' ECAM WARNING MEL'ED INOP. THE AVIONICS RACK HAS AN OUTFLOW VALVE THAT IS FULL OPEN ON THE GND FOR PROPER AVIONICS COOLING. AT LIFTOFF, THE VALVE EITHER PARTIALLY CLOSES OR FULLY CLOSES DEPENDING ON TEMP. THE ACFT CANNOT PRESSURIZE WITH THIS VALVE FULLY OPEN. THIS VALVE DID NOT CLOSE AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO LEAVING THE ACFT UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE.

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.