<< >> NASA ASRS Report 548704, May 2002

A319 crew lost the ability to enter data into the aircraft navigation or aircraft performance computers due to dual, mode control data unit failure.

Attributes
ACN	548704
Time
Date	200205
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sltj.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 4200
ASRS Report	548704
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 : fmc other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overrode automation none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance FAA Company Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Lost use of both captain and first officer mode control display units for entry of navigation and aircraft performance. This left us with no primary navigation capability. Attempted numerous ways to rectify the problem but system did not reset. Called company maintenance and they had no alternatives except recycling of system circuit breakers. Because of forecast marginal arrival WX at ewr at night (temperature 15 degrees, dewpoint 15 degrees, calm winds), I elected to recycle circuit breakers for each system individually per captain's emergency authority/authorized. System still failed to reset so continued on to ewr using back-up raw navigation information and landed at ewr uneventfully. I flew the same aircraft from ewr the next day and had no problems after maintenance at ewr had reset the FMS. Typical computer!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW LOST THE ABILITY TO ENTER DATA INTO THE ACFT NAV OR ACFT PERFORMANCE COMPUTERS DUE TO DUAL, MODE CTL DATA UNIT FAILURE.

Narrative: LOST USE OF BOTH CAPT AND FO MODE CTL DISPLAY UNITS FOR ENTRY OF NAV AND ACFT PERFORMANCE. THIS LEFT US WITH NO PRIMARY NAV CAPABILITY. ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS WAYS TO RECTIFY THE PROB BUT SYS DID NOT RESET. CALLED COMPANY MAINT AND THEY HAD NO ALTERNATIVES EXCEPT RECYCLING OF SYS CIRCUIT BREAKERS. BECAUSE OF FORECAST MARGINAL ARR WX AT EWR AT NIGHT (TEMP 15 DEGS, DEWPOINT 15 DEGS, CALM WINDS), I ELECTED TO RECYCLE CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR EACH SYS INDIVIDUALLY PER CAPT'S EMER AUTH. SYS STILL FAILED TO RESET SO CONTINUED ON TO EWR USING BACK-UP RAW NAV INFO AND LANDED AT EWR UNEVENTFULLY. I FLEW THE SAME ACFT FROM EWR THE NEXT DAY AND HAD NO PROBS AFTER MAINT AT EWR HAD RESET THE FMS. TYPICAL COMPUTER!

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.