An A320 crew, upon landing at den, experienced a pitch-up when the autobrakes were disengaged.

Attributes
ACN	551915
Time
Date	200206
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 0 msl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	551915
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	552189
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On approach to den we made an uneventful approach to runway 16. We had elected to do a coupled approach with autothrottles engaged as forecast was possible LLWS and gusty conditions. We were on approach with runway in sight and winds were consistent with surface winds about 230 degrees at 18 KTS. At approximately 1200 ft AGL I elected to disconnect autoplt and hand fly remainder of approach. Autothrottles were disconnected at the retard command and aircraft touched down normally. Autobrakes were set at medium and activated. Suddenly aircraft pitched up at about a normal rotation rate and floated airborne a few ft. I recovered the aircraft and made another touchdown. Rest of landing was uneventful and aircraft was taxied to the gate. On the landing I disconnected autobrakes early to preclude having hot brakes. We blocked in at the gate and normal parking completed. No one onboard the aircraft made any comments about hearing anything unusual. Supplemental information from acn 552189: autothrottle were engaged until the retard call when they were disconnected and pulled to idle. All 3 wheels were firmly on the runway and the autobrakes activated normally. The brakes were kicked off to avoid a hot brake condition, and the nose rotated up. The jet lifted from the runway smoothly in a nose high attitude. It was flown back to the runway and stopped normally. The autoplt was kicked off at about 1200 AGL and hand flown but the autothrottles remained on as stated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW, UPON LNDG AT DEN, EXPERIENCED A PITCH-UP WHEN THE AUTOBRAKES WERE DISENGAGED.

Narrative: ON APCH TO DEN WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH TO RWY 16. WE HAD ELECTED TO DO A COUPLED APCH WITH AUTOTHROTTLES ENGAGED AS FORECAST WAS POSSIBLE LLWS AND GUSTY CONDITIONS. WE WERE ON APCH WITH RWY IN SIGHT AND WINDS WERE CONSISTENT WITH SURFACE WINDS ABOUT 230 DEGS AT 18 KTS. AT APPROX 1200 FT AGL I ELECTED TO DISCONNECT AUTOPLT AND HAND FLY REMAINDER OF APCH. AUTOTHROTTLES WERE DISCONNECTED AT THE RETARD COMMAND AND ACFT TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY. AUTOBRAKES WERE SET AT MEDIUM AND ACTIVATED. SUDDENLY ACFT PITCHED UP AT ABOUT A NORMAL ROTATION RATE AND FLOATED AIRBORNE A FEW FT. I RECOVERED THE ACFT AND MADE ANOTHER TOUCHDOWN. REST OF LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND ACFT WAS TAXIED TO THE GATE. ON THE LNDG I DISCONNECTED AUTOBRAKES EARLY TO PRECLUDE HAVING HOT BRAKES. WE BLOCKED IN AT THE GATE AND NORMAL PARKING COMPLETED. NO ONE ONBOARD THE ACFT MADE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT HEARING ANYTHING UNUSUAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 552189: AUTOTHROTTLE WERE ENGAGED UNTIL THE RETARD CALL WHEN THEY WERE DISCONNECTED AND PULLED TO IDLE. ALL 3 WHEELS WERE FIRMLY ON THE RWY AND THE AUTOBRAKES ACTIVATED NORMALLY. THE BRAKES WERE KICKED OFF TO AVOID A HOT BRAKE CONDITION, AND THE NOSE ROTATED UP. THE JET LIFTED FROM THE RWY SMOOTHLY IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. IT WAS FLOWN BACK TO THE RWY AND STOPPED NORMALLY. THE AUTOPLT WAS KICKED OFF AT ABOUT 1200 AGL AND HAND FLOWN BUT THE AUTOTHROTTLES REMAINED ON AS STATED.

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.