Narrative:

Several deferred items on aircraft in iah. Captain initially refused aircraft but stated to the crew that a duty flight manager had ordered him to take the aircraft. Aircraft departed with a current maintenance release. Several anomalies during climb out were noted. Dispatch, maintenance control and a pass-riding A320 captain were consulted. ECAM/flight manual procedures were accomplished. Approaching the sfo area, completely different anomalies were encountered. Crew accomplished applicable ECAM/flight manual procedures. Maintenance control, dispatch, and ATC were informed, as applicable. Normal approach/landing accomplished. Recommended thorough inspection/repair of aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that greatest concern initially was the number of deferred items and the lack of potable water for a medium range flight. En route, numerous ECAM procedures resulting from deferred items were distraction enough to cause a request to a qualified deadheading pilot to assist in the cockpit. Major problems turned out to be deferred radio altimeters which, nonetheless, were causing GPWS warnings during flight as well as degrading aircraft control to 'direct law' (ie: manual control). During the approach phase. This malfunction required a go around in order to complete appropriate checklists and abnormal procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ORDERED TO FLY TRIP WITH MULTIPLE DEFERRED ITEMS. NUMEROUS DISTRACTING ECAM PROCS ENRTE RESULTED.

Narrative: SEVERAL DEFERRED ITEMS ON ACFT IN IAH. CAPT INITIALLY REFUSED ACFT BUT STATED TO THE CREW THAT A DUTY FLT MGR HAD ORDERED HIM TO TAKE THE ACFT. ACFT DEPARTED WITH A CURRENT MAINT RELEASE. SEVERAL ANOMALIES DURING CLBOUT WERE NOTED. DISPATCH, MAINT CTL AND A PASS-RIDING A320 CAPT WERE CONSULTED. ECAM/FLT MANUAL PROCS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. APCHING THE SFO AREA, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ANOMALIES WERE ENCOUNTERED. CREW ACCOMPLISHED APPLICABLE ECAM/FLT MANUAL PROCS. MAINT CTL, DISPATCH, AND ATC WERE INFORMED, AS APPLICABLE. NORMAL APCH/LNDG ACCOMPLISHED. RECOMMENDED THOROUGH INSPECTION/REPAIR OF ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT GREATEST CONCERN INITIALLY WAS THE NUMBER OF DEFERRED ITEMS AND THE LACK OF POTABLE WATER FOR A MEDIUM RANGE FLT. ENRTE, NUMEROUS ECAM PROCS RESULTING FROM DEFERRED ITEMS WERE DISTR ENOUGH TO CAUSE A REQUEST TO A QUALIFIED DEADHEADING PLT TO ASSIST IN THE COCKPIT. MAJOR PROBS TURNED OUT TO BE DEFERRED RADIO ALTIMETERS WHICH, NONETHELESS, WERE CAUSING GPWS WARNINGS DURING FLT AS WELL AS DEGRADING ACFT CTL TO 'DIRECT LAW' (IE: MANUAL CONTROL). DURING THE APCH PHASE. THIS MALFUNCTION REQUIRED A GAR IN ORDER TO COMPLETE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND ABNORMAL PROCS.

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.