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Airframe overspd experienced by an A320 flight crew climbing through FL360 when changing altitude en route south of oma, northeast.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 580165 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200304 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : oma.airport |
| State Reference | NE |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 580165 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : speed warning chime other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overrode automation flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Weather |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Just south of omaha, we were in continuous light chop at FL350. We observed that we were just skimming the cloud tops and requested ride reports from center. He responded that FL390 was reported as a better ride. We requested and received FL370 to try the ride there. Climbing up through the cloud tops, we experienced a rapidly decreasing tailwind and resultant increase in airspeed. The autoplt/autoflt had been in the climb open climb, mach .80 selected speed and failed to maintain that target climb speed. I observed that our mach speed was .81 and increasing and commented to the first officer, who was PF, that he should hand fly the aircraft. We exceeded vmo redline by about 2 KTS for about 2 seconds. The continuous repetitive chime sounded only briefly. We recovered our target speed and requested FL390 as FL370 had continuous light turbulence. Ride smoothed out at FL390. We informed maintenance coordinator of overspd and proceeded to sfo without further incident. Human factors: I should have more closely monitored airspeed during the climb. We were exiting the cloud tops and near the tropopause. The airbus flies very gently in autoflt and does not swiftly correct for airspeed deviations. Without proper monitoring, and aggressive manual intervention when necessary, the bus will fly right through vmo/mmo.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AIRFRAME OVERSPD EXPERIENCED BY AN A320 FLT CREW CLBING THROUGH FL360 WHEN CHANGING ALT ENRTE S OF OMA, NE.
Narrative: JUST S OF OMAHA, WE WERE IN CONTINUOUS LIGHT CHOP AT FL350. WE OBSERVED THAT WE WERE JUST SKIMMING THE CLOUD TOPS AND REQUESTED RIDE RPTS FROM CTR. HE RESPONDED THAT FL390 WAS RPTED AS A BETTER RIDE. WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FL370 TO TRY THE RIDE THERE. CLBING UP THROUGH THE CLOUD TOPS, WE EXPERIENCED A RAPIDLY DECREASING TAILWIND AND RESULTANT INCREASE IN AIRSPD. THE AUTOPLT/AUTOFLT HAD BEEN IN THE CLB OPEN CLB, MACH .80 SELECTED SPD AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN THAT TARGET CLB SPD. I OBSERVED THAT OUR MACH SPD WAS .81 AND INCREASING AND COMMENTED TO THE FO, WHO WAS PF, THAT HE SHOULD HAND FLY THE ACFT. WE EXCEEDED VMO REDLINE BY ABOUT 2 KTS FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS. THE CONTINUOUS REPETITIVE CHIME SOUNDED ONLY BRIEFLY. WE RECOVERED OUR TARGET SPD AND REQUESTED FL390 AS FL370 HAD CONTINUOUS LIGHT TURB. RIDE SMOOTHED OUT AT FL390. WE INFORMED MAINT COORDINATOR OF OVERSPD AND PROCEEDED TO SFO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. HUMAN FACTORS: I SHOULD HAVE MORE CLOSELY MONITORED AIRSPD DURING THE CLB. WE WERE EXITING THE CLOUD TOPS AND NEAR THE TROPOPAUSE. THE AIRBUS FLIES VERY GENTLY IN AUTOFLT AND DOES NOT SWIFTLY CORRECT FOR AIRSPD DEVS. WITHOUT PROPER MONITORING, AND AGGRESSIVE MANUAL INTERVENTION WHEN NECESSARY, THE BUS WILL FLY RIGHT THROUGH VMO/MMO.
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.