Narrative:

This report is being filed after a conversation with the A320 fleet technician specialist due to potential safety ramifications and at his suggestion. I was captain and PF for autoland lax runway 25L to satisfy aircraft need for autoland and for proficiency. High speed approach to OM (190 assigned) aircraft configured for autoland prior to 1000 ft and about 10 KTS above vref. Slowed to about vref and 4 KTS by threshold. Land and flare modes engaged normally and at correct altitudes. After initial flare; the vertical speed went to zero and the aircraft floated about 1000 ft at about 3-5 ft above the runway; then seemed to realized that it hadn't landed and pitched very aggressively down. It felt like the autoplt was about to drive the nosewheel into the ground. I disconnected autoplt after about 1-2 degrees of pitch change and pulled almost full aft stick. Main touchdown was firm; but not a hard landing. Touchdown attitude was about normal. I have no confidence that autoplt would have recovered. Got both of our attentions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he has never had an aircraft pitch so aggressively either up or down. In this case; he feels sure the pitch would have driven the nosewheel into the ground had he not disconnected the autoplt and applied full up elevator. He has attempted to get technical experts to explain what happened because he does not feel comfortable not knowing. In no case will he take for granted the autoland capability of that airplane. The reporter addressed the question of a possible headwind or tailwind gust in the flare and neither he nor the first officer were aware of a wind involvement. He was unsure about the approach idle possibly not decelerating because he doesn't monitor power below 100 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 WOULD NOT DECELERATE AND LAND FOLLOWING AN AUTOLAND APCH. CREW DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT FOR NORMAL LNDG.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS BEING FILED AFTER A CONVERSATION WITH THE A320 FLEET TECHNICIAN SPECIALIST DUE TO POTENTIAL SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS AND AT HIS SUGGESTION. I WAS CAPT AND PF FOR AUTOLAND LAX RWY 25L TO SATISFY ACFT NEED FOR AUTOLAND AND FOR PROFICIENCY. HIGH SPD APCH TO OM (190 ASSIGNED) ACFT CONFIGURED FOR AUTOLAND PRIOR TO 1000 FT AND ABOUT 10 KTS ABOVE VREF. SLOWED TO ABOUT VREF AND 4 KTS BY THRESHOLD. LAND AND FLARE MODES ENGAGED NORMALLY AND AT CORRECT ALTS. AFTER INITIAL FLARE; THE VERT SPD WENT TO ZERO AND THE ACFT FLOATED ABOUT 1000 FT AT ABOUT 3-5 FT ABOVE THE RWY; THEN SEEMED TO REALIZED THAT IT HADN'T LANDED AND PITCHED VERY AGGRESSIVELY DOWN. IT FELT LIKE THE AUTOPLT WAS ABOUT TO DRIVE THE NOSEWHEEL INTO THE GND. I DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AFTER ABOUT 1-2 DEGS OF PITCH CHANGE AND PULLED ALMOST FULL AFT STICK. MAIN TOUCHDOWN WAS FIRM; BUT NOT A HARD LNDG. TOUCHDOWN ATTITUDE WAS ABOUT NORMAL. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE THAT AUTOPLT WOULD HAVE RECOVERED. GOT BOTH OF OUR ATTENTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE HAS NEVER HAD AN ACFT PITCH SO AGGRESSIVELY EITHER UP OR DOWN. IN THIS CASE; HE FEELS SURE THE PITCH WOULD HAVE DRIVEN THE NOSEWHEEL INTO THE GND HAD HE NOT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND APPLIED FULL UP ELEVATOR. HE HAS ATTEMPTED TO GET TECHNICAL EXPERTS TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE HE DOES NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE NOT KNOWING. IN NO CASE WILL HE TAKE FOR GRANTED THE AUTOLAND CAPABILITY OF THAT AIRPLANE. THE RPTR ADDRESSED THE QUESTION OF A POSSIBLE HEADWIND OR TAILWIND GUST IN THE FLARE AND NEITHER HE NOR THE FO WERE AWARE OF A WIND INVOLVEMENT. HE WAS UNSURE ABOUT THE APCH IDLE POSSIBLY NOT DECELERATING BECAUSE HE DOESN'T MONITOR PWR BELOW 100 FT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.