An A320 pilot notes that an ECAM message indicates a predictive windshear radar is installed. Howeve...

Attributes
ACN	674090
Time
Date	200510
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	674090
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam: pws fault other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

During rollout on runway 1L; we had a momentary ECAM predictive windshear fault with a corresponding momentary reverse thrust fault on the navigation display. This cleared itself after a few seconds. The problem is the radar panel on this aircraft did not have a predictive windshear switch on it. I ACARS'ed maintenance to find out if this aircraft had predictive windshear installed. They said it did. I informed them of the wrong radar panel and they told me to send a message and notify maintenance. This was done. There are 2 problems that need to be addressed. 1) this aircraft has been flying around like this for some time. Right now the aircraft is grounded until they can find a correct control panel. I have flown approximately 6 other airbuses recently without predictive windshear switches. This is the second one I have discovered with the wrong panel in it. I suspect there are others. This is creating an illegal dispatch. 2) the predictive windshear is coming on during pushback in these aircraft when the first engine is started since we are turing the transponder on during pushback. This is exposing the ground crews to the predictive windshear radiation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PLT NOTES THAT AN ECAM MESSAGE INDICATES A PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR RADAR IS INSTALLED. HOWEVER; THE CORRESPONDING CTL PANEL IS NOT. ACR MAINT VERIFIED RPTR'S STATEMENT.

Narrative: DURING ROLLOUT ON RWY 1L; WE HAD A MOMENTARY ECAM PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR FAULT WITH A CORRESPONDING MOMENTARY REVERSE THRUST FAULT ON THE NAV DISPLAY. THIS CLRED ITSELF AFTER A FEW SECONDS. THE PROB IS THE RADAR PANEL ON THIS ACFT DID NOT HAVE A PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR SWITCH ON IT. I ACARS'ED MAINT TO FIND OUT IF THIS ACFT HAD PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR INSTALLED. THEY SAID IT DID. I INFORMED THEM OF THE WRONG RADAR PANEL AND THEY TOLD ME TO SEND A MESSAGE AND NOTIFY MAINT. THIS WAS DONE. THERE ARE 2 PROBS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. 1) THIS ACFT HAS BEEN FLYING AROUND LIKE THIS FOR SOME TIME. RIGHT NOW THE ACFT IS GNDED UNTIL THEY CAN FIND A CORRECT CTL PANEL. I HAVE FLOWN APPROX 6 OTHER AIRBUSES RECENTLY WITHOUT PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR SWITCHES. THIS IS THE SECOND ONE I HAVE DISCOVERED WITH THE WRONG PANEL IN IT. I SUSPECT THERE ARE OTHERS. THIS IS CREATING AN ILLEGAL DISPATCH. 2) THE PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR IS COMING ON DURING PUSHBACK IN THESE ACFT WHEN THE FIRST ENG IS STARTED SINCE WE ARE TURING THE XPONDER ON DURING PUSHBACK. THIS IS EXPOSING THE GND CREWS TO THE PREDICTIVE WINDSHEAR RADIATION.

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.

An A320 pilot notes that an ECAM message indicates a predictive windshear radar is installed. However; the corresponding control panel is not. Air carrier maintenance verified reporter's statement.