Narrative:

At FL380; 'altitude law' ECAM illuminated. As PF; I xferred control of aircraft and asked first officer to take the radios. I accomplished the ECAM procedures. Sent dispatch a 'call me' ACARS message. When connected; I asked dispatch to get maintenance on the line. We discussed the ECAM. Maintenance asked if I would be willing to cycle flight control switches off. I explained that if it was going to get the aircraft into direct law; I would rather not try to cycle the switches. Ail servo ECAM began to illuminate intermittently. I asked maintenance and dispatch if there was any danger in returning to ZZZ1 or if they thought I should land at ZZZ3. The first officer and I agreed we would not continue to ZZZ2 with this condition. Nothing in the flight manual instructed us to land immediately. The aircraft was flying normally with the autoplt engaged; so we elected to return to ZZZ1. The first officer and I briefed the flight manual procedures for landing (direct law after gear down); accomplished the landing distance procedure; configured for a direct law flaps 3 degree landing and briefed the flight attendants. During the transit to ZZZ1; the 'elac 2' ECAM illuminated. We accomplished the ECAM procedures which had us cycle the elac 2 switch to 'off;' then return to 'on.' this did not correct the problem; so we turned the elac 2 switch off per the ECAM. After doing this; I noticed the pfd returned to proper indications for normal law. The first officer agreed we were back in normal law. We reconfigured for a flaps full normal landing. I took back control of the aircraft and the first officer took the radios. We asked for a longer than normal final to allow for the possibility of returning to alternate law. The landing at ZZZ1 was normal and uneventful. Upon arrival at ZZZ1; maintenance troubleshot the malfunction and ultimately replaced elac 2.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 RECEIVED AN ALT LAW ECAM IN CRUISE. WHILE THE FLT WAS RETURNING TO LAND; ELAC 2 WAS TURNED OFF AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO NORMAL LAW.

Narrative: AT FL380; 'ALT LAW' ECAM ILLUMINATED. AS PF; I XFERRED CTL OF ACFT AND ASKED FO TO TAKE THE RADIOS. I ACCOMPLISHED THE ECAM PROCS. SENT DISPATCH A 'CALL ME' ACARS MESSAGE. WHEN CONNECTED; I ASKED DISPATCH TO GET MAINT ON THE LINE. WE DISCUSSED THE ECAM. MAINT ASKED IF I WOULD BE WILLING TO CYCLE FLT CTL SWITCHES OFF. I EXPLAINED THAT IF IT WAS GOING TO GET THE ACFT INTO DIRECT LAW; I WOULD RATHER NOT TRY TO CYCLE THE SWITCHES. AIL SERVO ECAM BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. I ASKED MAINT AND DISPATCH IF THERE WAS ANY DANGER IN RETURNING TO ZZZ1 OR IF THEY THOUGHT I SHOULD LAND AT ZZZ3. THE FO AND I AGREED WE WOULD NOT CONTINUE TO ZZZ2 WITH THIS CONDITION. NOTHING IN THE FLT MANUAL INSTRUCTED US TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. THE ACFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY WITH THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED; SO WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO ZZZ1. THE FO AND I BRIEFED THE FLT MANUAL PROCS FOR LNDG (DIRECT LAW AFTER GEAR DOWN); ACCOMPLISHED THE LNDG DISTANCE PROC; CONFIGURED FOR A DIRECT LAW FLAPS 3 DEG LNDG AND BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS. DURING THE TRANSIT TO ZZZ1; THE 'ELAC 2' ECAM ILLUMINATED. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE ECAM PROCS WHICH HAD US CYCLE THE ELAC 2 SWITCH TO 'OFF;' THEN RETURN TO 'ON.' THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROB; SO WE TURNED THE ELAC 2 SWITCH OFF PER THE ECAM. AFTER DOING THIS; I NOTICED THE PFD RETURNED TO PROPER INDICATIONS FOR NORMAL LAW. THE FO AGREED WE WERE BACK IN NORMAL LAW. WE RECONFIGURED FOR A FLAPS FULL NORMAL LNDG. I TOOK BACK CTL OF THE ACFT AND THE FO TOOK THE RADIOS. WE ASKED FOR A LONGER THAN NORMAL FINAL TO ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF RETURNING TO ALTERNATE LAW. THE LNDG AT ZZZ1 WAS NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. UPON ARR AT ZZZ1; MAINT TROUBLESHOT THE MALFUNCTION AND ULTIMATELY REPLACED ELAC 2.

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.