Narrative:

I was a passenger on a flight from den to phx. I was seated in the rear of the aircraft on the right side. Shortly after takeoff (within 2 mins) I noticed one of the right outboard spoilers was extended approximately 1/4 of the travel of the control surface. This was 1 spoiler panel out of a total of 6-8 spoilers on the entire right wing. I am not sure exactly how many spoiler panels are on the wing of an A320. I watched the spoiler during the climb for several seconds and noted the position of it (unchanging) during banks. I decided to push the 'call' button for the flight attendant; but they could not come to my seat and during that phase of flight I had to remain with the safety belt on. I was confident that the partially extended spoiler would not cause the aircraft to be unable to climb; but I deemed it important due to the fact that it may be connected to the hydraulic system. I rang the 'call' button for the flight attendant several more times; but no flight attendant came to my seat until after the captain had turned off the 'fasten safety belt' sign. I informed the flight attendant that; 'one of the right outboard spoilers is partially extended; you should inform the captain.' the flight attendant came back in about 60 seconds and told me that 'the aircraft has one of those on each side.' I do not know if the opposite (left) spoiler was also extended; but the flight attendant was showing extremely poor aircraft system knowledge by telling me that there is 'one spoiler on each side' of the aircraft. Due to extensive B737; B727 and B747 knowledge; I know that spoilers should not be extended in any circumstances during takeoffs and climbs; and that there are inboard/outboard spoilers; and that they are actuated for different reasons (roll control; spoilers; speed brakes). The flight attendant did relay this information to someone though; because several mins later (approximately 10) a different flight attendant came back and thanked me for the information and told me that the flight crew was now looking into the problem. At some point (unsure of the time) I noticed one of the flight crew come into the cabin and look at the wing. Upon extension of the flaps; the spoiler extended further (high pressure air underneath the wing flowing through the gap on the fowler flaps). During landing the spoiler in question did not deploy. I talked with the captain after the flight and he also thanked me for the information; and from what I understood he did not have an indication of the spoiler position on EFIS. I do not know if there was an abnormal indication when the spoilers were extended after touchdown. The reason for this report is because of my concern with the cabin crew. Due to the system knowledge that was displayed by the first flight attendant; I have doubts that they would be able to recognize and understand a situation that may be critical to flight. I also have doubts that the information is relayed efficiently to the flight crew. If there was a critical situation where a passenger noticed an anomaly; and the flight crew was unaware; how can this information be relayed to the flight crew during the phase of flight when the passenger are required to be in their seats with safety belts fastened? If the situation was critical enough; I would have gotten out of my seat; but this would have caused commotion and mass panic if I had to describe the anomaly over the shouting of a flight attendant. I am concerned that the flight attendant could not respond to my calls until after the captain had turned off the 'fasten seatbelt' sign.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX; A COMMERCIAL PLT; ABOARD AN A320 NOTES A SPOILER PANEL DEPLOYED IMPROPERLY DURING FLT.

Narrative: I WAS A PAX ON A FLT FROM DEN TO PHX. I WAS SEATED IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT ON THE R SIDE. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF (WITHIN 2 MINS) I NOTICED ONE OF THE R OUTBOARD SPOILERS WAS EXTENDED APPROX 1/4 OF THE TRAVEL OF THE CTL SURFACE. THIS WAS 1 SPOILER PANEL OUT OF A TOTAL OF 6-8 SPOILERS ON THE ENTIRE R WING. I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW MANY SPOILER PANELS ARE ON THE WING OF AN A320. I WATCHED THE SPOILER DURING THE CLB FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND NOTED THE POS OF IT (UNCHANGING) DURING BANKS. I DECIDED TO PUSH THE 'CALL' BUTTON FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT; BUT THEY COULD NOT COME TO MY SEAT AND DURING THAT PHASE OF FLT I HAD TO REMAIN WITH THE SAFETY BELT ON. I WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE PARTIALLY EXTENDED SPOILER WOULD NOT CAUSE THE ACFT TO BE UNABLE TO CLB; BUT I DEEMED IT IMPORTANT DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT MAY BE CONNECTED TO THE HYD SYS. I RANG THE 'CALL' BUTTON FOR THE FLT ATTENDANT SEVERAL MORE TIMES; BUT NO FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO MY SEAT UNTIL AFTER THE CAPT HAD TURNED OFF THE 'FASTEN SAFETY BELT' SIGN. I INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT; 'ONE OF THE R OUTBOARD SPOILERS IS PARTIALLY EXTENDED; YOU SHOULD INFORM THE CAPT.' THE FLT ATTENDANT CAME BACK IN ABOUT 60 SECONDS AND TOLD ME THAT 'THE ACFT HAS ONE OF THOSE ON EACH SIDE.' I DO NOT KNOW IF THE OPPOSITE (L) SPOILER WAS ALSO EXTENDED; BUT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS SHOWING EXTREMELY POOR ACFT SYS KNOWLEDGE BY TELLING ME THAT THERE IS 'ONE SPOILER ON EACH SIDE' OF THE ACFT. DUE TO EXTENSIVE B737; B727 AND B747 KNOWLEDGE; I KNOW THAT SPOILERS SHOULD NOT BE EXTENDED IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DURING TKOFS AND CLBS; AND THAT THERE ARE INBOARD/OUTBOARD SPOILERS; AND THAT THEY ARE ACTUATED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS (ROLL CTL; SPOILERS; SPD BRAKES). THE FLT ATTENDANT DID RELAY THIS INFO TO SOMEONE THOUGH; BECAUSE SEVERAL MINS LATER (APPROX 10) A DIFFERENT FLT ATTENDANT CAME BACK AND THANKED ME FOR THE INFO AND TOLD ME THAT THE FLT CREW WAS NOW LOOKING INTO THE PROB. AT SOME POINT (UNSURE OF THE TIME) I NOTICED ONE OF THE FLT CREW COME INTO THE CABIN AND LOOK AT THE WING. UPON EXTENSION OF THE FLAPS; THE SPOILER EXTENDED FURTHER (HIGH PRESSURE AIR UNDERNEATH THE WING FLOWING THROUGH THE GAP ON THE FOWLER FLAPS). DURING LNDG THE SPOILER IN QUESTION DID NOT DEPLOY. I TALKED WITH THE CAPT AFTER THE FLT AND HE ALSO THANKED ME FOR THE INFO; AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD HE DID NOT HAVE AN INDICATION OF THE SPOILER POS ON EFIS. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL INDICATION WHEN THE SPOILERS WERE EXTENDED AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS BECAUSE OF MY CONCERN WITH THE CABIN CREW. DUE TO THE SYS KNOWLEDGE THAT WAS DISPLAYED BY THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT; I HAVE DOUBTS THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND A SITUATION THAT MAY BE CRITICAL TO FLT. I ALSO HAVE DOUBTS THAT THE INFO IS RELAYED EFFICIENTLY TO THE FLT CREW. IF THERE WAS A CRITICAL SITUATION WHERE A PAX NOTICED AN ANOMALY; AND THE FLT CREW WAS UNAWARE; HOW CAN THIS INFO BE RELAYED TO THE FLT CREW DURING THE PHASE OF FLT WHEN THE PAX ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN THEIR SEATS WITH SAFETY BELTS FASTENED? IF THE SITUATION WAS CRITICAL ENOUGH; I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF MY SEAT; BUT THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED COMMOTION AND MASS PANIC IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE THE ANOMALY OVER THE SHOUTING OF A FLT ATTENDANT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT COULD NOT RESPOND TO MY CALLS UNTIL AFTER THE CAPT HAD TURNED OFF THE 'FASTEN SEATBELT' SIGN.

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.