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A320 crew has left engine go to idle for no apparent reason. Attempts to increase thrust manually are unsuccessful.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 727236 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200702 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 727236 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Left engine went to idle and remained there for the remainder of flight. Could not control the engine's RPM since it seemed to have had some sort of failure between fadec and the throttle position/autothrust computers. FMC's also sensed that the engine had failed; even though it indeed hadn't; but had merely gone to idle thrust. An emergency was declared about 10 mi from the airport. Flight attendants told that we had declared an emergency; to prepare the cabin for a normal landing and also advise the deadheading flight crew members (at the exits) of what was happening in case of an evacuate/evacuation. Normal landing and rollout; in fact the left engine reversed normally. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that his first thought for regaining control of the left engine was to turn off autothrust. The only information that the ECAM provided was a message not to turn off autothrust. No other guidance was available from the ECAM or the pilots handbook. The reporter did not know at this time what caused this malfunction.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 CREW HAS LEFT ENGINE GO TO IDLE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. ATTEMPTS TO INCREASE THRUST MANUALLY ARE UNSUCCESSFUL.
Narrative: L ENG WENT TO IDLE AND REMAINED THERE FOR THE REMAINDER OF FLT. COULD NOT CTL THE ENG'S RPM SINCE IT SEEMED TO HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF FAILURE BTWN FADEC AND THE THROTTLE POS/AUTOTHRUST COMPUTERS. FMC'S ALSO SENSED THAT THE ENG HAD FAILED; EVEN THOUGH IT INDEED HADN'T; BUT HAD MERELY GONE TO IDLE THRUST. AN EMER WAS DECLARED ABOUT 10 MI FROM THE ARPT. FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD THAT WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER; TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR A NORMAL LNDG AND ALSO ADVISE THE DEADHEADING FLT CREW MEMBERS (AT THE EXITS) OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN CASE OF AN EVAC. NORMAL LNDG AND ROLLOUT; IN FACT THE L ENG REVERSED NORMALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATES THAT HIS FIRST THOUGHT FOR REGAINING CONTROL OF THE LEFT ENGINE WAS TO TURN OFF AUTOTHRUST. THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT THE ECAM PROVIDED WAS A MESSAGE NOT TO TURN OFF AUTOTHRUST. NO OTHER GUIDANCE WAS AVAILABLE FROM THE ECAM OR THE PILOTS HANDBOOK. THE REPORTER DID NOT KNOW AT THIS TIME WHAT CAUSED THIS MALFUNCTION.
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.