Narrative:

Turning base to final to runway approximately 7 miles from the runway we experienced multiple failures. I'll list the failure in order of receiving them. Our first failure was an RA 1; ILS 1 and loss of captain's pfd and nd immediately followed by a blue hydraulic electric pump failure. I handed off the airplane to the first officer to fly visually to the airport and land. After running the ECAM for the hydraulic fault we received an engine 1 gen fault. By this time we were on about a 3 mile final and everything was going well. Seconds later we received a vent blower fault; by this time we were on short final and completed the landing checklist. At about 500 ft we received a bscu 2 fault and landed uneventful. Taxied to the gate and informed maintenance of our problems. Once maintenance got on board and saw all the faults that were generated they proceeded to troubleshoot the problems. All the failures were real and not just false warnings. When we lost the hydraulic; we lost some spoiler functions; the no 1 gen dropped off line; the vent blower circuit breaker popped; the captain pfd and nd failed; however it come back on line at some point. It was a very exciting 3 minutes. Much more complicated than a sim ride. We really had no time to call for the checklist as this would have taken us 30 mins to see if this was an ECAM exception. Had the first officer fly the airplane while I took care of the malfunctions. Since we were on approximately a 5 mile final I felt that landing the airplane was more prudent than breaking off the approach and trying to troubleshoot our problems.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter communicated with maintenance and it was discovered that one of the three phases of the generator failed. All the failures described in the report were created by this failure. Maintenance indicated that airbus is aware of the problem and its implications. Since the flight was turning final at the time of the occurrence and the flight characteristics were not affected; the approach was continued visually to a landing. An emergency was not declared.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A 320 EXHIBITED NUMEROUS FAILURES AND FAULTS WHILE TURNING FINAL. A GENERATOR MALFUNCTION WAS THE CAUSE OF THESE FAILURES.

Narrative: TURNING BASE TO FINAL TO RWY APPROX 7 MILES FROM THE RWY WE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE FAILURES. I'LL LIST THE FAILURE IN ORDER OF RECEIVING THEM. OUR FIRST FAILURE WAS AN RA 1; ILS 1 AND LOSS OF CAPT'S PFD AND ND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A BLUE HYDRAULIC ELECTRIC PUMP FAILURE. I HANDED OFF THE AIRPLANE TO THE FO TO FLY VISUALLY TO THE ARPT AND LAND. AFTER RUNNING THE ECAM FOR THE HYD FAULT WE RECEIVED AN ENG 1 GEN FAULT. BY THIS TIME WE WERE ON ABOUT A 3 MILE FINAL AND EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL. SECONDS LATER WE RECEIVED A VENT BLOWER FAULT; BY THIS TIME WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL AND COMPLETED THE LNDG CHKLIST. AT ABOUT 500 FT WE RECEIVED A BSCU 2 FAULT AND LANDED UNEVENTFUL. TAXIED TO THE GATE AND INFORMED MAINT OF OUR PROBLEMS. ONCE MAINT GOT ON BOARD AND SAW ALL THE FAULTS THAT WERE GENERATED THEY PROCEEDED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEMS. ALL THE FAILURES WERE REAL AND NOT JUST FALSE WARNINGS. WHEN WE LOST THE HYD; WE LOST SOME SPOILER FUNCTIONS; THE NO 1 GEN DROPPED OFF LINE; THE VENT BLOWER CB POPPED; THE CAPT PFD AND ND FAILED; HOWEVER IT COME BACK ON LINE AT SOME POINT. IT WAS A VERY EXCITING 3 MINUTES. MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN A SIM RIDE. WE REALLY HAD NO TIME TO CALL FOR THE CHKLIST AS THIS WOULD HAVE TAKEN US 30 MINS TO SEE IF THIS WAS AN ECAM EXCEPTION. HAD THE FO FLY THE AIRPLANE WHILE I TOOK CARE OF THE MALFUNCTIONS. SINCE WE WERE ON APPROX A 5 MILE FINAL I FELT THAT LNDG THE AIRPLANE WAS MORE PRUDENT THAN BREAKING OFF THE APCH AND TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT OUR PROBLEMS.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR COMMUNICATED WITH MAINT AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE THREE PHASES OF THE GENERATOR FAILED. ALL THE FAILURES DESCRIBED IN THE RPT WERE CREATED BY THIS FAILURE. MAINT INDICATED THAT AIRBUS IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS. SINCE THE FLT WAS TURNING FINAL AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE AND THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS WERE NOT AFFECTED; THE APCH WAS CONTINUED VISUALLY TO A LNDG. AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED.

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.