Narrative:

Flight was on vectors for a visual/ILS approach for runway 23 in clt. The briefing; checklists; performance was checked and completed. The approach was entered and confirmed and activated for the ILS 23 in the fmcg. ATC vectored us for and cleared us for a visual approach on runway 23. ATC vectored us between atell and lecar and the A320 was at 4000 ft MSL when cleared for the approach. The sun was directly in my eyes and my white uniform shirt was reflecting off the pfd which made the pfd very difficult to see. I had to lean forward and place my head under the glare shield to see the instruments. I saw ATC had cleared us for the approach above the GS. I disconnected the autoplt and called for flight director off to hand fly the approach. I had to lean forward again and when I thought I was on the GS; I called for flight directors on; leaned forward to see the pfd and saw the GS was not captured. I called for the flight directors off again. My sight was looking at the runway 23 and scanning the pfd. I had to lean forward again to see if I was on the GS and called for the flight directors on; leaned forward and saw again the GS was not captured and called for the flight directors off. I then called for gear down; flaps 3 degrees; landing checklist; then called for flaps full and selected managed speed. At that point the engines were spooling up and the airspeed was increasing rapidly. I had no idea why this was happening. The captain told me to go around; which I executed; calling for go around toga and go around flaps; then gear up. ATC instructed us to fly runway heading and maintain 4000 ft. It was still very difficult to see the pfd. I selected the autoplt on; but the pitch was coming up fast. I then disconnected the autoplt and hand flew the missed approach. I lowered the pitch; and that's when we heard the flap overspd. I could not see where exactly the speed bug was at; but I went to selected speed of 200 KTS. The captain then brought the flaps up to zero. I had leaned forward under the glare shield to see the altitude; attempting to level off at 4000 ft MSL. I went over by about 200-300 ft. The captain said I was high and I was correcting but was still 200-300 ft above the assigned altitude of 4000 ft. I was pushing forward slightly on the side stick; but still not much was happening. The captain then pushed forward on his side stick and we heard a dual input warning; but still the aircraft did not descend. ATC gave us a heading of a right turn to 360 degrees for vectors for the visual on runway 18R. The captain dialed in 360 degrees and pulled the heading select knob; but we both noticed that the flight directors did not command a r-hand turn; they commanded a path straight ahead. I then started to turn on my own to a heading of 360 degrees and reselected the autoplt (autoplt #2). The autoplt directed the A320 to the assigned heading and leveled at 4000 ft. On the heading of 360 degrees; the captain selected the ILS runway 18R; completed the performance page; confirmed and activated (according to the captain) and he briefed the approach as I continued to fly. All the while we were both wondering what was going on. As we were being vectored for the visual to runway 18R; I called flaps 1 degree; then flaps 2 degrees; speed 180 KTS. I believe ATC gave us a heading of 150 degrees which put the aircraft between hagul and ozeji; just to the west of the localizer and cleared us for the visual to runway 18R. That position left us again above the GS; still at 4000 ft when cleared for the approach. The sun at that point was off to my right and I could see the pfd better. I disconnected the autoplt and called for flight directors off to hand fly the approach again. I called for gear down flaps 3 degrees and selected managed speed. The speed bug; again increased to above the flap exceeding speed; so I selected reference speed of about 147 KTS myself and we continued the approach; then called for flaps full. We landed on runway 18R without incident and taxied to the gate. After landing; I was not sure if we did the landing checklist; since we were distraction by the speed bug; but the plane was configured properly for landing. Once at the gate; the captain made an entry in the maintenance log about the event with the flap overspd; the side stick not working; and the speed increase when selecting managed speed on both approachs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS DIFFICULTY COMPLYING WITH ATC CLRNCS WHEN CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APCH ABOVE THE GS.

Narrative: FLT WAS ON VECTORS FOR A VISUAL/ILS APCH FOR RWY 23 IN CLT. THE BRIEFING; CHKLISTS; PERFORMANCE WAS CHKED AND COMPLETED. THE APCH WAS ENTERED AND CONFIRMED AND ACTIVATED FOR THE ILS 23 IN THE FMCG. ATC VECTORED US FOR AND CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH ON RWY 23. ATC VECTORED US BTWN ATELL AND LECAR AND THE A320 WAS AT 4000 FT MSL WHEN CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE SUN WAS DIRECTLY IN MY EYES AND MY WHITE UNIFORM SHIRT WAS REFLECTING OFF THE PFD WHICH MADE THE PFD VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. I HAD TO LEAN FORWARD AND PLACE MY HEAD UNDER THE GLARE SHIELD TO SEE THE INSTS. I SAW ATC HAD CLRED US FOR THE APCH ABOVE THE GS. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CALLED FOR FLT DIRECTOR OFF TO HAND FLY THE APCH. I HAD TO LEAN FORWARD AGAIN AND WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS ON THE GS; I CALLED FOR FLT DIRECTORS ON; LEANED FORWARD TO SEE THE PFD AND SAW THE GS WAS NOT CAPTURED. I CALLED FOR THE FLT DIRECTORS OFF AGAIN. MY SIGHT WAS LOOKING AT THE RWY 23 AND SCANNING THE PFD. I HAD TO LEAN FORWARD AGAIN TO SEE IF I WAS ON THE GS AND CALLED FOR THE FLT DIRECTORS ON; LEANED FORWARD AND SAW AGAIN THE GS WAS NOT CAPTURED AND CALLED FOR THE FLT DIRECTORS OFF. I THEN CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN; FLAPS 3 DEGS; LNDG CHKLIST; THEN CALLED FOR FLAPS FULL AND SELECTED MANAGED SPD. AT THAT POINT THE ENGS WERE SPOOLING UP AND THE AIRSPD WAS INCREASING RAPIDLY. I HAD NO IDEA WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO GO AROUND; WHICH I EXECUTED; CALLING FOR GAR TOGA AND GAR FLAPS; THEN GEAR UP. ATC INSTRUCTED US TO FLY RWY HDG AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. IT WAS STILL VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE PFD. I SELECTED THE AUTOPLT ON; BUT THE PITCH WAS COMING UP FAST. I THEN DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND HAND FLEW THE MISSED APCH. I LOWERED THE PITCH; AND THAT'S WHEN WE HEARD THE FLAP OVERSPD. I COULD NOT SEE WHERE EXACTLY THE SPD BUG WAS AT; BUT I WENT TO SELECTED SPD OF 200 KTS. THE CAPT THEN BROUGHT THE FLAPS UP TO ZERO. I HAD LEANED FORWARD UNDER THE GLARE SHIELD TO SEE THE ALT; ATTEMPTING TO LEVEL OFF AT 4000 FT MSL. I WENT OVER BY ABOUT 200-300 FT. THE CAPT SAID I WAS HIGH AND I WAS CORRECTING BUT WAS STILL 200-300 FT ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT. I WAS PUSHING FORWARD SLIGHTLY ON THE SIDE STICK; BUT STILL NOT MUCH WAS HAPPENING. THE CAPT THEN PUSHED FORWARD ON HIS SIDE STICK AND WE HEARD A DUAL INPUT WARNING; BUT STILL THE ACFT DID NOT DSND. ATC GAVE US A HDG OF A R TURN TO 360 DEGS FOR VECTORS FOR THE VISUAL ON RWY 18R. THE CAPT DIALED IN 360 DEGS AND PULLED THE HDG SELECT KNOB; BUT WE BOTH NOTICED THAT THE FLT DIRECTORS DID NOT COMMAND A R-HAND TURN; THEY COMMANDED A PATH STRAIGHT AHEAD. I THEN STARTED TO TURN ON MY OWN TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS AND RESELECTED THE AUTOPLT (AUTOPLT #2). THE AUTOPLT DIRECTED THE A320 TO THE ASSIGNED HDG AND LEVELED AT 4000 FT. ON THE HDG OF 360 DEGS; THE CAPT SELECTED THE ILS RWY 18R; COMPLETED THE PERFORMANCE PAGE; CONFIRMED AND ACTIVATED (ACCORDING TO THE CAPT) AND HE BRIEFED THE APCH AS I CONTINUED TO FLY. ALL THE WHILE WE WERE BOTH WONDERING WHAT WAS GOING ON. AS WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 18R; I CALLED FLAPS 1 DEG; THEN FLAPS 2 DEGS; SPD 180 KTS. I BELIEVE ATC GAVE US A HDG OF 150 DEGS WHICH PUT THE ACFT BTWN HAGUL AND OZEJI; JUST TO THE W OF THE LOC AND CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 18R. THAT POS LEFT US AGAIN ABOVE THE GS; STILL AT 4000 FT WHEN CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE SUN AT THAT POINT WAS OFF TO MY R AND I COULD SEE THE PFD BETTER. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CALLED FOR FLT DIRECTORS OFF TO HAND FLY THE APCH AGAIN. I CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN FLAPS 3 DEGS AND SELECTED MANAGED SPD. THE SPD BUG; AGAIN INCREASED TO ABOVE THE FLAP EXCEEDING SPD; SO I SELECTED REF SPD OF ABOUT 147 KTS MYSELF AND WE CONTINUED THE APCH; THEN CALLED FOR FLAPS FULL. WE LANDED ON RWY 18R WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. AFTER LNDG; I WAS NOT SURE IF WE DID THE LNDG CHKLIST; SINCE WE WERE DISTR BY THE SPD BUG; BUT THE PLANE WAS CONFIGURED PROPERLY FOR LNDG. ONCE AT THE GATE; THE CAPT MADE AN ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOG ABOUT THE EVENT WITH THE FLAP OVERSPD; THE SIDE STICK NOT WORKING; AND THE SPD INCREASE WHEN SELECTING MANAGED SPD ON BOTH APCHS.

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.