Narrative:

We encountered 2 distinct issues on this flight: a vibration associated with flap position during takeoff; and also a lavatory overflow with accompanying avionics and pitch issues. After a flaps 2 degree takeoff; the captain and I both noticed a distinct vibration that was not associated with the nose gear tire spinning down. The vibration began when we retracted to flaps 1 degree and ceased when we went to flaps up. We leveled at 5000 ft; I continued to fly and talk to ATC while the captain conferred with maintenance and dispatch. We eventually accepted 10000 ft but kept the speed at about 210 KIAS. The captain concluded and I concurred that we would run through the flap settings to see if we could isolate the problem. We did that; I detected no vibration and the captain thought he may have still detected some. We determined to continue to ZZZ as maintenance thought the flap bearings may be to blame. Upon arrival in ZZZ; the airplane configured without incident to a flaps full landing. We left the flaps fully extended after landing for maintenance inspection. En route; the flight attendant called and notified us that the aft lavatory was overflowing. They indicated that they had turned the shutoff valve to 'off' but that there was still about 2 inches of water in the aft galley. When we began our descent into ZZZ; the water came forward as far as first class. Concerned for avionics integrity; we declared an emergency at that point and requested expedited handling into ZZZ. We briefly considered a divert but decided the situation did not merit that. The next point of interest was a landing gear ECAM warning that occurred around 3000 ft AGL. The captain's radar altimeter was indicating -7 ft. At that point I opted to fly manually and disconnected the autothrottles and the autoplt and we also confirmed the presence of emergency vehicles at ZZZ. It was immediately apparent that the aircraft was not responding to pitch inputs normally but was noticeably sluggish. At 1300 ft; I noticed that 'land' mode was engaged; and turned off the flight directors as well. I remained the PF for the entire flight. After a firm landing in the touchdown zone; we taxied in to the gate without incident. We were met by the port authority/authorized who reported that we shed significant ice off the aft fuselage bottom at touchdown. After sending several data link maintenance messages (we were getting multiple ECAM's at the gate and captain requested a biohazard report for the toilet water cabin); I went on the ramp to examine the tail. There was significant water on the ramp under the tail and a lot of ice was still adhering along the bottom centerline of the fuselage aft of the wing. The captain vacated the cockpit to make phone calls and I verbally briefed maintenance personnel who informed me that the aircraft was being removed from service. Supplemental information from acn 780294: on approach; aircraft was sluggish in pitch response; I believe due to center of gravity issues caused by the water that had leaked through the aircraft and frozen on the belly of the aircraft. Highly recommend that a procedure be published so that if this lavatory incident occurs; a speed adjustment (we used 10 KTS) be applied so that the aircraft maintains better ctlability with a load of ice on it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: no additional information was obtained in the callback. Reporter was unaware of any maintenance findings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS FLAP POSITION RELATED VIBRATIONS; FLOODED CABIN FLOORS AND MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL AND AERODYNAMIC ANOMALIES APPARENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH UNCONTAINED WATER IN AND OUTSIDE THE ACFT.

Narrative: WE ENCOUNTERED 2 DISTINCT ISSUES ON THIS FLT: A VIBRATION ASSOCIATED WITH FLAP POS DURING TKOF; AND ALSO A LAVATORY OVERFLOW WITH ACCOMPANYING AVIONICS AND PITCH ISSUES. AFTER A FLAPS 2 DEG TKOF; THE CAPT AND I BOTH NOTICED A DISTINCT VIBRATION THAT WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOSE GEAR TIRE SPINNING DOWN. THE VIBRATION BEGAN WHEN WE RETRACTED TO FLAPS 1 DEG AND CEASED WHEN WE WENT TO FLAPS UP. WE LEVELED AT 5000 FT; I CONTINUED TO FLY AND TALK TO ATC WHILE THE CAPT CONFERRED WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH. WE EVENTUALLY ACCEPTED 10000 FT BUT KEPT THE SPD AT ABOUT 210 KIAS. THE CAPT CONCLUDED AND I CONCURRED THAT WE WOULD RUN THROUGH THE FLAP SETTINGS TO SEE IF WE COULD ISOLATE THE PROB. WE DID THAT; I DETECTED NO VIBRATION AND THE CAPT THOUGHT HE MAY HAVE STILL DETECTED SOME. WE DETERMINED TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ AS MAINT THOUGHT THE FLAP BEARINGS MAY BE TO BLAME. UPON ARR IN ZZZ; THE AIRPLANE CONFIGURED WITHOUT INCIDENT TO A FLAPS FULL LNDG. WE LEFT THE FLAPS FULLY EXTENDED AFTER LNDG FOR MAINT INSPECTION. ENRTE; THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND NOTIFIED US THAT THE AFT LAVATORY WAS OVERFLOWING. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD TURNED THE SHUTOFF VALVE TO 'OFF' BUT THAT THERE WAS STILL ABOUT 2 INCHES OF WATER IN THE AFT GALLEY. WHEN WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT INTO ZZZ; THE WATER CAME FORWARD AS FAR AS FIRST CLASS. CONCERNED FOR AVIONICS INTEGRITY; WE DECLARED AN EMER AT THAT POINT AND REQUESTED EXPEDITED HANDLING INTO ZZZ. WE BRIEFLY CONSIDERED A DIVERT BUT DECIDED THE SITUATION DID NOT MERIT THAT. THE NEXT POINT OF INTEREST WAS A LNDG GEAR ECAM WARNING THAT OCCURRED AROUND 3000 FT AGL. THE CAPT'S RADAR ALTIMETER WAS INDICATING -7 FT. AT THAT POINT I OPTED TO FLY MANUALLY AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND THE AUTOPLT AND WE ALSO CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF EMER VEHICLES AT ZZZ. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT RESPONDING TO PITCH INPUTS NORMALLY BUT WAS NOTICEABLY SLUGGISH. AT 1300 FT; I NOTICED THAT 'LAND' MODE WAS ENGAGED; AND TURNED OFF THE FLT DIRECTORS AS WELL. I REMAINED THE PF FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. AFTER A FIRM LNDG IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE; WE TAXIED IN TO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE WERE MET BY THE PORT AUTH WHO RPTED THAT WE SHED SIGNIFICANT ICE OFF THE AFT FUSELAGE BOTTOM AT TOUCHDOWN. AFTER SENDING SEVERAL DATA LINK MAINT MESSAGES (WE WERE GETTING MULTIPLE ECAM'S AT THE GATE AND CAPT REQUESTED A BIOHAZARD RPT FOR THE TOILET WATER CABIN); I WENT ON THE RAMP TO EXAMINE THE TAIL. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT WATER ON THE RAMP UNDER THE TAIL AND A LOT OF ICE WAS STILL ADHERING ALONG THE BOTTOM CTRLINE OF THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE WING. THE CAPT VACATED THE COCKPIT TO MAKE PHONE CALLS AND I VERBALLY BRIEFED MAINT PERSONNEL WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE ACFT WAS BEING REMOVED FROM SVC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 780294: ON APCH; ACFT WAS SLUGGISH IN PITCH RESPONSE; I BELIEVE DUE TO CTR OF GRAVITY ISSUES CAUSED BY THE WATER THAT HAD LEAKED THROUGH THE ACFT AND FROZEN ON THE BELLY OF THE ACFT. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT A PROC BE PUBLISHED SO THAT IF THIS LAVATORY INCIDENT OCCURS; A SPD ADJUSTMENT (WE USED 10 KTS) BE APPLIED SO THAT THE ACFT MAINTAINS BETTER CTLABILITY WITH A LOAD OF ICE ON IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED IN THE CALLBACK. REPORTER WAS UNAWARE OF ANY MAINT FINDINGS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.