Narrative:

We taxied to runway 17L. Because of the long taxi and downhill; I kept an eye on the brake temperatures. Just prior to takeoff; I noted the highest brake temperature as only being about 180 degrees; if I remember correctly. On climb out heading south; we got an ECAM at about FL180. I was hand flying the aircraft and instructed the first officer to handle the ECAM and I would fly and talk to ATC. I then turned on the autoplt. The ECAM was for hot brakes and we noted the left gear inboard brake was 310 degrees. The ECAM stated that if performance allowed; to reduce speed to 250 KTS and lower the gear to cool the brakes. I had the first officer check the limits section of the afm and verify there was no altitude limit for lowering the gear; and he could not find one; so we decided to run the ECAM at that altitude. We asked ATC to stop the climb and we leveled at FL210 and slowed to 240 KTS. After informing the flight attendants and then giving a brief PA to the passenger so they would not be frightened by the sound of the gear coming down; we lowered the gear. With gear down at that altitude; the autothrust commanded full climb thrust to hold altitude and the pitch oscillated a little bit when the gear went down. We monitored the brake temperature and when the temperature went below 300 degrees; the ECAM disappeared; so the first officer announced 'ECAM complete; screens normal.' we both completely forgot about the 220 KT limit for gear retraction and I retracted the gear. The airplane was at about 235 KTS when the gear was retracted. After the gear was retracted and we resumed our climb; the first officer opened the afm and found the hot brakes irregular procedure to follow up. He then noticed the note which was not on the ECAM which reminded us to reduce speed below 220 KTS for gear retraction. We sent an message to maintenance which told them we exceeded the gear retraction limit and followed up with a phone call once on the ground. I believe several factors contributed to our missing this limit. First; it was late and we were tired. We had just flown a long flight into ZZZ1 from ZZZ which was about 1 hour late. We had no layover time at all and our flight to ZZZ3 was already boarded when we got to the gate. I am an early riser and usually do early trips; so I am usually asleep by this time. Second; I believe the ECAM is a little misleading because it does not tell you about the 220 KT retraction limit. If you are following the ECAM prior to opening the afm and following the irregular procedure (as we are taught to do); the ECAM disappears and cannot be recalled once the brake cools. At that point I think most pilots would assume it is complete and retract the gear. Once the ECAM goes away there is no reference left which says to go to the irregular procedure in the afm. I still do not remember whether or not it said to do that. When it is late; dark; loud; and you are tired; and the only limit on the ECAM was the 250 KT extension; it is easy to forget the lower retraction limit. Knowing what I know now; I would elect not to do the ECAM or irregular procedure or to descend to do so. Both stated 'if performance permits' to lower the gear; and I do not think performance was good enough. At FL210 the aircraft was barely able to hold 240 KTS with full climb power and gear down. Furthermore; the brake was only 10 degrees over the maximum of 300 KTS; so it was not a critical or dangerous situation at that point. It was barely enough to trigger the ECAM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 HOT BRAKE ECAM ALERTED AT FL210 FOLLOWING A LONG TAXI. THE ECAM DID NOT ALERT CREW TO SLOW FOR GEAR RETRACTION AFTER THE PROCEDURE SO THE GEAR DOOR RETRACT SPD WAS EXCEEDED.

Narrative: WE TAXIED TO RWY 17L. BECAUSE OF THE LONG TAXI AND DOWNHILL; I KEPT AN EYE ON THE BRAKE TEMPS. JUST PRIOR TO TKOF; I NOTED THE HIGHEST BRAKE TEMP AS ONLY BEING ABOUT 180 DEGS; IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. ON CLBOUT HDG S; WE GOT AN ECAM AT ABOUT FL180. I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND INSTRUCTED THE FO TO HANDLE THE ECAM AND I WOULD FLY AND TALK TO ATC. I THEN TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT. THE ECAM WAS FOR HOT BRAKES AND WE NOTED THE L GEAR INBOARD BRAKE WAS 310 DEGS. THE ECAM STATED THAT IF PERFORMANCE ALLOWED; TO REDUCE SPD TO 250 KTS AND LOWER THE GEAR TO COOL THE BRAKES. I HAD THE FO CHK THE LIMITS SECTION OF THE AFM AND VERIFY THERE WAS NO ALT LIMIT FOR LOWERING THE GEAR; AND HE COULD NOT FIND ONE; SO WE DECIDED TO RUN THE ECAM AT THAT ALT. WE ASKED ATC TO STOP THE CLB AND WE LEVELED AT FL210 AND SLOWED TO 240 KTS. AFTER INFORMING THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THEN GIVING A BRIEF PA TO THE PAX SO THEY WOULD NOT BE FRIGHTENED BY THE SOUND OF THE GEAR COMING DOWN; WE LOWERED THE GEAR. WITH GEAR DOWN AT THAT ALT; THE AUTOTHRUST COMMANDED FULL CLB THRUST TO HOLD ALT AND THE PITCH OSCILLATED A LITTLE BIT WHEN THE GEAR WENT DOWN. WE MONITORED THE BRAKE TEMP AND WHEN THE TEMP WENT BELOW 300 DEGS; THE ECAM DISAPPEARED; SO THE FO ANNOUNCED 'ECAM COMPLETE; SCREENS NORMAL.' WE BOTH COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE 220 KT LIMIT FOR GEAR RETRACTION AND I RETRACTED THE GEAR. THE AIRPLANE WAS AT ABOUT 235 KTS WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED. AFTER THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND WE RESUMED OUR CLB; THE FO OPENED THE AFM AND FOUND THE HOT BRAKES IRREGULAR PROC TO FOLLOW UP. HE THEN NOTICED THE NOTE WHICH WAS NOT ON THE ECAM WHICH REMINDED US TO REDUCE SPD BELOW 220 KTS FOR GEAR RETRACTION. WE SENT AN MESSAGE TO MAINT WHICH TOLD THEM WE EXCEEDED THE GEAR RETRACTION LIMIT AND FOLLOWED UP WITH A PHONE CALL ONCE ON THE GND. I BELIEVE SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR MISSING THIS LIMIT. FIRST; IT WAS LATE AND WE WERE TIRED. WE HAD JUST FLOWN A LONG FLT INTO ZZZ1 FROM ZZZ WHICH WAS ABOUT 1 HR LATE. WE HAD NO LAYOVER TIME AT ALL AND OUR FLT TO ZZZ3 WAS ALREADY BOARDED WHEN WE GOT TO THE GATE. I AM AN EARLY RISER AND USUALLY DO EARLY TRIPS; SO I AM USUALLY ASLEEP BY THIS TIME. SECOND; I BELIEVE THE ECAM IS A LITTLE MISLEADING BECAUSE IT DOES NOT TELL YOU ABOUT THE 220 KT RETRACTION LIMIT. IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE ECAM PRIOR TO OPENING THE AFM AND FOLLOWING THE IRREGULAR PROC (AS WE ARE TAUGHT TO DO); THE ECAM DISAPPEARS AND CANNOT BE RECALLED ONCE THE BRAKE COOLS. AT THAT POINT I THINK MOST PLTS WOULD ASSUME IT IS COMPLETE AND RETRACT THE GEAR. ONCE THE ECAM GOES AWAY THERE IS NO REF LEFT WHICH SAYS TO GO TO THE IRREGULAR PROC IN THE AFM. I STILL DO NOT REMEMBER WHETHER OR NOT IT SAID TO DO THAT. WHEN IT IS LATE; DARK; LOUD; AND YOU ARE TIRED; AND THE ONLY LIMIT ON THE ECAM WAS THE 250 KT EXTENSION; IT IS EASY TO FORGET THE LOWER RETRACTION LIMIT. KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW; I WOULD ELECT NOT TO DO THE ECAM OR IRREGULAR PROC OR TO DSND TO DO SO. BOTH STATED 'IF PERFORMANCE PERMITS' TO LOWER THE GEAR; AND I DO NOT THINK PERFORMANCE WAS GOOD ENOUGH. AT FL210 THE ACFT WAS BARELY ABLE TO HOLD 240 KTS WITH FULL CLB PWR AND GEAR DOWN. FURTHERMORE; THE BRAKE WAS ONLY 10 DEGS OVER THE MAX OF 300 KTS; SO IT WAS NOT A CRITICAL OR DANGEROUS SITUATION AT THAT POINT. IT WAS BARELY ENOUGH TO TRIGGER THE ECAM.

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.