Narrative:

First officer was flying leg. At leveloff outside zzzzz; cleared for ILS xxl; the caution chime announced a caution; with no ECAM response several times. We verified a rev unlk light right engine. We were configured at flaps 20 degrees; gear up; with clearance to zzzzz. The autoplt and autothrottles were engaged. The caution chime continued with no caution light; no ECAM for several seconds as I retrieved the QRH. The first officer continued the approach. The ECAM then responded with the rev unlk ECAM items which we performed. I followed up the completion of the QRH checklist. We decided to continue the approach; monitor the engine; and prepare for an engine shutdown on final. I chose to configure only to flaps 15/20 only for the following reasons: the chance of an engine shutdown on final. We were rather light weight; and the 10000 ft runway easily supported the faster approach speed; lowering the overall thrust required for approach; thus allowing minimal engine axis-symmetric thrust in case of engine shutdown. I also thought that this would safeguard a possible go around if the approach got ugly with a shutdown during the descent to touchdown. I also think that this confign more closely followed our training for landing with an engine shutdown; should that end up being the case if the reverser deployed during the descent. The arrival was normal; the light stayed on until shutdown; and we entered the logbook write-up. I consulted with the duty acp (assistant chief pilot) at ZZZ and decided to report considering in retrospect that the aom bulletin concerning the use of 15/20 flaps for landing as not support for normal operations; and I had not declared an emergency to allow myself authority/authorized to do such. I think the choice for flap setting was the best option considering the possibility of an in-flight deployment of a thrust reverser on the approach; and was best insurance to safeguard the controllability of the aircraft in such a case; and allowing the first officer flying a confign which was familiar in flying a sudden single engine approach. I did not really consider the possibility that I was violating the aom per the bulletin until I bounced the situation off the acp; and decided a report might be the best course. I do not think in this situation; with no deployment; and considering how much time we had; that declaring an emergency was necessary. My postflt conversation with the first officer; she agreed. During my IOE; a couple of 15/20 flap approachs were demonstrated. I think that the company policy discouraging these flap settings from normal operations is over management of operating the aircraft for what is a normal landing flap setting. Crews should be allowed the flexibility to use all normal procedures of certification; considering circumstances such as weight; winds and terrain. I would think that using a 15/20 flap for landing is no different decision than that of using one of the three takeoff flap settings we can use in normal operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 REV UNLK LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON FINAL AT 4200 FT. THE CREW CONTINUED THE APCH; ENG RUNNING; MAKING AN ABNORMAL FLAP CONFIGURATION (15/20) LANDING IN THE EVENT OF AN ENG SHUT DOWN AND GAR.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING LEG. AT LEVELOFF OUTSIDE ZZZZZ; CLRED FOR ILS XXL; THE CAUTION CHIME ANNOUNCED A CAUTION; WITH NO ECAM RESPONSE SEVERAL TIMES. WE VERIFIED A REV UNLK LIGHT R ENG. WE WERE CONFIGURED AT FLAPS 20 DEGS; GEAR UP; WITH CLRNC TO ZZZZZ. THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES WERE ENGAGED. THE CAUTION CHIME CONTINUED WITH NO CAUTION LIGHT; NO ECAM FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AS I RETRIEVED THE QRH. THE FO CONTINUED THE APCH. THE ECAM THEN RESPONDED WITH THE REV UNLK ECAM ITEMS WHICH WE PERFORMED. I FOLLOWED UP THE COMPLETION OF THE QRH CHKLIST. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE APCH; MONITOR THE ENG; AND PREPARE FOR AN ENG SHUTDOWN ON FINAL. I CHOSE TO CONFIGURE ONLY TO FLAPS 15/20 ONLY FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: THE CHANCE OF AN ENG SHUTDOWN ON FINAL. WE WERE RATHER LIGHT WT; AND THE 10000 FT RWY EASILY SUPPORTED THE FASTER APCH SPD; LOWERING THE OVERALL THRUST REQUIRED FOR APCH; THUS ALLOWING MINIMAL ENG AXIS-SYMMETRIC THRUST IN CASE OF ENG SHUTDOWN. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD SAFEGUARD A POSSIBLE GAR IF THE APCH GOT UGLY WITH A SHUTDOWN DURING THE DSCNT TO TOUCHDOWN. I ALSO THINK THAT THIS CONFIGN MORE CLOSELY FOLLOWED OUR TRAINING FOR LNDG WITH AN ENG SHUTDOWN; SHOULD THAT END UP BEING THE CASE IF THE REVERSER DEPLOYED DURING THE DSCNT. THE ARR WAS NORMAL; THE LIGHT STAYED ON UNTIL SHUTDOWN; AND WE ENTERED THE LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. I CONSULTED WITH THE DUTY ACP (ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT) AT ZZZ AND DECIDED TO RPT CONSIDERING IN RETROSPECT THAT THE AOM BULLETIN CONCERNING THE USE OF 15/20 FLAPS FOR LNDG AS NOT SUPPORT FOR NORMAL OPS; AND I HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER TO ALLOW MYSELF AUTH TO DO SUCH. I THINK THE CHOICE FOR FLAP SETTING WAS THE BEST OPTION CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INFLT DEPLOYMENT OF A THRUST REVERSER ON THE APCH; AND WAS BEST INSURANCE TO SAFEGUARD THE CONTROLLABILITY OF THE ACFT IN SUCH A CASE; AND ALLOWING THE FO FLYING A CONFIGN WHICH WAS FAMILIAR IN FLYING A SUDDEN SINGLE ENG APCH. I DID NOT REALLY CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY THAT I WAS VIOLATING THE AOM PER THE BULLETIN UNTIL I BOUNCED THE SITUATION OFF THE ACP; AND DECIDED A RPT MIGHT BE THE BEST COURSE. I DO NOT THINK IN THIS SITUATION; WITH NO DEPLOYMENT; AND CONSIDERING HOW MUCH TIME WE HAD; THAT DECLARING AN EMER WAS NECESSARY. MY POSTFLT CONVERSATION WITH THE FO; SHE AGREED. DURING MY IOE; A COUPLE OF 15/20 FLAP APCHS WERE DEMONSTRATED. I THINK THAT THE COMPANY POLICY DISCOURAGING THESE FLAP SETTINGS FROM NORMAL OPS IS OVER MGMNT OF OPERATING THE ACFT FOR WHAT IS A NORMAL LNDG FLAP SETTING. CREWS SHOULD BE ALLOWED THE FLEXIBILITY TO USE ALL NORMAL PROCS OF CERTIFICATION; CONSIDERING CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS WT; WINDS AND TERRAIN. I WOULD THINK THAT USING A 15/20 FLAP FOR LNDG IS NO DIFFERENT DECISION THAN THAT OF USING ONE OF THE THREE TKOF FLAP SETTINGS WE CAN USE IN NORMAL OPS.

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.