Flight Operations Web conference December 2012

Blocked AOA Probes

Temporary procedure for aircraft equipped with conic cover plates
Presented by Pierre-Henri REVERBEL Senior Flight Operations Engineer

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

AGENDA

1. The conic AOA cover plates 2. One in-service event: facts 3. Temporary Procedures : OEB-45
A330/A340 Temporary Procedure A320 Family Temporary Procedure

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

AGENDA

1. The conic AOA cover plates 2. One in-service event: facts 3. Temporary Procedures : OEB-45
A330/A340 Temporary Procedure A320 Family Temporary Procedure

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

Conic AOA Cover Plates

The conic AOA cover plates aim at protecting the AOA root from
the ice crystals phenomenon.

Installation of conic cover plates started in February 2012:

170 A330/A340 aircraft 520 A320 family aircraft

One equipped aircraft had an in-service event

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

AGENDA

1. The conic AOA cover plates 2. One in-service event: facts 3. Temporary Procedures : OEB-45
A330/A340 Temporary Procedure A320 Family Temporary Procedure

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

In-service event
4 minutes after Take-off , reaching FL113 with TAT=-12C, 3 AOA
recorded at a constant value of 5 for about 1 hour Flight Crew reported: passing FL250, both PFDs Valpha Prot rising up toward SEL SPD 260kts Flight Crew decided to troubleshoot at FL310 When reaching FL310, AP automatically disconnected due to AOA protection activation. Just after AP disconnection, with sidestick free, Alpha Prot Law commanded pitch down order to target alpha prot (4)

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

In-service event
With pitch attitude continuously decreasing, PF reacted by
applying permanent (for about 20s) sidestick order in the full backward position.

Pitch angle continued to decrease and AC to descend A/THR reduced the thrust due to Speed increase (Selected Speed
305kts)

The flight crew elected to switch ADRs to OFF With reversion to alternate law, the High Angle-of-Attack protection
was no longer available. Pitch attitude was recovered. Flight crew diverted and performed an uneventful landing.

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

AGENDA

1. The conic AOA cover plates 2. One in-service event: facts 3. Temporary Procedures : OEB-45
A330/A340 Temporary Procedure A320 Family Temporary Procedure

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

OEB 45 / AFM TR286-A320 / AFM TR293-A330 / AFM TR294-A340

Airbus decided to provide, as a precautionary measure (root

cause of the in-service event still under investigation), the operators with temporary procedures for aircraft equipped with conic AOA cover plates.

Goals: 1. Provide cockpit effects to detect two or three AOAs 2.

sending same constant values Provide procedure to revert to alternate law

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

AGENDA

1. The conic AOA cover plates 2. One in-service event: facts 3. Temporary Procedures : OEB-45
A330/A340 Temporary Procedure A320 Family Temporary Procedure

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A330/A340 Procedure
Procedure entry points - cockpit effects: In stabilized flight path (Nz=1), Alpha Prot strip increases and
permanently hides the VLS strip:

Increase in Mach

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A330/A340 Procedure
Procedure entry points - cockpit effects: A LOCK message remaining displayed even with speed increase
to VFE CONF1 10kt:

FLAP 0 Selection

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A330/A340 Procedure
At anytime, if the aircraft goes to an unmanageable pitch down
attitude, even with sidestick in full backward position: reversion to alternate law: 2 ADRs.OFF

IMMEDIATELY

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A330/A340 Procedure

Procedure steps: Stop accelerating Stop climbing Revert to Alternate law

Prevent increase in Mach number

Prevent Alpha Prot activation

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

AGENDA

1. The conic AOA cover plates 2. One in-service event: facts 3. Temporary Procedures : OEB-45
A330/A340 Temporary Procedure A320 Family Temporary Procedure

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A320 Family Procedure

Procedure entry points - cockpit effects: In stabilized flight path (Nz=1), Alpha Max strip increases and
hides completely the Alpha Prot strip:

Increase in Mach

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A320 Family Procedure

Procedure entry points - cockpit effects: With AP ON and increase in load factor (Nz>1), Alpha Prot strip
moves by more than 30kt
Increase in load factor

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A320 Family Procedure

Procedure entry points - cockpit effects: A LOCK message remaining displayed even with speed increase
to VFE CONF1:

FLAP 0 Selection

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A320 Family Procedure

At anytime, if the aircraft goes to an unmanageable pitch down
attitude, even with sidestick in full backward position: reversion to alternate law: 2 ADRs.OFF

IMMEDIATELY

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

A320 Family Procedure

Procedure steps: Stop accelerating Stop climbing Revert to Alternate law

Prevent increase in Mach number

Prevent Alpha Prot activation

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Flight Operations Webconf

December 2012

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document. This document and all information contained herein is the sole property of AIRBUS S.A.S. No intellectual property rights are granted by the delivery of this document or the disclosure of its content. This document shall not be reproduced or disclosed to a third party without the express written consent of AIRBUS S.A.S. This document and its content shall not be used for any purpose other than that for which it is supplied. The statements made herein do not constitute an offer. They are based on the mentioned assumptions and are expressed in good faith. Where the supporting grounds for these statements are not shown, AIRBUS S.A.S. will be pleased to explain the basis thereof. AIRBUS, its logo, A300, A310, A318, A319, A320, A321, A330, A340, A350, A380, A400M are registered trademarks.

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.