Narrative:

On final for ILS 35 right. Level 9000 ft cleared for approach, captain flying with autoplt on. When cleared for approach, captain armed approach mode on the MCP (A319). On GS case break on the raw data, the aircraft violently pitched up gaining 700 ft before the captain disconnected the autoplt and corrected back to altitude of 9000 ft. Hand flown remainder of acph to uneventful landing. The autoplt pitched up to about 15 degress in order to capture the GS. This appears to be a software problem in the A319 only. Software needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the company issued a bulletin to all airbus 319 pilots to be aware of a slight pitch up when the glide slope deviation bar first comes into view. The reporter said in engaging the approach mode on the autoplt mode control panel as soon as the glide slope deviation bar started to descend the aircraft made an immediate pitch up to 10 to 12 degrees. The reporter said the engines were throttled back and with the pitch up we were 10 seconds from a stall. The reporter stated this was no slight pitch up and this recurrent problem needs immediate correction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 319 ON FINAL APCH AT 9000 FT CAPT ARMED APCH MODE ON MODE CTL PANEL IMMEDIATELY ACFT PITCHED UP 10-12 DEGREES GAINING 700 FT BEFORE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED.

Narrative: ON FINAL FOR ILS 35 R. LEVEL 9000 FT CLRED FOR APCH, CAPT FLYING WITH AUTOPLT ON. WHEN CLRED FOR APCH, CAPT ARMED APCH MODE ON THE MCP (A319). ON GS CASE BREAK ON THE RAW DATA, THE ACFT VIOLENTLY PITCHED UP GAINING 700 FT BEFORE THE CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CORRECTED BACK TO ALT OF 9000 FT. HAND FLOWN REMAINDER OF ACPH TO UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE AUTOPLT PITCHED UP TO ABOUT 15 DEGRESS IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE GS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SOFTWARE PROB IN THE A319 ONLY. SOFTWARE NEEDS TO BE FIXED ASAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY ISSUED A BULLETIN TO ALL AIRBUS 319 PLTS TO BE AWARE OF A SLIGHT PITCH UP WHEN THE GLIDE SLOPE DEVIATION BAR FIRST COMES INTO VIEW. THE RPTR SAID IN ENGAGING THE APCH MODE ON THE AUTOPLT MODE CTL PANEL AS SOON AS THE GLIDE SLOPE DEVIATION BAR STARTED TO DESCEND THE ACFT MADE AN IMMEDIATE PITCH UP TO 10 TO 12 DEGREES. THE RPTR SAID THE ENGS WERE THROTTLED BACK AND WITH THE PITCH UP WE WERE 10 SECONDS FROM A STALL. THE RPTR STATED THIS WAS NO SLIGHT PITCH UP AND THIS RECURRENT PROB NEEDS IMMEDIATE CORRECTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.