Narrative:

Approximately 10 mins after takeoff, while climbing through the mid-20K's, the aircraft ECAM system displayed several messages, including autoplt off, autothrust off, and automatic flight FCU 1+2 fault. The checklist also advises a loss of lateral navigation and radar displays, altitude alert and control of altimeter settings. The system faults cleared themselves and the aircraft operation returned to normal within about a minute. About 3 mins later, the same faults occurred again, and then reset. At approximately 33000 ft, the faults occurred again and a decision was made to divert to ZZZ. ATC was notified, clearance received to ZZZ. Dispatch was notified and the first officer contacted ZZZ to advise them. No emergency was declared, but ATC did request fuel and souls-on-board. Aircraft continued to have several more instances of multiple faults during the descent and approach. Captain conducted a raw data ILS approach to visual conditions to runway at ZZZ using manual throttles. Note 1) TCAS was on MEL. Note 2) captain had flown this aircraft the previous two legs with no problems similar to this. Note 3) one strange thing did occur during start/pushback from zza after the first engine start, when the generator for engine 2 came on line, the wingtip strobes came on with the switch in automatic. Switch was selected to off, then back to automatic and the strobes then operated normally. Note 4) maintenance was able to observe the faults noted, including a fault of both FCU 1 and 2 while the aircraft was on the gate. Maintenance pulled the circuit breakers to reset the system, reset the breakers, and no further faults occurred. Aircraft was released by maintenance. Note 5) when ferrying the aircraft the following day, no similar faults were noted. All systems operated normally. Only item of any interest was generator 2 voltage was noted to be 113V and frequency was 398 HZ. Both are within normal operating parameters. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated airbus flying experience amounted to greater then three yrs and 2000 hours. The reporter said in his three yrs of flying the airbus he never experienced the type of failure experienced in this incident. The reporter said the carrier has never had a double automatic flight control unit failure as reported in this event. The reporter said the double flight control unit failure occurred seven times in nineteen mins. The reporter said the failures also included the full authority digital engine control, left and right engines. The reporter stated the quick reference handbook does not address this failure. The reporter said this failure requires the manual operation of the throttles which the carrier does instruct in the pilot training. The reporter stated maintenance was able to witness the faults while parked on the gate and was able to clear all the faults by resetting the circuit breakers. The reporter said after the faults were cleared he refused the airplane. The reporter said a flight control unit was replaced and the airplane maintenance ferried to maintenance facility where all systems again checked ok.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 319, CLIMBING THROUGH FL 250, DIVERTED DUE TO NUMEROUS MULTIPLE REPETITIVE SYSTEM FAULTS. DOUBLE FCU FAILURE, AUTOPLT, AUTO THRUST, AND LOSS OF LATERAL NAVIGATION. FAULTS CLRED IN 1 MIN. REPEATED IN 3 MIN.

Narrative: APPROX 10 MINS AFTER TKOF, WHILE CLBING THROUGH THE MID-20K'S, THE ACFT ECAM SYSTEM DISPLAYED SEVERAL MESSAGES, INCLUDING AUTOPLT OFF, AUTOTHRUST OFF, AND AUTO FLT FCU 1+2 FAULT. THE CHKLIST ALSO ADVISES A LOSS OF LATERAL NAVIGATION AND RADAR DISPLAYS, ALTITUDE ALERT AND CTL OF ALTIMETER SETTINGS. THE SYSTEM FAULTS CLRED THEMSELVES AND THE ACFT OPERATION RETURNED TO NORMAL WITHIN ABOUT A MINUTE. ABOUT 3 MINS LATER, THE SAME FAULTS OCCURRED AGAIN, AND THEN RESET. AT APPROX 33000 FT, THE FAULTS OCCURRED AGAIN AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO ZZZ. ATC WAS NOTIFIED, CLRNC RECEIVED TO ZZZ. DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED AND THE FO CONTACTED ZZZ TO ADVISE THEM. NO EMER WAS DECLARED, BUT ATC DID REQUEST FUEL AND SOULS-ON-BOARD. ACFT CONTINUED TO HAVE SEVERAL MORE INSTANCES OF MULTIPLE FAULTS DURING THE DSCNT AND APCH. CAPT CONDUCTED A RAW DATA ILS APCH TO VISUAL CONDITIONS TO RWY AT ZZZ USING MANUAL THROTTLES. NOTE 1) TCAS WAS ON MEL. NOTE 2) CAPT HAD FLOWN THIS ACFT THE PREVIOUS TWO LEGS WITH NO PROBS SIMILAR TO THIS. NOTE 3) ONE STRANGE THING DID OCCUR DURING START/PUSHBACK FROM ZZA AFTER THE FIRST ENGINE START, WHEN THE GENERATOR FOR ENGINE 2 CAME ON LINE, THE WINGTIP STROBES CAME ON WITH THE SWITCH IN AUTO. SWITCH WAS SELECTED TO OFF, THEN BACK TO AUTO AND THE STROBES THEN OPERATED NORMALLY. NOTE 4) MAINT WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE THE FAULTS NOTED, INCLUDING A FAULT OF BOTH FCU 1 AND 2 WHILE THE ACFT WAS ON THE GATE. MAINT PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO RESET THE SYSTEM, RESET THE BREAKERS, AND NO FURTHER FAULTS OCCURRED. ACFT WAS RELEASED BY MAINT. NOTE 5) WHEN FERRYING THE ACFT THE FOLLOWING DAY, NO SIMILAR FAULTS WERE NOTED. ALL SYSTEMS OPERATED NORMALLY. ONLY ITEM OF ANY INTEREST WAS GENERATOR 2 VOLTAGE WAS NOTED TO BE 113V AND FREQUENCY WAS 398 HZ. BOTH ARE WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING PARAMETERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED AIRBUS FLYING EXPERIENCE AMOUNTED TO GREATER THEN THREE YRS AND 2000 HRS. THE RPTR SAID IN HIS THREE YRS OF FLYING THE AIRBUS HE NEVER EXPERIENCED THE TYPE OF FAILURE EXPERIENCED IN THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR SAID THE CARRIER HAS NEVER HAD A DOUBLE AUTO FLT CTL UNIT FAILURE AS RPTED IN THIS EVENT. THE RPTR SAID THE DOUBLE FLT CTL UNIT FAILURE OCCURRED SEVEN TIMES IN NINETEEN MINS. THE RPTR SAID THE FAILURES ALSO INCLUDED THE FULL AUTHORITY DIGITAL ENG CTL, L AND R ENGINES. THE RPTR STATED THE QUICK REFERENCE HANDBOOK DOES NOT ADDRESS THIS FAILURE. THE RPTR SAID THIS FAILURE REQUIRES THE MANUAL OP OF THE THROTTLES WHICH THE CARRIER DOES INSTRUCT IN THE PLT TRAINING. THE RPTR STATED MAINT WAS ABLE TO WITNESS THE FAULTS WHILE PARKED ON THE GATE AND WAS ABLE TO CLEAR ALL THE FAULTS BY RESETTING THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE RPTR SAID AFTER THE FAULTS WERE CLRED HE REFUSED THE AIRPLANE. THE RPTR SAID A FLT CTL UNIT WAS REPLACED AND THE AIRPLANE MAINT FERRIED TO MAINT FACILITY WHERE ALL SYSTEMS AGAIN CHECKED OK.

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.