Narrative:

Until recently, autoland was prohibited in the A319/320 at our airline. During the last two months, the FAA has again approved autoland for our operation. I have received more than one memo recently regarding this subject, either by email or in the new electronic read file at work. The ones at work are not always easy to retrieve and cannot be printed. On the flight of this occurrence, the words 'autoland check mandatory' were included in the flight release. I conducted an autoland in VFR conditions and the aircraft did not complete the landing successfully without my intervention. After landing, I completed the autoland block from memory or the previous memo, which was to mark it either pass or fail. After departure from this station, I recalled that a flight operations bulletin had just recently been issued on this subject. When I referred to this bulletin, I was surprised to find that it stated that if an autoland is failed, an entry must be made in the maintenance discrepancy area of the log page. I filled this out on the leg I was on and notified maintenance of the write-up. Formerly, when I was flying the B757, coupons were used to track autoland performance and no log entry was required. I feel that this new procedure is confusing because of several conflicting or incomplete memo's on the subject and that a comprehensive document is writing should be issued to each pilot to clarify the proper procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH NO LOG RPT OF FLT GUIDANCE COMPUTER AUTOLAND FAILURE. CAUSED BY MULTIPLE MEMOS ON RPTING PROCS WITH AUTOLAND FAILURE.

Narrative: UNTIL RECENTLY, AUTOLAND WAS PROHIBITED IN THE A319/320 AT OUR AIRLINE. DURING THE LAST TWO MONTHS, THE FAA HAS AGAIN APPROVED AUTOLAND FOR OUR OPERATION. I HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN ONE MEMO RECENTLY REGARDING THIS SUBJECT, EITHER BY EMAIL OR IN THE NEW ELECTRONIC READ FILE AT WORK. THE ONES AT WORK ARE NOT ALWAYS EASY TO RETRIEVE AND CANNOT BE PRINTED. ON THE FLT OF THIS OCCURRENCE, THE WORDS 'AUTOLAND CHECK MANDATORY' WERE INCLUDED IN THE FLT RELEASE. I CONDUCTED AN AUTOLAND IN VFR CONDITIONS AND THE ACFT DID NOT COMPLETE THE LNDG SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT MY INTERVENTION. AFTER LNDG, I COMPLETED THE AUTOLAND BLOCK FROM MEMORY OR THE PREVIOUS MEMO, WHICH WAS TO MARK IT EITHER PASS OR FAIL. AFTER DEP FROM THIS STATION, I RECALLED THAT A FLT OPS BULLETIN HAD JUST RECENTLY BEEN ISSUED ON THIS SUBJECT. WHEN I REFERRED TO THIS BULLETIN, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT IT STATED THAT IF AN AUTOLAND IS FAILED, AN ENTRY MUST BE MADE IN THE MAINT DISCREPANCY AREA OF THE LOG PAGE. I FILLED THIS OUT ON THE LEG I WAS ON AND NOTIFIED MAINT OF THE WRITE-UP. FORMERLY, WHEN I WAS FLYING THE B757, COUPONS WERE USED TO TRACK AUTOLAND PERFORMANCE AND NO LOG ENTRY WAS REQUIRED. I FEEL THAT THIS NEW PROC IS CONFUSING BECAUSE OF SEVERAL CONFLICTING OR INCOMPLETE MEMO'S ON THE SUBJECT AND THAT A COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENT IS WRITING SHOULD BE ISSUED TO EACH PLT TO CLARIFY THE PROPER PROCS.

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.