Narrative:

My aircraft was taken away about 30 mins prior to departure and I was given another which had both yaw dampers inoperative and both autoplts inoperative. This was done without any discussion or briefing with me by dispatch, sju maintenance or the crew that brought the aircraft in. On the latter, I will state that the crew that brought this aircraft in and was turning it over to me made no attempt to brief me on the condition of the aircraft. The first officer stood right next to me at the gate I was leaving and the captain, presumably, walked past me as I was leaving the gate. This was before I knew all the facts involving the aircraft. When I finally found out what was going on with the aircraft, I expressed my extreme displeasure concerning the lack of protocol with mod. I told him I would look into the MEL legalities and discuss the issue with my first officer and get back to dispatch and let them know my decision. I found that, via the MEL, my past experience and ultimate opinion, that the flight met the basic minimums of safety of flight. I decided to take the aircraft which was completely legal. I then attempted to go to the captain that brought the aircraft in. He had taken my aircraft and the door had already been closed on his flight to boston. Sju maintenance never attempted to come and brief me. 2 flight attendants left the flight due to concerns about safety. My #1 recruited a deadheading flight attendant so we could make the flight. Right at leveloff, the aircraft went into some mild turbulence and started to dutch roll +/-5 degrees. I immediately went to a lower altitude, pumped the trim fuel forward and slowed up. The dutch roll was reduced to a minimum tolerable amount and I proceeded to mia without further incident. The flight was never in doubt regarding safety. Both myself and the first officer felt fine with the entire situation, though it was taxing to put so much effort into monitoring the flight without aid of autoplts or yaw dampers. The next day I briefed my chief pilot on this incident and my displeasure that no one involved saw fit to brief me or seek my input. I also sent the parameters of the flight, as I experienced it, to the A300 fleet manager.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRBUS 300 FLC ENCOUNTERS TURB CAUSING DUTCH ROLLS WHILE ENRTE.

Narrative: MY ACFT WAS TAKEN AWAY ABOUT 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP AND I WAS GIVEN ANOTHER WHICH HAD BOTH YAW DAMPERS INOP AND BOTH AUTOPLTS INOP. THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT ANY DISCUSSION OR BRIEFING WITH ME BY DISPATCH, SJU MAINT OR THE CREW THAT BROUGHT THE ACFT IN. ON THE LATTER, I WILL STATE THAT THE CREW THAT BROUGHT THIS ACFT IN AND WAS TURNING IT OVER TO ME MADE NO ATTEMPT TO BRIEF ME ON THE CONDITION OF THE ACFT. THE FO STOOD RIGHT NEXT TO ME AT THE GATE I WAS LEAVING AND THE CAPT, PRESUMABLY, WALKED PAST ME AS I WAS LEAVING THE GATE. THIS WAS BEFORE I KNEW ALL THE FACTS INVOLVING THE ACFT. WHEN I FINALLY FOUND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE ACFT, I EXPRESSED MY EXTREME DISPLEASURE CONCERNING THE LACK OF PROTOCOL WITH MOD. I TOLD HIM I WOULD LOOK INTO THE MEL LEGALITIES AND DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH MY FO AND GET BACK TO DISPATCH AND LET THEM KNOW MY DECISION. I FOUND THAT, VIA THE MEL, MY PAST EXPERIENCE AND ULTIMATE OPINION, THAT THE FLT MET THE BASIC MINIMUMS OF SAFETY OF FLT. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE ACFT WHICH WAS COMPLETELY LEGAL. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO GO TO THE CAPT THAT BROUGHT THE ACFT IN. HE HAD TAKEN MY ACFT AND THE DOOR HAD ALREADY BEEN CLOSED ON HIS FLT TO BOSTON. SJU MAINT NEVER ATTEMPTED TO COME AND BRIEF ME. 2 FLT ATTENDANTS LEFT THE FLT DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY. MY #1 RECRUITED A DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANT SO WE COULD MAKE THE FLT. RIGHT AT LEVELOFF, THE ACFT WENT INTO SOME MILD TURB AND STARTED TO DUTCH ROLL +/-5 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO A LOWER ALT, PUMPED THE TRIM FUEL FORWARD AND SLOWED UP. THE DUTCH ROLL WAS REDUCED TO A MINIMUM TOLERABLE AMOUNT AND I PROCEEDED TO MIA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE FLT WAS NEVER IN DOUBT REGARDING SAFETY. BOTH MYSELF AND THE FO FELT FINE WITH THE ENTIRE SIT, THOUGH IT WAS TAXING TO PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO MONITORING THE FLT WITHOUT AID OF AUTOPLTS OR YAW DAMPERS. THE NEXT DAY I BRIEFED MY CHIEF PLT ON THIS INCIDENT AND MY DISPLEASURE THAT NO ONE INVOLVED SAW FIT TO BRIEF ME OR SEEK MY INPUT. I ALSO SENT THE PARAMETERS OF THE FLT, AS I EXPERIENCED IT, TO THE A300 FLEET MGR.

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.