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An A321 experienced a jammed elevator. An emergency was declared and the flight diverted to a nearby airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 654874 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200504 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 34000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A321 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 15100 flight time type : 315 |
| ASRS Report | 654874 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
FL340 ECAM 'flight control elevator/aileron computer #2 pitch' autoplt #2 disconnect (involuntary) followed by ECAM 'flight control stabilizer jam' and 'flight control altitude law (prot lost).' control of pitch degraded. Descended to below rvsm altitude. Leveloff required full aft stick (descent rate 1000 FPM) plus stabilizer wheel rotation (stabilizer wheel was at approximately 2.5 on). Due to handling difficulties (+/-300 ft of level flight) mountain wave activity; etc; decision made to divert to mci. Declared emergency. Slightly overweight landing approximately 172000 pounds at 100 FPM descent. Aircraft handling improved at lower altitudes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that ECAM annunciation 'elac 2' was followed about 10 mins later by 'elac 1' failure then 'stabilizer jam.' this evolution took about 15 mins. The aircraft was difficult to control and required full aft stick plus manual trim wheel movement to level. The air carrier has yet to tell the crew what the failure actually was. The reporter was not sure what the cause was; but he felt the result was similar to a slow runaway stabilizer trim. The aircraft was ctlable with the manual stabilizer trim.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A321 EXPERIENCED A JAMMED ELEVATOR. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE FLT DIVERTED TO A NEARBY ARPT.
Narrative: FL340 ECAM 'FLT CTL ELEVATOR/AILERON COMPUTER #2 PITCH' AUTOPLT #2 DISCONNECT (INVOLUNTARY) FOLLOWED BY ECAM 'FLT CTL STABILIZER JAM' AND 'FLT CTL ALT LAW (PROT LOST).' CTL OF PITCH DEGRADED. DSNDED TO BELOW RVSM ALT. LEVELOFF REQUIRED FULL AFT STICK (DSCNT RATE 1000 FPM) PLUS STABILIZER WHEEL ROTATION (STABILIZER WHEEL WAS AT APPROX 2.5 ON). DUE TO HANDLING DIFFICULTIES (+/-300 FT OF LEVEL FLT) MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY; ETC; DECISION MADE TO DIVERT TO MCI. DECLARED EMER. SLIGHTLY OVERWT LNDG APPROX 172000 LBS AT 100 FPM DSCNT. ACFT HANDLING IMPROVED AT LOWER ALTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT ECAM ANNUNCIATION 'ELAC 2' WAS FOLLOWED ABOUT 10 MINS LATER BY 'ELAC 1' FAILURE THEN 'STABILIZER JAM.' THIS EVOLUTION TOOK ABOUT 15 MINS. THE ACFT WAS DIFFICULT TO CTL AND REQUIRED FULL AFT STICK PLUS MANUAL TRIM WHEEL MOVEMENT TO LEVEL. THE ACR HAS YET TO TELL THE CREW WHAT THE FAILURE ACTUALLY WAS. THE RPTR WAS NOT SURE WHAT THE CAUSE WAS; BUT HE FELT THE RESULT WAS SIMILAR TO A SLOW RUNAWAY STABILIZER TRIM. THE ACFT WAS CTLABLE WITH THE MANUAL STABILIZER TRIM.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.