Narrative:

We departed the gate on time -- a single engine taxi east. We were given instructions to taxi to runway 8 via taxiway. As we made the left turn at the intersection; we received a level 2 ECAM 'wheel nosewheel steering fault.' at that time the nosewheel steering failed and the aircraft began turning right instead of left due to the asymmetrical thrust of our single engine taxi. I applied differential braking to regain control and brought the aircraft to a stop in the intersection. The first officer ran the ECAM procedure; and then we consulted fom for further information. Page referred us to the bscu reset which we reviewed together and accomplished. I noted that the manual states that 'almost all computers can be reset on the ground; and are not limited to the ones indicated in the tables;' the bscu can only be reset while the aircraft is stopped; the computer reset would require maintenance notification and a logbook entry. A reset of the bscu is authority/authorized for a 'wheel nosewheel steering fault' ECAM; but what I did not notice; or process correctly; was that the manual also states 'in order to return to the gate for troubleshooting' right after the verbiage for 'wheel nosewheel steering fault.' once the bscu reset and required brake check had been completed; we continued our taxi to a position that would not block traffic; reviewed manual to see what type of logbook write-up was required. We contacted maintenance control via radio and explained the malfunction and our subsequent actions. I informed them that the computer reset had been successful and that I had made a logbook entry stating the same. They asked me to confirm that I had indeed entered it as a crew item; which I did; and then they told us that they would 'make a note of it' and 'thanks for the call.' we then proceeded to carry out a normal taxi out; second engine start; and flight with no incident. I; as the captain; should have performed a more complete review of the fom information pertaining to this malfunction. Although I felt at the time that I reviewed it very carefully; I somehow inadvertently skipped over an important sentence in the documentation. I also wrongly assumed that maintenance would have advised me to discontinue the flight if they knew of any reason why the nosewheel steering could not be reset on the ground with this type of malfunction. Clearly; they saw no problem with continuing. In the future; I will assume that their procedures may be different from the pilot group's and perform a more careful review of the available documentation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPT REPORTS NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAILURE DURING TAXI OUT; AND AFTER BSCU RESET DEPARTS UNEVENTFULLY.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED THE GATE ON TIME -- A SINGLE ENG TAXI E. WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO RWY 8 VIA TXWY. AS WE MADE THE L TURN AT THE INTXN; WE RECEIVED A LEVEL 2 ECAM 'WHEEL NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAULT.' AT THAT TIME THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAILED AND THE ACFT BEGAN TURNING R INSTEAD OF L DUE TO THE ASYMMETRICAL THRUST OF OUR SINGLE ENG TAXI. I APPLIED DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING TO REGAIN CTL AND BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP IN THE INTXN. THE FO RAN THE ECAM PROC; AND THEN WE CONSULTED FOM FOR FURTHER INFO. PAGE REFERRED US TO THE BSCU RESET WHICH WE REVIEWED TOGETHER AND ACCOMPLISHED. I NOTED THAT THE MANUAL STATES THAT 'ALMOST ALL COMPUTERS CAN BE RESET ON THE GND; AND ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE ONES INDICATED IN THE TABLES;' THE BSCU CAN ONLY BE RESET WHILE THE ACFT IS STOPPED; THE COMPUTER RESET WOULD REQUIRE MAINT NOTIFICATION AND A LOGBOOK ENTRY. A RESET OF THE BSCU IS AUTH FOR A 'WHEEL NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAULT' ECAM; BUT WHAT I DID NOT NOTICE; OR PROCESS CORRECTLY; WAS THAT THE MANUAL ALSO STATES 'IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE GATE FOR TROUBLESHOOTING' RIGHT AFTER THE VERBIAGE FOR 'WHEEL NOSEWHEEL STEERING FAULT.' ONCE THE BSCU RESET AND REQUIRED BRAKE CHK HAD BEEN COMPLETED; WE CONTINUED OUR TAXI TO A POS THAT WOULD NOT BLOCK TFC; REVIEWED MANUAL TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF LOGBOOK WRITE-UP WAS REQUIRED. WE CONTACTED MAINT CTL VIA RADIO AND EXPLAINED THE MALFUNCTION AND OUR SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS. I INFORMED THEM THAT THE COMPUTER RESET HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND THAT I HAD MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY STATING THE SAME. THEY ASKED ME TO CONFIRM THAT I HAD INDEED ENTERED IT AS A CREW ITEM; WHICH I DID; AND THEN THEY TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD 'MAKE A NOTE OF IT' AND 'THANKS FOR THE CALL.' WE THEN PROCEEDED TO CARRY OUT A NORMAL TAXI OUT; SECOND ENG START; AND FLT WITH NO INCIDENT. I; AS THE CAPT; SHOULD HAVE PERFORMED A MORE COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE FOM INFO PERTAINING TO THIS MALFUNCTION. ALTHOUGH I FELT AT THE TIME THAT I REVIEWED IT VERY CAREFULLY; I SOMEHOW INADVERTENTLY SKIPPED OVER AN IMPORTANT SENTENCE IN THE DOCUMENTATION. I ALSO WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT MAINT WOULD HAVE ADVISED ME TO DISCONTINUE THE FLT IF THEY KNEW OF ANY REASON WHY THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING COULD NOT BE RESET ON THE GND WITH THIS TYPE OF MALFUNCTION. CLEARLY; THEY SAW NO PROB WITH CONTINUING. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL ASSUME THAT THEIR PROCS MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE PLT GROUP'S AND PERFORM A MORE CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.