Narrative:

Test flight was performed on aircraft after maintenance was done. During the test; we experienced trouble with 2 spoilers. We had several ECAM warnings of this condition but were crew awareness only. I was the PF and noticed several times during the flight the rudder trim was going out of range making the autoplt have trouble holding the aircraft stable. At this point I disconnected the autoplt; re-trimmed the aircraft and hand flew it the rest of the test with no adverse handling conditions. During approach; I noticed the aircraft was sloppy and sluggish on the controls. During flare at about 20 ft; the aircraft rolled hard left with firm touchdown and bounce. At this point we went to toga and go around. Unknown to us at the time the lower part of the left wingtip had hit the ground and took off a small part of the tip along with a static wick. No adverse handling conditions were experienced on the go around and on return we used flaps 3 degrees with a higher speed (vref +25) which appeared to make the aircraft more ctlable but it still tried to roll left in the flare. I do believe the extra airspeed and flaps 3 degrees had a positive effect on the outcome. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: post flight inspection revealed damage to the left wingtip and two spoilers on the left wing were found in the maintenance position. The maintenance position is essentially disconnected from their actuators. This allows the spoilers to float in flight and prevents them from revealing their true position on the ECAM F/control display. Maintenance never returned these two panels to the flight position prior to releasing the aircraft for flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ON MAINTENANCE ACCEPTANCE TEST FLIGHT REPORT SPOILER ECAMS FOR CREW AWARENESS ONLY. DURING LANDING FLARE ACFT ROLLS HARD LEFT CAUSING WINGTIP STRIKE AND GAR. SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT IS SUCCESSFUL.

Narrative: TEST FLT WAS PERFORMED ON ACFT AFTER MAINT WAS DONE. DURING THE TEST; WE EXPERIENCED TROUBLE WITH 2 SPOILERS. WE HAD SEVERAL ECAM WARNINGS OF THIS CONDITION BUT WERE CREW AWARENESS ONLY. I WAS THE PF AND NOTICED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE FLT THE RUDDER TRIM WAS GOING OUT OF RANGE MAKING THE AUTOPLT HAVE TROUBLE HOLDING THE ACFT STABLE. AT THIS POINT I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT; RE-TRIMMED THE ACFT AND HAND FLEW IT THE REST OF THE TEST WITH NO ADVERSE HANDLING CONDITIONS. DURING APCH; I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS SLOPPY AND SLUGGISH ON THE CTLS. DURING FLARE AT ABOUT 20 FT; THE ACFT ROLLED HARD L WITH FIRM TOUCHDOWN AND BOUNCE. AT THIS POINT WE WENT TO TOGA AND GAR. UNKNOWN TO US AT THE TIME THE LOWER PART OF THE L WINGTIP HAD HIT THE GND AND TOOK OFF A SMALL PART OF THE TIP ALONG WITH A STATIC WICK. NO ADVERSE HANDLING CONDITIONS WERE EXPERIENCED ON THE GAR AND ON RETURN WE USED FLAPS 3 DEGS WITH A HIGHER SPD (VREF +25) WHICH APPEARED TO MAKE THE ACFT MORE CTLABLE BUT IT STILL TRIED TO ROLL L IN THE FLARE. I DO BELIEVE THE EXTRA AIRSPD AND FLAPS 3 DEGS HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE OUTCOME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WINGTIP AND TWO SPOILERS ON THE LEFT WING WERE FOUND IN THE MAINTENANCE POSITION. THE MAINTENANCE POSITION IS ESSENTIALLY DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR ACTUATORS. THIS ALLOWS THE SPOILERS TO FLOAT IN FLIGHT AND PREVENTS THEM FROM REVEALING THEIR TRUE POSITION ON THE ECAM F/CTL DISPLAY. MAINTENANCE NEVER RETURNED THESE TWO PANELS TO THE FLIGHT POSITION PRIOR TO RELEASING THE ACFT FOR FLIGHT.

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.