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An A320 departed a hot humid airport and prior to landing water was dripping from the stby compass. Airspeed; autopilot; autothrottle; and rudder travel limiter ecams annunciated.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 788967 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200805 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 22000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 4200 |
| ASRS Report | 788967 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 625 |
| ASRS Report | 788074 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
First officer PF. Captain notices captain airspeed indication getting 'slow;' approximately 200 or less. Confign 0 fl speed selected 210 KIAS. First officer airspeed and standby show 210 as selected. Simultaneously; throttle lock ECAM and autoplt off warning and autothrottle off caution. Then rudder travel limiter ECAM. Captain elected not to follow rudder travel limiter ECAM due to cycling facility's airborne. First officer points out that flight directors also disappeared. Captain could not regain autothrottle; autoplt or flight directors. Captain airspeed indications continue to 'slow;' showing approximately 25 KIAS slower than first officer and standby at touchdown. In descent first officer had condensation drip on him. At touchdown more condensation came out near standby compass. Intermittent GS and localizer; though in close this information seemed reliable. Declared emergency and asked for vectors. Landed uneventfully. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter had not heard from his company about this event's cause. He is guessing that because of the large amount of water; including a very large amount that fell on the first officer during landing; that water in some electronic circuitry was the cause. There was no indication of an electrical or electronic malfunction.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 DEPARTED A HOT HUMID ARPT AND PRIOR TO LNDG WATER WAS DRIPPING FROM THE STBY COMPASS. AIRSPEED; AUTOPILOT; AUTOTHROTTLE; AND RUDDER TRAVEL LIMITER ECAMS ANNUNCIATED.
Narrative: FO PF. CAPT NOTICES CAPT AIRSPD INDICATION GETTING 'SLOW;' APPROX 200 OR LESS. CONFIGN 0 FL SPD SELECTED 210 KIAS. FO AIRSPD AND STANDBY SHOW 210 AS SELECTED. SIMULTANEOUSLY; THROTTLE LOCK ECAM AND AUTOPLT OFF WARNING AND AUTOTHROTTLE OFF CAUTION. THEN RUDDER TRAVEL LIMITER ECAM. CAPT ELECTED NOT TO FOLLOW RUDDER TRAVEL LIMITER ECAM DUE TO CYCLING FAC'S AIRBORNE. FO POINTS OUT THAT FLT DIRECTORS ALSO DISAPPEARED. CAPT COULD NOT REGAIN AUTOTHROTTLE; AUTOPLT OR FLT DIRECTORS. CAPT AIRSPD INDICATIONS CONTINUE TO 'SLOW;' SHOWING APPROX 25 KIAS SLOWER THAN FO AND STANDBY AT TOUCHDOWN. IN DSCNT FO HAD CONDENSATION DRIP ON HIM. AT TOUCHDOWN MORE CONDENSATION CAME OUT NEAR STANDBY COMPASS. INTERMITTENT GS AND LOC; THOUGH IN CLOSE THIS INFO SEEMED RELIABLE. DECLARED EMER AND ASKED FOR VECTORS. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER HAD NOT HEARD FROM HIS COMPANY ABOUT THIS EVENT'S CAUSE. HE IS GUESSING THAT BECAUSE OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER; INCLUDING A VERY LARGE AMOUNT THAT FELL ON THE FO DURING LANDING; THAT WATER IN SOME ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY WAS THE CAUSE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF AN ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONIC MALFUNCTION.
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.