An A319 descending into a california airport just west of the sierra nevada experienced a headwind i...

Attributes
ACN	940384
Time
Date	201103
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZOA.ARTCC
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Autothrottle/Speed Control
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Person 2
Function	First Officer Pilot Flying
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 170 Flight Crew Total 10000 Flight Crew Type 6000
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Speed All Types Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence

Narrative:

We were on initial descent into a northern california airport. Aircraft [was] descending through FL310. Autopilot was on and first officer was pilot flying. Speed was .78 and vertical speed was down 1;200 FPM. Pilot flying and pilot not flying noticed airspeed increase and began to monitor. Pilot flying selected a slower speed .76. Airspeed seemed to stabilize for a few seconds and then began to increase again. At vmo minus ten knots pilot flying disconnected autopilot and began pitch up. Airspeed continued to increase and over speed ECAM was momentarily activated. Airspeed reached vmo plus two to three for one to two seconds and then decreased to selected speed. Autopilot was reengaged and the rest of flight was uneventful. An ACARS message was sent to maintenance and briefed on arrival. Winds increased from plus forty to plus eighty headwind during event.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An A319 descending into a California airport just west of the Sierra Nevada experienced a headwind increase from plus forty to plus eighty knots and during the increase airspeed momentarily exceeded VMO by two to three knots.

Narrative: We were on initial descent into a Northern California airport. Aircraft [was] descending through FL310. Autopilot was on and First Officer was pilot flying. Speed was .78 and vertical speed was down 1;200 FPM. Pilot flying and pilot not flying noticed airspeed increase and began to monitor. Pilot flying selected a slower speed .76. Airspeed seemed to stabilize for a few seconds and then began to increase again. At VMO minus ten knots pilot flying disconnected autopilot and began pitch up. Airspeed continued to increase and over speed ECAM was momentarily activated. Airspeed reached VMO plus two to three for one to two seconds and then decreased to selected speed. Autopilot was reengaged and the rest of flight was uneventful. An ACARS message was sent to Maintenance and briefed on arrival. Winds increased from plus forty to plus eighty headwind during event.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

An A319 descending into a california airport just west of the sierra nevada experienced a headwind increase from plus forty to plus eighty knots and during the increase airspeed momentarily exceeded vmo by two to three knots.