Incident Overview
On 5 October 2017 at 04:50 UTC, an Airbus A321-200 departed from Katowice Airport (EPKT). During the climb, at flight level FL100, the cockpit received two fault indications: AFT CARGO DOOR INDICATION (OPEN) and F/CTR AIL DET SERVO FAULT.
Actions Taken
The aircraft entered a holding pattern at FL100. After consulting with the Maintenance Control Center (MCC), the flight crew decided to return to EPKT. While holding, they burned fuel to reduce landing weight. The crew then performed the OVERWEIGHT CHECK LIST procedure, as the landing mass was 76,500 kg, which was 1,000 kg above the maximum landing weight (MLW). The landing occurred at 06:48 UTC without any further issues.
Post-Flight Inspection
After landing, mechanics conducted inspections. The findings were: 1. AFT CARGO DOOR INDICATION (OPEN): A fault in proximity sensor 32NV, responsible for signaling the cargo door closure, was identified. The aircraft was cleared for flight in accordance with MEL 52-30-01 B/DIR8660. 2. F/CTR AIL DET SERVO FAULT: No malfunction was detected. 3. Overweight landing: Per the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM 05-51-11 PB 601), no hard landing was detected.
The aircraft was subsequently released for operations and flew subsequent flights without any remarks.
Cause
The incident was caused by a fault in the cargo door closure sensor and false indications regarding the aileron mechanism malfunction.
Safety Recommendations
No safety recommendations were issued by the investigating commission.