INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN. FLAMEOUT.

Narrative

ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH #1 ENG FADEC CLASS II MESSAGE. PREVIOUS FLT HAD NUMEROUS PROBS WITH SAME. APU INOP STARTED #2 ENG AT GATE. GOT FADEC MESSAGE ON ECAM WHICH WENT AWAY. PUSHED BACK AND STARTED ENG; USING XBLEED START. AFTER #1 ENG WAS RUNNING; GOT FADEC MESSAGE AGAIN; WHICH WENT AWAY. AT 1500 FT MSL; GOT ANOTHER FADEC MESSAGE WHICH HAD BEEN INHIBITED DURING TKOF. IT WAS CLRED AND WE CONTINUED CLB TO NW UNTIL AROUND 16000 FT. THE #1 ENG READINGS DISAPPEARED AND ENG BEGAN SURGING. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL230 AND INFORMED ATC; REQUESTING VECTORS TO MEM. ENG RAN OK FOR ABOUT 3 MINS WHILE CAPT TALKED TO DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL; AND RAN CHKLISTS. THEN IT BEGAN SURGING AGAIN. CAPT REDUCED PWR TO IDLE IN RESPONSE TO CHKLIST AND #1 ENG QUIT. WE DECLARED EMER; RETURNED TO MEM. LNDG AND TAXI IN WAS UNEVENTFUL AND ACFT WAS NOT EVACED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT THE FADECS CTLING THE ENG WERE OK. BUT THE FADEC GENERATOR SUPPLYING PWR TO THE FADECS WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY; IT WAS CUTTING IN AND OUT. THIS CAUSED THE FADECS TO SWITCH BACK AND FORTH FROM 'A' TO 'B.' A FURTHER COMPLICATION WAS THE SWITCHING MECHANISM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO DIRECT SHIP'S PWR TO THE FADECS. IT; TOO; FAILED. WHEN THE FADECS HAD NO PWR TO THEM; THEY AUTOMATICALLY SHUT THE ENG DOWN. A CLASS II ECAM MESSAGE IS ONE THAT IS MINOR IN NATURE THAT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF LATER BUT IS OK FOR OP AT THE PRESENT TIME. THE ABILITY FOR SHIP'S PWR TO PICK UP THE FADEC LOAD IS A CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL CONFIGN OF THE FADECS AND THEIR PWR SOURCES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 295871: DURING CLBOUT; SEVERAL FADEC 'A' AND 'B' FAULTS OCCURRED. MAINT CHANGED ECU AND ALTERNATOR. PRELIMINARY RPTS INDICATE THE ALTERNATOR WAS FAILING. INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE ALTERNATOR NEVER ALLOWED THE SHIP'S ELECTRIC SYS TO TAKE OVER OP OF THE FADEC. THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN SENT TO AIRBUS FOR DETAILED ANALYSIS. I FEEL THE SOFTWARE MAY NEED IMPROVEMENT TO ALLOW POSITIVE CHANGE OF CTL FROM THE ALTERNATOR TO SHIP'S ELECTRICAL SYS.