AN EXPERIENCED A320 FLC NEARLY LANDS THEIR ACFT GEAR UP AND PERFORM A GAR FROM 500 FT AGL 1 PT 5 MI FROM RWY 21L AT DTW; MI.

Narrative

WE HAD A HYD PUMP FAILURE EARLIER THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THE SLATS TO EXTEND SLOWLY. INSTEAD; THE SLATS FAILED TO EXTEND WHEN CALLED FOR BY THE FO; WHO WAS FLYING. I COMPLETED THE ECAM PROCS AND COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL PROCS; WHICH ARE QUITE SIMPLE. I HAVE LANDED WITH NO SLATS BEFORE; AND ALSO HAD THIS MALFUNCTION DURING MY LAST SIMULATOR TRAINING. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY UNDER CERTAIN FAILURES TO HAVE THE ACFT REVERT TO DIRECT CTL LAW RESULTING IN LACK OF AUTO-TRIM WHEN THE LNDG GEAR IS LOWERED; OR WHEN AUTOPLT IS DISCONNECTED. THIS USUALLY ONLY HAPPENS WITH COMPUTER PROBS; WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE. NEVERTHELESS; IT IS RECOMMENDED NOT TO TAKE THE AIRPLANE OFF AUTOPLT OR LOWER THE GEAR UNTIL THE AIRPLANE IS STABILIZED ON SPD AND ON GS SO IT IS ALL TRIMMED UP WHEN THE AUTOPLT IS DISCONNECTED. WE HAD ALREADY SELECTED LNDG FLAPS; AND WHEN THE AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED THE AIRPLANE REMAINED IN NORMAL FLT CTL LAW WITH AUTO-TRIM. WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A CLUE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN THE AIRPLANE WOULDN'T SLOW DOWN; BUT IT IS HARD TO SLOW AT ONLY FLAPS 3 DEGS ANYWAY. AT 500 FT THE GEAR WARNING SOUNDED. WE WERE BOTH SURPRISED THAT PLTS OF OUR EXPERIENCE (BOTH PLTS OVER 20 YRS IN JET TRANSPORT PART 121 OPS) WOULD LAND GEAR UP; BUT WE ALMOST DID. SEVERAL MERGERS AGO; CHKLISTS FOR ENG-OUT AND OTHER ABNORMAL LNDGS INCLUDED ALL LNDG CHKS; MAKING IT UNNECESSARY TO REFER BACK TO NORMAL CHKLISTS FOR LNDG. SINCE WE CONFIGURED THE ACFT OUT OF NORMAL SEQUENCE; THERE WAS NO 'TRIGGER' TO ACCOMPLISH THE NORMAL LNDG CHK. I RECOMMEND THAT EVERY EMER AND ABNORMAL CHKLIST THAT REQUIRES NONSTANDARD LNDG PROCS HAVE AN APPROPRIATE LNDG CHKLIST AT THE END OF THE PROC TO ELIMINATE THE NEED TO REFER BACK TO THE NORMAL CHKLIST FOR LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT HAS FLOWN 33 YRS WITHOUT HAVING A NEAR GEAR UP LNDG INCIDENT. HE SAID THAT THE AIRLINE ENHANCES THEIR FLEET CONSISTENCY BY HAVING ALL ACFT TYPE CHKLISTS HAVE THE SAME RESPONSE; 'TRIGGERS' AND FORMAT. THE A320 IS ONE SLIGHT EXCEPTION WHERE THE ECAM HAS TO BE CLRED FIRST IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER CHKLISTS. THE PIC DID NOT ADVISE COMPANY OF THE INCIDENT NOR HIS IDEA ABOUT THE CHKLIST CHANGES. HE SAID HE WILL CONTACT THEM SO SOME INFO ABOUT THE INCIDENT WILL BE PRODUCED IN THEIR SAFETY MAGAZINE.