AN A319 CREW IS SURPRISED WHEN THEY INADVERTENTLY LAND WITH MAX AUTO-BRAKES AT IAD; VA.

Narrative

ON FIRST FLT OF THE DAY IAD-BDL MAX AUTO-BRAKING LIGHT AND SYS WORKED NORMAL. ON SECOND FLT FROM BDL-IAD MAX AUTO-BRAKE ARMED AS PART OF THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT. TESTED OK AND CONFIRMED THAT MAX AUTO-BRAKES WERE ARMED VIA ECAM (EFIS). PROCEEDED WITH FLT OPS NORMAL. CAPT TESTED LIGHT ENRTE SEVERAL TIMES WITH BOTH THE ARMING SWITCH AND THE LIGHTS TEST SWITCH. LIGHT WAS STILL INTERMITTENT. PLANNED ON RPTING LIGHT MALFUNCTION TO IAD LCL MAINT. I HAD BRIEFED A VISUAL/ILS BACKUP APCH TO RWY 19R IAD WITH AUTO-BRAKES OFF. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO THE CREW THAT WHILE TESTING THE LIGHT/SWITCH ENRTE THAT THE MAX AUTO-BRAKES WERE LAST IN THE ARMED POS WITH NO LIGHT INDICATION. AFTER NORMAL APCH AND TOUCHDOWN MAX AUTO-BRAKES MOMENTARILY ENGAGED TO THE CREW'S 'SURPRISE.' CAPT IMMEDIATELY ARMED LOW WHICH BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A NORMAL DECELERATION RATE. AT GATE WE TALKED TO LCL MAINT WHO CONFERRED WITH CENTRAL MAINT. INSPECTION WERE MADE WITH NO HARM FOUND. APPROPRIATE LIGHT/ARMING DEFERRALS WERE MADE. DEPARTED WITH SAME ACFT ON NEXT FLT WITH OPS NORMAL. I HAVE LEANED FROM THIS OCCURRENCE NOT TO TAKE EVEN THE SMALLEST INDICATING LIGHT FOR GRANTED.