AN ACR FLT CREW EXPERIENCED AN AIR DATA COMPUTER FAILURE IN CRUISE FLIGHT; RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE AUTOPILOTS AND UNRELIABLE AIRSPEED AND HEADING INDICATIONS. THEY DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT.

2007-09 · NASA ASRS report 753337

Date: 2007-09 · Aircraft: A300 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical

Synopsis

AN ACR FLT CREW EXPERIENCED AN AIR DATA COMPUTER FAILURE IN CRUISE FLIGHT; RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE AUTOPILOTS AND UNRELIABLE AIRSPEED AND HEADING INDICATIONS. THEY DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT.

Narrative

WE WERE ENRTE AT FL330. THE #1 AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. WE ATTEMPTED TO RE-ENGAGE THE #1 AUTOPLT WHICH WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. WE THEN ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE #2 AUTOPLT WHICH ALSO WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. AT THIS POINT WE HAD LOST BOTH AUTOPLTS; BOTH FLT DIRECTORS AND THE AUTOTHROTTLES. WE HAD NO HDG BUGS; AIRSPD CURSOR WAS BLINKING ERRATICALLY AND THE NUMERICAL AIRSPD REF WAS RANDOMLY INDICATING ANYTHING FROM 350 KTS TO 900 KTS. THE ALT ALERT WAS SOUNDING CONTINUOUSLY. WE CONTACTED FLT CTL WHO THEN PATCHED US THROUGH TO MAINT. THEY ATTEMPTED TO ASSIST US WITH OUR ISSUES. THE LAST WE HEARD FROM THEM WAS THEY WERE GOING TO CONTACT AIRBUS BUT DID NOT THINK THAT WOULD HELP. WE CHKED THE WX AT ZZZ WHICH WAS APPROX 2000 FT OVCST WITH GUSTY WINDS. WE ALSO CHKED THE ZZZ1 WX WHICH WAS CLR AND VERY LIGHT WIND. WE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO ZZZ1 SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE MUCH TO WORK WITH IN THE COCKPIT AND THE STUFF THAT WAS WORKING GAVE US DOUBTS AS TO ITS ACCURACY. I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND; ZZZ1 WAS ABOUT 100 MI AWAY; IT IS A MAINT BASE AND COMPANY PEOPLE WERE ON DUTY SO WE EXECUTED THE DIVERSION. WE WORKED WITH ZZZ1 CTR AND COMPLETED A VECTORED VISUAL APCH AND LNDG IN ZZZ1. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER; HOWEVER; ATC WAS AWARE OF OUR EQUIP FAILURE. FUEL WAS NOT AN ISSUE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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