2024 Master Question File Even Flashcards
What happens when a pilot pushes the CREW SUPPLY PUSHBUTTON?
Valve opens to supply low-pressure oxygen to the masks
How does the passenger fixed oxygen system work and how long does it last?
Chemical oxygen generators last for approximately 15 minutes
What does the illumination of the SYS ON light mean? Does this mean that all the masks have
deployed?
The signal has been sent to release the oxygen mask doors, but some masks may have to be deployed
manually.
What causes automatic deployment of the masks?
Cabin altitude reaching approximately 14,000 feet
How is the crew oxygen mask microphone deactivated when the mask is stowed?
The RESET control slide will accomplish this – it does not happen automatically.
What indication would a pilot have of a crew oxygen cylinder thermal discharge?
The green disk on the lower left side of the forward fuselage would be missing.
Could the passenger fix oxygen mask provided oxygen for anything other than depressurization?
No, unless there is a written procedure for its use.
On the ground, if there is an amber half frame around the CKPT OXY PSI box, where would you
look to see if you have enough oxygen for the flight?
FCOM – Limitations – Oxygen
(GPWS) What does pressing the SYS pushbutton do?
All basic GPWS alerts (mode 1 to 5) are inhibited.
What does an amber FAULT light in the SYS pushbutton indicate on the GPWS panel?
Any failure of GPWS mode 1 through 5
What effect, if any, does an amber FAULT light in the SYS pushbutton have on the TERR mode?
No effect at all
Describe a situation when a pilot might press LDG FLAP 3.
To avoid nuisance warning in case of landing in CONF 3.
• In this case, LDG MEMO displays FLAPS…CONF 3 instead of CONF FULL
Describe a situation when a pilot might press the FLAP MODE pushbutton
• To avoid nuisance warning in case of landing with flaps setting reduced
• FLAP SYS 1 (2) FAULT would require selection of FLAP MODE off
What effect, if any, does the failure of TERR mode have on basic GPWS?
No effect whatsoever
What type of flight control system does the A320 family aircraft utilize?
Fly-By-Wire system
Describe how the flight controls are controlled and activated.
Electrically Controlled and Hydraulically Activated
How is NORMAL LAW indicated on the PFD?
• Green “=” for pitch, bank, and over speed limits
• Amber/black (ALPHA PROT) airspeed tape
How is ALTERNATE LAW indicated on the PFD?
• Amber Xs (indicating lack of NORMAL LAW protections)
How is DIRECT LAW indicated on the PFD?
• Amber “USE MANUAL PITCH TRIM”
• Amber Xs (indicating lack of NORMAL LAW protections)
How is MECHANICAL BACKUP indicated on the PFD?
• Red “MAN PITCH TRIM ONLY”
• Amber Xs (indicating lack of NORMAL LAW protections)
When operating in NORMAL LAW in flight mode, what does the sidestick command for pitch and
roll?
• Pitch – G load
• Bank – Roll rate
What is the significance of the Sidestick Priority (Red Arrow) Light?
The other pilot has gained sidestick authority
Name the Flight Control Computers and the number of each.
• ELAC – Elevator Aileron Computer (2)
• SEC – Spoiler Elevator Computer (3)
• FAC – Flight Augmentation Computer (2)
What does SEC 3 control?
• Spoiler Control – one flight spoiler and one ground spoiler on each wing
What should happen to the THS after landing?
• Reset to zero
Describe some of protections a pilot will have in NORMAL LAW?
• High Speed
• High Angle of Attack (AOA) Protection
• Load Factor Limitation +2.5G / -1.0G (+2.0G / 0.0G With Flaps/Slats)
• Pitch Attitude Protections (30° UP / 15° DN)
• Bank Angle Protections (67°)
Describe High Speed Protection.
• If VMO/MMO plus a predetermined factor is exceeded, the system induces a pitch-up input to limitaircraft speed. 3/4 G pitch up
What, if anything, can a pilot do to override high-speed protection pitch up?
It is not possible to override a protection while still in NORMAL LAW. In this case, the aircraft would
need to be forced into ALTERNATE LAW (by turning 2 ADRs off, for example).
What is ALPHA MAX?
The maximum angle of attack allowed in NORMAL LAW, indicated by the top of the red strip on the
airspeed scale.
How does High Angle of Attack Protection operate?
When the angle of attack exceeds ALPHA PROT, AP disconnect, speed brakes retract (if extended), nose up pitch trim ceases and angle of attack is now proportional to sidestick deflection, not to exceed ALPHA MAX even with full aft sidestick deflection.
What protections and stabilities, if any, does a pilot have in ALTERNATE LAW?
Load Factor
• High-speed stability
• Low speed stability
What protections, if any, does a pilot have in DIRECT LAW?
None
When, if at all, does flare mode activate in ALTERNATE LAW? Describe the whole process.
There is no flare mode if operating in ALTERNATE LAW. The aircraft proceeds directly from
ALTERNATE LAW to DIRECT LAW when the gear is selected down, and flare mode will not be
available.
If in ALTERNATE LAW, when will the aircraft revert to DIRECT LAW?
If the controls degrade to ALTERNATE LAW for any reason other than recovery from abnormal attitude, DIRECT LAW automatically becomes active with gear extension and autopilots not engaged. In this case, full use of autopilot is recommended until they must be disconnected.
When is there a direct relationship between sidestick and flight control surface deflection?
When in DIRECT LAW
On the ground (Ground Mode)
It’s common Airbus philosophy that the Airbus cannot stall in NORMAL LAW. However, there are
conditions in which it can. Describe how this can happen.
A good pilot will operate under the philosophy that anything can happen. Preventative systems such as (ALPHA PROT, ALPHA MAX, etc.) could interpret bad data as valid data and subsequently fail to recognize the actual angle of attack or flight path of the airplane. Therefore, it is hard to point to exact scenarios when the Airbus can stall in NORMAL LAW. We need to understand anything is possible and we should recognize stall indications and recover regardless of the active control law.
How would the aircraft enter ABNORMAL ATTITUDE LAW?
By exceeding approximately double the NORMAL LAW limits
What is the purpose of ABNORMAL ATTITUDE LAW?
Allows the aircraft to be recovered from an unusual attitude.
If the flight crew is flying at 300 knots and they happen to pull full back on the sidestick, how high
can they pitch up?
30° up
If the pilot selects 100 knots on the speed knob, how slow would the aircraft fly if the autopilot and
auto thrust are engaged?
VLS
Describe, in detail, what would happen if the pilot slowly pulled the thrust levers to idle in Normal
Law.
• As airspeed decays, the THS adjusts the pitch attitude to maintain altitude.
• If the angle of attack increases to a threshold value, known as ALPHA PROT, the pitch function of the sidestick changes. Stick movement commands a specific angle of attack instead of a G load change.
• Since nose up pitch trim ceases, the pilot must hold continuous back pressure in order to fly slower than the speed for ALPHA PROT
Continuing the scenario above, describe what would happen if the flight crew continued to pull
back on the sidestick. How slow would the aircraft go?
The speed corresponding to ALPHA MAX
• With the stick full aft, the elevators will adjust the pitch attitude to maintain a maximum safe angle of attack (ALPHA MAX). This maximum angle of attack, induced by the pilot, is slightly lower than the stall angle of attack; therefore, the aircraft theoretically cannot be stalled in NORMAL LAW
At some point during this demonstration, the AUTOTHRUST automatically applies TOGA power.
What is this protection, and how does it work?
ALPHA FLOOR is a function of AUTOTHRUST. It will activate at any airspeed based on angle of attack and automatically apply TOGA thrust regardless of thrust lever position.
ALPHA FLOOR is available if the AUTOTHRUST is functional (it does not need to be active), an engine is running (not both), and the aircraft is in NORMAL LAW.
• Angle of attack protection does not depend on ALPHA FLOOR to function.
• On NEO aircraft, ALPHA FLOOR is inhibited above M 0.6
Describe what would happen if a flight crew attempted to overstress the aircraft while in NORMAL
LAW
Maneuver protection prevents a pilot from overstressing the aircraft by limiting flight control inputs.
• If G loads become greater than normal, they are displayed in amber on the lower ECAM above the digital clock.
• When the sidestick is pushed forward, less than 1G is commanded. A given pitch input always results in the same pitch response regardless of airspeed.
• When the stick is returned to neutral, the new pitch is held constant regardless of airspeed changes.
What will happen if the pilot over speeds the aircraft? Are there any protections that are available
to the pilots?
An over speed causes the flight control computers to provide a nose up input to reduce aircraft damage due to excess speed. This protection limits the maximum airspeed by increasing the pitch attitude even if full forward stick is held.
• The speed at which this protection activates is shown on the airspeed indicator as a green “=” sign.
• An over speed warning is generated as VMO is exceeded (specifically at VMO+4). This warning can only be silenced by the EMER CANCEL pushbutton.
• If the stick is released, the speed will return to VMO/MMO. The protection will allow a momentary
increase in airspeed up to VMO+16/MMO+0.04 permit any necessary maneuvering but then the speed will again slow to the limit.
• Positive spiral static stability is introduced to 0° bank angle (instead of 33° in normal law) so that with the sidestick released, the aircraft always returns to bank angle of 0°. The bank angle limit is reduced from 67° to 40°.
• If high-speed protection is active, positive spiral stability occurs at all bank angles, and control pressure is required to hold any bank angle greater than zero.
• It is possible to over speed the aircraft. The computers merely limit the maximum attainable speed
When a pilot rolls into a bank, what is provided by the Flight Control Laws?
In “flight” mode of NORMAL LAW, roll control is a roll rate demand. Sidestick inputs commands the
ailerons, spoilers 2-5, and the rudder to achieve the commanded roll rate with bank angle protection, turn coordination, and Dutch roll damping.
• The roll rate demanded by the pilot is proportional to sidestick deflection. When the sidestick is neutral, the ailerons and spoilers are positioned to maintain the roll rate at 0° per second. This results in a constant bank angle.
• When the sidestick is displaced laterally, increasing roll rates are commanded. At full deflection, a roll rate of 15° per second is commanded in NORMAL LAW. The ailerons and spoilers are positioned as
necessary to achieve the commanded roll rate.
• The sidestick position cannot be used as a reference to determine the actual positions of flight control surfaces.
• In normal turns (up to 33°) pitch trim is automatic and assists the pilot in maintaining altitude.
• If the bank is increased beyond 33° and the sidestick is released, the aircraft would return to 33° of bank. This is known as positive spiral stability.
• Positive spiral stability is a characteristic programmed into the flight control computers, which returns the aircraft to a more stable condition (0° if high speed or angle-of-attack protection is active).
• Beyond 33° of bank, positive spiral stability is active and automatic pitch trim is inhibited. To maintain a bank angle greater than 33°, continuous side stick pressure must be used. Also, continuous back pressure will be needed to maintain altitude since automatic pitch trim is inhibited.
The pilots find themselves in ALTERNATE LAW. Describe the indications and available protections,
and flight control logic.
In most cases, a single system component failure will not cause a flight control degradation (jammed stabilizer causes a degradation).
• Indications would be amber Xs and an EW/D message. The ECAM states PROT LOST, but maneuver protection is still available.
• Autopilot availability in ALTERNATE LAW depends on the failures that caused the degradation.
Generally speaking, if the failures DO NOT affect a primary flight control surface, the autopilot should be available.
• Pitch is the same as NORMAL LAW, roll is direct (not roll rate demand), and yaw loses turn
coordination.
• Attitude, high speed, and angle of attack protections are lost. They are replaced by high speed stability and low speed stability, respectively.
• High speed stability activates just prior to the over speed warning. Nose down trim is inhibited.
• Low speed stability activates just prior to the stall warning. Nose up trim is inhibited.
• The pilot can override the stabilities and over speed or stall the aircraft.
• Instead of commanding a specific roll rate, there is a direct relationship between sidestick position and control surface position. As a result, roll sensitivity now changes with aircraft speed and amount of sidestick deflection.
• Bank angle protection is not available in ALTERNATE LAW. Roll commands are carried out directly
without modification.
• Depending on the failure combination, the maximum roll rate may be as much as twice what it was in NORMAL LAW.
• Attitude protection is lost and the green “=” signs on the PFD are replaced with amber Xs. There are now no limits on how far a pilot can pitch or roll the aircraft. The aircraft can roll beyond the amber Xs. Positive spiral stability is also lost.
• In ALTERNATE LAW, turn coordination is always lost regardless of FAC status. Yaw damping, rudder trim and rudder limiting is available if a FAC is operational.
The pilots find themselves in DIRECT LAW. Describe the indications, protections, and flight control
logic.
When in ALTERNATE LAW, there is no landing mode that would provide consistent control during
landing for all possible failure combinations. Consequently, the flight controls transition to DIRECT LAW when the landing gear is extended and autopilot is off.
• DIRECT LAW is very unlikely in flight. It usually results from lowering the gear while in ALTERNATE
LAW.
An ECAM message is generated and says “PROT LOST”. Unlike in ALTERNATE LAW, this is now true.
There are no protections or stabilities available in DIRECT LAW.
• The message “USE MAN PITCH TRIM” in amber is displayed on the FMA because automatic pitch trim is lost.
• Pitch control is direct. Load factor demand is lost. Pitch sensitivity or control is a factor of airspeed and the amount flight control deflection. Roll control is the same as ALTERNATE LAW (direct relationship with no protections).
The pilots find themselves in MECHANICAL BACKUP. What functions are available?
MECHANICAL BACKUP control is provided for the rudder and THS in the event of a complete loss of
flight control computers or electrical power, provided that there is hydraulic pressure.
• Although the aircraft can be flown indefinitely in this condition, it is intended to be used only as long as it takes to restore the computers.
• Note the EW/D warning message and red “MAN PITCH TRIM ONLY” indication on the FMA. There isn’t a specific mechanical backup ECAM message.
• The side sticks are inoperative. Pitch is controlled with the trim wheel via the mechanical connection to the pitch system.
• Roll and yaw are controlled through the rudder pedals and the mechanical connection to the rudder.
• In reality, the failure of only four (4) flight control computers may result in mechanical backup: Both ELACs and SEC 1 and 2 fail, and all computerized pitch control is lost. In this case, because SEC 3 is still available, the side sticks can control roll using one spoiler on each wing, but pitch control is mechanical.
What is the ADIRS?
Air Data and Inertial Reference System
What type of information does the Air Data Reference System provide?
Barometric altitude, airspeed, over speed warnings, temperature, angle of attack, mach.
What type of information does the IR provide?
Attitude, Flight Path Vector (FPV), track, heading, acceleration, angular rates, groundspeed and aircraft position.
If there was an IR1 FAULT, what should be done with the switching panel to display backup data
appropriately?
ATT/HDG to Capt 3
If there was an ADR1 FAULT, what should be done with the switching panel to display backup data
appropriately?
AIR DATA to Capt 3
Explain the ADIRS Power-up and Initialization.
Switch from OFF to NAV
• ON BAT light illuminates and then extinguishes
• White ALIGN light illuminates for the duration of alignment (only on A319; 502-534)
• In A319; 535,536, A320s, and A321s, the E/WD memo section displays “IRS IN ALIGN” during
alignment and replaces the ALIGN lights on the overhead panel.
What are some indications of an ADIR having reverted to battery power on the ground?
An external horn sounds
• The ON BAT light comes on
• An ADIRU & AVNCS light illuminates in amber on the external power panel.
What is the significance of a steady FAULT light on the IR?
IR has failed and cannot be recovered
What is the significance of a flashing FAULT light on the IR?
Navigation function is lost. Attitude and Heading may be recovered in ATT mode.
Describe what would happen if an ADR was selected OFF?
The pilot would lose barometric altitude, airspeed, Mach, angle of attack, temperature and over speed warnings from that one ADR.
• The ECAM would instruct the pilot to select the AIR DATA SWTG to CAPT 3 or F/O 3 as appropriate.
• At that point the affected pilot’s side would return to normal.
What functions are lost when an IR is turned OFF?
There are two ADIRS control panels installed on the fleet. On the older panel with a keypad and digital display, the pilot would lose the IR part (Inertial Reference) which supplies attitude, flight path vector, track, heading, accelerations, angular rates, ground speed, and aircraft position, along with all the ADR information. The ECAM instructs the pilot to select the ATT HDG SWTG to CAPT 3 or F/O 3 as appropriate. At that point the affected pilot’s side returns to normal.
• The newer panel with no keypad and digital display allows the pilot to turn off only the IR, and in this case, only the IR information would be lost, and the ADR information would still be available.
When would a pilot perform a complete alignment versus a fast alignment?
Complete Alignment:
• Before the first flight of the day.
• When there is a crew change.
• When the departure airport is located between latitudes 2o north and 2o south.
• If GPS is not available and NAVAID coverage is poor on the expected route
If GPS is not available and the expected flight time is more than 3 hours.
Fast Alignment:
• If a complete alignment is not necessary and the difference between the IRS position and the FMGC position is greater than 5nm.
What could cause the flashing white ALIGN light to illuminate on the ground?
No
Bad
Move
PPOS not entered within 10 minutes of alignment or within 3 minutes of fast-alignment.
• Large difference in LAT/LONG between shutdown position and entered position.
• Aircraft movement during alignment.
What does the illumination APU MASTER SW FAULT indicate?
Automatic APU shutdown has occurred.
What is the significance of the APU AVAIL light illuminating?
APU is running above 99.5 percent or 2 seconds after N speed reaching 95 percent. In practical terms it is ready to accept and support ELEC and/or AIR load.
What condition in the APU system would cause an external horn to sound on the ground?
APU fire
With the APU green AVAIL light ON and the EXT PWR green AVAIL light on, which system is
powering the aircraft?
2 Avails = APU powering the aircraft.
If possible, how would the APU be used if it has already started the cool-down cycle?
Pressing the APU MASTER SW pushbutton.
When running the securing checklist why is it important to wait 2 minutes after the APU avail light
goes out before switching off the batteries?
Switching the batteries off before the APU flap is closed may cause smoke in the cabin during the next flight.
If one generator fails, what is the maximum altitude that you can start the APU?
FL 410
If your aircraft is in an emergency electrical configuration, what is the maximum altitude to start the APU?
FL 250
How is the landing field elevation entered into the pressurization system in automatic, semi-
automatic and manual modes?
Automatic = FMGC (LDG ELEV must be in AUTO)
• Semi-automatic = by LDG ELEV selector button
• Manual = By selecting the MODE SEL to MAN and then using the MAN V/S CTL toggle switch
What does selecting the DITCHING pushbutton ON accomplish?
Closes all openings below the waterline
When would a pilot push the ditching pushbutton?
When ditching
• When directed by the deicing checklist
How many controllers are in the pressurization system?
Two, only one is used at a time and they swap roles after each landing.
How can a pilot manually switch controllers?
Switch MODE SEL to MAN for 10 seconds, then back to AUTO
What does an amber FAULT light in the MODE SEL pushbutton indicate?
Both automatic pressure controllers are faulty.
What protects the airframe from excessive cabin differential pressure?
Two pressure relief valves
If PACK FLOW is selected to LO, NORM or HIGH and only the APU is providing BLEED AIR or one
pack is selected OFF, what will the packs provide?
HIGH flow rate, since the flow rate function is automatic.
If the HOT AIR valve faults, what will happen to the temperature control system?
All trim air valves close and PACK 1 controls the cockpit temperature to the last selected value. PACK 2 controls the cabin to the averages selected by the FWD and AFT CABIN temperature selector knobs.
How are the PACKS controlled and operated?
Electrically controlled and pneumatically operated.
