A330
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Aircraft
During our descent we requested the center runway (we were assigned the left). We had activated and confirmed the Approach in our MCDU. I used the NO STAR method to ensure I would have all of the final approach constraints depicted along with the published altitudes. Then I cleared from the TOP the last portion which was named MANUAL. Manual is the infinite line that is in line with the track associated with the last fix in the STAR.Soon after this clean up method; TRACON issued the runway change as requested; as soon as I began to change the runway in the MCDU; we had an FM (Flight Management Guidance Envelope Computer (FMGEC) number 1) failure; followed by the number 2. A total FMGEC Dual failure along with Cabin Pressurization failure which then became the primary failure in the ECAM. Since I was flying I assigned the ECAM procedures to the First Officer (FO) and the IRO. I then contacted Approach and informed the controller of our NAV failure; asked him to give us vectors to the South to restore our FMGC a procedure that could take several long minutes.Ceiling was 2;500 feet Overcast. ATC asked me if we could accept a vector down the LOC path; at this time I had already began to select manual ILS using our Radio Management Panel (RMP). ATC gave us lower altitude to 3;000 feet then 2;300 feet with a vector down the centerline to the Runway. Out of 2;500 feet I acquired the runway. By the time we acquired the Runway visually the FO had restored the FMGC failure. Landing was non eventful after that; Cabin pressurization was kept in manual until touchdown. We did not want to set it back to auto to avoid any possibility of a cabin pressure surge.The A330-300 fleet particularly the 300 FMGEC system is an old system that has not been totally upgraded. The ideal method to set up the approach while retaining all of the inbound fixes along with its constraints is to use the NO STAR procedure. However; if you have not cleared the 'MANUAL' word in the F-PLN page within the MCDU; it will cause an FM dump and dual FMGC failure along with Cabin Pressurization Auto failure which will then be the primary failure in the ECAM procedures.Any of the A330 fleet that has not been updated to the latest upgrade should be done ASAP. This is a Safety of flight; very distracting during a critical phase of flight; particularly during LOW visibility approaches. The system re-set can take several minutes to restore.
An A330 Captain reported selecting No Star during ILS set up resulting in loss of both FMGCs and their ability to control cabin altitude to field elevation. The Radio Management Panel (RMP) was used to tune the ILS and ATC provided vectors and altitude assignments along the ILS approach course to VMC. The FMGCs were restored at about the same time the field became visible.