A319
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Confusion
Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Aircraft Automation Overrode Flight Crew; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors
Just outside the FAF for 23 at CLT we were configured with flaps 3 and gear. I reached up and pressed the managed speed knob to slow to landing speed. I returned my scan to the PFD and a couple seconds later I noticed we had stopped descending on the coupled glidepath of the ILS. I looked at the top of the PFD and saw the word 'expedite' and then looked at the expedite button which was illuminated green. I verbalized this to the captain. The aircraft now was powering up; I assume; to go into expedited climb mode. At this point the glidepath was buried below us and we were passing 2000 feet and inside the FAF. I disengaged the AP hoping that would stop the plane from doing the expedite climb and started hand flying. Captain retarded power levers to idle while I stated our current status (glidepath buried; passing 2000 feet MSL there was no way to safely continue) vocally to the captain and said we need to go around followed by 'Go around TOGA'. Since we were high enough and fast enough I elected to do a soft go around and pulled thrust lever to climb within 5 seconds of selecting to TOGA. The communication stopped from that point concerning the go around and since there were dual inputs I elected to transfer the aircraft to the captain so that one of us was managing the event and one was flying. The Captain relinquished control back to me after calling the go around with ATC tower. Somewhere in there a few dual inputs occurred; maybe since he was using the mic button on the stick. We were vectored around and setup for the 18R approach and landed without incident. In the course of all this the flaps were oversped by 7 knots in the flaps 3 configuration. The initial cause was the unexplained engagement of the EXPEDITE button and the lack of training of how to disengage the button when it is engaged. In training we are taught to not touch that button. Well; logic says if it is never touched there is no reason to know what to do if it is touched accidentally or otherwise. The confusion of how to stop the expedited climb from happening led to a chain of events which ultimately produced a level 1 flaps 3 overspeed by 7 knots. The lack of go around SOPs not being followed were also a factor ie. PF- GO AROUND TOGA; PM- TOGA SET; PF- GO AROUND FLAPS; PM- FLAPS 2 etc. Train the Expedite button so everyone understands the correct operating procedures if accidentally engaged. As for the go around issue; there isn't a fix to ensure SOPs are followed in the heat of the moment. I could have been more persistent on keeping the captain focused on the go around SOPs by repeating 'Go Around TOGA' until he responded correctly.
On ILS Runway 23 just outside LECAR approach told us to contact tower and ident when runway insight. I went heads down to switch radio frequency and ident. When I looked back up we were leveling off and accelerating rapidly. Also noticed Expedite button was illuminated. We did a go around landed runway 18R. I received call today from gatekeeper that flap 3 speed was exceeded. We never got an ECAM or warning; or post flight report aircraft limits were exceeded. I feel expedite button was accidentally pushed while being distracted by ATC.
A319 flight crew experienced an inadvertent go-around when the First Officer selected the expedite button while attempting to select managed speed during approach. A flap overspeed occurred before thrust could be reduced.