A320
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 125; Flight Crew Total 20000; Flight Crew Type 3500
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
Upon extending landing gear; we received an ECAM WHEEL N/W STRG FAULT. We performed a go-around; referred to flight manual for ECAM; completed appropriate checklists; and determined that since the ECAM was NOT combined with a shock absorber fault that the nose wheel was in a normal position aligned with the runway. We declared an emergency; notified Dispatch via ACARS. I advised the flight attendants of the situation and that we were not planning an evacuation. I initially informed passengers via PA that we had gone around for an indication that necessitated the go around. Subsequently I briefed them that there would be emergency equipment approaching the aircraft after landing and that we had an indication of a problem that may inhibit our ability to taxi after landing (something to that effect; I don't recall the specific wording). We landed uneventfully and cleared the runway on the high speed taxiway. We stopped the aircraft and made contact with fire and rescue. We then performed the Flight Manual prescribed system reset for the fault. Nose wheel steering returned to normal indications and we proceeded to the gate once fire and rescue were notified and clear. After landing I contacted both Dispatch and the Flight Manager via telephone to update them. A couple of items of note: 1) The Flight Manager indicated to me that operations was under the impression we had performed a 'fly-by.' We did NOT do a fly by; we only did a go-around in order to have time to analyze the situation and appropriately deal with the problem. Tower did re-assign us from 1C to 1R for landing. 2) Upon parking at the gate; as soon as the door opened there was a Customer Service Supervisor; CS Agent; Flight Attendant Supervisor; 2 Mechanics and an Assistant Chief Pilot that all entered the plane before the people had even exited. While we appreciated the show of support it was distracting and disruptive. The Flight Attendant supervisor immediately wanted to know if the flight attendants were OK to continue. I had not even had time to de-brief the crew and would have appreciated everyone waiting until we had deplaned. We had also had a minor medical issue on the same flight. I wanted to thank the Doctor onboard that had assisted and speak to the woman he (and med-link) had assisted. We did all debrief as a crew once we had deplaned.
[Narrative #2 has no additional information.]
An A320 ECAM alerted WHEEL N/W STRG FAULT when the landing gear were extended; so a go around was executed to comply with the QRH; an emergency declared and a normal landing completed followed by a steering fault reset which allowed a normal taxi to the gate.