A320
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 210; Flight Crew Total 12500; Flight Crew Type 1300
Troubleshooting; Workload; Time Pressure; Distraction; Physiological - Other; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew FLC Overrode Automation; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Manuals; Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure; Aircraft
On downwind at least 18 miles out was being flashed by a very bright green laser aimed directly at the cockpit window. On approach with the laser blaring in our faces put the gear down to have a 2 line ECAM. AUTO BRKS on line 1 and NORM BRKS on line 2. Went missed approach at 10;000' and asked for delay vector while trying to relay the position of the laser to the tower and running the ECAM's. Went to the book and found the AUTO BRKS page which said to go to the adjusted landing distance table. Started looking for the NORM BRKS and never could find it in the book. Now running short on time and fuel with the laser still flashing us. Did not have time to call Dispatch or Maintenance and the landing distance says to add multiple failures together to get the correct required landing distance but nothing in the book for the NORM BRKS ECAM. We were WITHOUT guidance on an ECAM from our books. The only book reference was to adjust the landing distance as we have no auto brakes and no normal brakes and it had no guidance for the 2 failures. We are now test pilots. Decided to reset the Antiskid Switch even though there was no procedure calling for it! It worked and the ECAMs cleared off. After landing and talking with Maintenance it took another 20 minutes for them to figure out it was a failure of one of the BSCU computers. We had switched from the bad computer to the good computer by turning OFF and ON the antiskid switch with the gear up on the missed approach. The ECAM was misleading and totally worthless in helping to fix this issue as it said nothing about a BSCU failure. Lately however I have heard of numerous BSCU failures. The Captain had a picture of the number 1 and number 3 tires that he blew on landing with a failed BSCU. I had a total loss of nosewheel steering due to a failed BSCU that was not resettable in flight and had to have a tug at the runway to tow us to the gate just a couple weeks ago. The Mechanic said another 320 just blew some tires in landing a month ago on landing with a failed BSCU. The next day I called the Tower and delivered a street map with the exact streets where the laser was coming from so they stop the laser flasher. The Tower admitted that this was a common problem at this airport and even the Tower was lasered on a different occasion. Never before had anyone given the Tower a map with the street address so they were very happy and surprised because they were thinking it was in a different location.
The Reporter stated that his Company began a series of Airbus upgrades about a year ago which has lead to numerous aircraft systems malfunctions. The BSCU is one component which appears to be malfunctioning with some regularity and the checklist does not consistently correct the problems. One recent BSCU fault which the Reporter experienced at cruise altitude was not corrected after cycling the ANTI SKID AND N/W STRG switch but after landing with no nose wheel steering; setting the parking brake and cycling the switch; the fault was corrected. During the current event cycling the ANTI SKID AND N/W STRG switch with the gear up did work. So even though a BSCU fault was indicated no BSCU FAULT ECAM was given. The Reporter also adamantly discussed the eye discomfort he experienced after the laser illumination. He was amazed at the power and accuracy of the laser beam during the twenty minutes or so as the crew was trouble shooting the anti skid problem. His eye discomfort lasted about two weeks.
An A320 ECAM alerted AUTO BRKS and NORM BRKS when the gear was extended for landing but no corresponding NORM BRKS checklist was found so during the go around the crew cycled the ANTISKID switch as per the AUTO BRKS ECAM which switched to the alternate BSCU and removed the ECAM alerts. During this event the cockpit was illuminated by a green laser which appeared to have a lock on and which caused eye discomfort.