A320
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 275; Flight Crew Total 12500; Flight Crew Type 2200
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Flight Crew FLC Overrode Automation
Human Factors; Chart Or Publication; Aircraft; Procedure
Denver has posted new RNAV STARs which are unsafe and full of distractions. First of all they are on multiple pages displayed in half [sections]. Today we started out on the TSHNR which states in its notes that its ['corresponding STAR'] is the MOLTN if DEN is landing north. Denver was landing north today and also west on 26. So what are we really going to fly? We installed our filed TSHNR arrival; and then we [were] changed to the MOLTN STAR on descent. Then we were given 080 heading out of BAACK. [This caused] a lot of confusion and the changes resulted in distractions during the descent. The next safety issue was that we had an A320 with the newest; most sophisticated FMGC aboard which was unable to fly the speed and/or altitude restrictions in these new arrivals. We had to kick off the autopilot twice and the auto throttles once and hand fly to keep up with all the altitude and speed changes. This is the best technology and it was not even close to being able to comply with the multiple altitude windows and speed changes in these new arrivals. An example was for the aircraft to cross an altitude window between FL250-FL220 at 280 KTS. Instead of complying with the speed it dove for FL220 and was going to be 40 KTS fast. These new arrivals are beyond the aircraft's capability and will distract pilots into mistakes. Please help.
An A320 First Officer expressed concerns about the newly initiated RNAV STAR procedures at DEN; believing them to be excessively complicated and demand capabilities the state of the art FMGC installed on his aircraft was unable to provide. In the instant case it was necessary to disconnect the autopilot twice and the autothrottles once to avoid non-compliance with crossing restrictions.