A320
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60; Flight Crew Total 5600; Flight Crew Type 1576
Training / Qualification; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Aircraft Equipment Problem Dissipated
Aircraft; Company Policy; Human Factors
The weather was forecast CAVOK and didn't see a cloud in the sky. Aircraft NO COMM. Made decision to proceed; thinking we would get ACARS back after push. Captain spent the entire time until taxi out with dispatch; verifying and collecting data. Dispatch couldn't (wouldn't?) send performance data to captain; but relayed verbally. After actual push stayed NO COMM (until climbing through 27K). Made decision to continue with flight after push when we realized we were NO COMM based on weather; familiarity with airports; and no other traffic on ground. Took us 27 minutes to verify everything. Made trip uneventfully. Several thoughts:*We had to trust dispatch was passing valid numbers. They seemed reasonable; but I wasn't in the phone loop; so it could have been the winning lottery numbers for all I knew.*No way to communicate to dispatch without using cell phone. *No way to verify any of the info on the takeoff checklist; other than give it a sanity check.*Dispatch couldn't send performance data to captain's cell phone; but kept sending the flight plan. After getting ACARS back we got lots of takeoff data messages (sending to aircraft printer?)*There is no checklist for ACARS INOP/NO COMM for the A320; but there should be.*Searched FOM and FM for NO COMM and ACARS INOP. Nothing useful found. Except update the [off] times; and since it was our first flight of the day; that was the least of our worries. And monitor commercial radio frequency in case dispatch wanted to call us. We did both.*The performance figures passed were 146; 146; 146. The numbers we were asking for showed up at 27K with ACARS were 142; 143; 146. At least we were on the high side. Not sure if dispatch knows how to read a runway performance message; or if he was reading the correct line...*There was no way to support the captain; or verify the info in ACARS. *Kept getting the MCDU asking us to initialize while flying. Can we? Should we? What if we don't? We just deleted the request message. Worked normally. Went through airbus training for the 3rd time 2 months ago. Nothing in the training syllabus prepares you for ACARS INOP. Every time we wanted to talk to dispatch; we sent an ACARS message 'call me'. We always got performance numbers through the printer. If company insists on sending aircraft out with ACARS INOP or NO COMM; please give us the training and checklists. The captain and I both agreed we wouldn't push again hoping ACARS would work; or knowing it was deferred. Next time; we are going to get maintenance involved and fix the aircraft. There were too many threats to list. We think we covered everything; but not the right way to fly the aircraft.
I had NO COMM at the gate and could not send or receive any data. There have been multiple bulletins out recently regarding ACARS stating new requirements that must be met in order to remain FAA compliant. These added requirements have included no training or additional help to flight crews. The latest bulletin stating that it was permissible to push back the aircraft to try and establish communications is misguided. I opted to do this and regret having done it as communication was not restored until FL270. If I did not have my personal cell phone this flight would have gone nowhere. Once again; we must use our own resources to make things work.I had to call the dispatcher 4 or 5 times to get all of the information I needed for takeoff. The dispatcher was not very good at reading the performance data and in fact failed to advise me if there was an engine out procedure which I had to call back for. I also had to remember to ask him what weather and winds he used due to the Sabre anomaly. I asked for the performance data to be emailed to me so that I could actually read it instead of relying on it being read correctly by the dispatcher. There is simply too much information to retrieve without a worksheet in front of you to help remember all the requirements. He tried twice but failed to send takeoff data but rather sent the flight plan multiple times. I had to make multiple phone calls after being pushed so we blocked others; but there is no other way to get a [off time] in a reasonable amount of time.My first officer had not ever been trained on these procedures; so I was basically on my own. I had to instruct the First Officer (FO) where to find the proper frequency for commercial radio and to also call the out/off times back to the station. The workload is extremely high and the entire situation is ripe for omitting required data and/or communications. I will never again accept and airplane with ACARS inop. It puts the safety of flight too much at risk under normal circumstances and would be even worse with bad weather; which would hinder radio reception and frequency availability; or any emergency operation. I simply cannot justify taking the aircraft.The removal of engine failure on takeoff data from the 10-7 is an additional threat. Yes I can look up landing data during a divert but I have no way to know if I can safely go-around. VHF radio is not always an option as evidenced during some of our past aircraft electrical emergencies. I believe the removal of this important data from the 10-7 pages was an error that should be reversed.
A320 flight crew experiences an ACARS failure at the gate and has difficulty obtaining takeoff data from the Dispatcher. The Captain believes that the ACARS unit is essential to safe operations and the aircraft should not be dispatched with out it.