Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 10000; Flight Crew Type 2900
Confusion; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
Turning base leg for ILS parallel approaches in progress 2;000 foot ceiling; Captain (an airbus LCA) asked me to 'Clean up box.' I selected NO STAR and extended one of the fixes. While on base leg; Cabin PR LDG ELEV Fault ECAM annunciated; (usually a sign of FMGC 1 having a problem in my experience). While starting to sort this out; we were given a turn to intercept Localizer (northeast hdg) and a speed to maintain until the marker. During the next 20-30 seconds; things got a little confusing. Things I'm pretty sure happened were the uncommanded autopilot disengagement and associated sound; my ILS symbology disappearing; 2FD2 FMA on my side; followed by 1FD2 and the Cabin Pr ECAM sounding again; Captain losing his map display as we had different ranges selected; a few MCDU messages on my side OPP FMGC/Independent Operation; etc; and me finally selecting LS (RAW) on my Nav display. At that point; I saw what I thought was LOC south of us and told Captain we need to come right. Within a few moments of that; ATC advised us we were 'capturing the wrong Localizer and to turn right to 180 degrees and maintain 3;000 FT.'  Captain gave me the aircraft and started a dialog with ATC describing our situation and requested a vector to visual conditions (again 2;000 foot ceiling). Once that was sorted out; we were vectored for an IMC descent to a visual.  What was troubling from this point was both of us ultimately ended up in STBY NAV with the proper ILS frequency/course tuned; and I had selected the correct ILS on MCDU2/FMGC2 (mine); yet the identifier remained steady on [the original runway] for both of us the entire time with what appeared to be erroneous glideslope indications. The identifier for the original planned runway; I presume was stored in FMGC 1. Not sure if this is an anomaly or just how the system works? Fortunately it was VFR below the cloud deck! Uneventful landing /taxi back. MCDU still locked/not responding to any button pushing even after shutdown. Wrote up Maintenance item FMGC 1 Fail.
This is my third FMGC failure in approximately seven months. The failure is the same every time. One FMGC fails and the associated MCDU locks up. The first predictable incarnation of the precipitous events is the MAP NOT AVAILABLE message followed by the CAB PRESS LDG ELEVATION....Adjust. The failure never happens the way it is described in the systems description nor Non-Normals. In this case; as in the last three the MCDU locks up; this time it was my MCDU and the FMA's on the PFD show 1-FD-2. This is then followed by a mode reversion to HDG V/S. The MCDU status lights never illuminate to indicate independent operation. Although the system displays 1-FD-2; an indication that both FMGC's are operating; one has indeed failed. Then the operative side; in this case FMGC-2 is operating; but is erratic at best. We were unable to select an ILS. I then went to STBY NAV after giving the airplane to the First Officer to fly while I troubleshot the system. This happened at the time we were intercepting final. Due to the wind; we encroached on the parallel runway; although; I specifically flew a heading which diverged from the localizer while trying to regain control of the situation at hand. We were unable to successfully tune the appropriate ILS in Stby NAV; it's almost as if the FMGC would not relinquish control of the NAV; even though the RAD NAV page showed blanks. We were vectored off the approach. I made a request to descend below the 2;000 foot overcast layer and pick up the airport visually. This request was initially denied; then granted. We landed uneventfully after being vectored for the visual. In addition; as in the last 2 cases; during the rollout; the airspeed tape fails and I believe shows V1 INOP.
A319 flight crew experiences FMGC failures while being vectored for approach when No STAR is selected in the FMGC to clean up the map display. ATC is advised and vectors for a visual approach are provided.