Airspeed Discrepancy

15-18 October 2007
Presented by
Hlne Rebel
Head of A330/A340 Operational Standards
Flight Operations Support
Airspeed Discrepancy
14th Flight Safety Conference
Foreword
2002: Just after takeoff on an A340-300, the following
sequence of events occurred:
VFE
OVERSPEED warning during climb associated with buffet,

but with the Captain and First Officer airspeed indications below
VFE.
OVERSPEED warning with the Captain and First Officer
airspeed indications below VMO.
AIRBUS FRANCE S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.
VMO
ALTN
LAW
ADR1
+ ADR2 FAULT
Erroneous speed led to unlimited rudder deflection

Uneventful landing Fin and rudder changed after the flight
Foreword
2006: During descent on an A310, the following sequence of
events occurred:
Sudden
speed decrease associated with thrust increase and

pitch attitude decrease.
OVERSPEED warning with the Captain airspeed
indication below VMO, but with the First Officer airspeed
indication above VMO.
VMO
Significant
nose down rate of descent, up to 12 000 ft/min and

speed increase up to 131 knots above VMO.
Speed
indication eventually back to normal on Captains

side - Uneventful landing
Foreword
Unreliable Speed
Difficult to:
Rapidly
identify the situation

Fly the aircraft
Generally however, not a permanent situation:

It
is transient, or
It can be stopped via use of an appropriate drill
Good knowledge of the symptoms is important for:

Early
detection,
Taking appropriate decision
Contents
Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

Taking appropriate decision: Recommendations
BackUp Speed Scale

Increase Flight Crew Awareness
Contents

BackUp Speed Scale


Detecting an Unreliable Airspeed presents some traps:
All
indications may be consistent but equally unreliable,
may differ
=> potential difficulties to determine the correct value.
Indications
Important contributors to a timely detection:

Instrument
scanning,
Flight crew awareness of typical characteristics of
speed / pitch / thrust

No single set of cues can be defined, but the following
observations are an obvious attention getter:
Speed
related
cues
Altitude
related
cues
Autothrust or
Autopilot
related
cues
Warning /
System
related
cues

Speed related cues
Abnormal
large speed fluctuations
Unusual
CAPT - F/O or
IAS - target speed differences
CAPT
Unusual
Speed
speed / aerodynamic noise relationship
indication
Increasing with large nose-up pitch attitude,

Decreasing with large nose-down pitch attitude.
F/O

Autothrust / Autopilot related cues
Abnormal
A/THR or AP/FD behavior, when in SPD mode.
Altitude related cues
Positive
or negative V/S while in level flight
Constant
indicated altitude while in climb or descent
Inconsistency
between radio altitude and pressure altitude

Warning / System related cues
Unexpected
stall warning (and stick shaker activation on A300/A310)
Simultaneous
activation of overspeed warning and stall warning / stick
shaker.
Unexpected
and undue overspeed warning or ADR DISAGREE caution

(Fly-by-wire aircraft)
Unexpected
Unexpected
IAS DISCREPANCY caution (optional)
system behavior:
FLAP RELIEF message on the ECAM (A330/A340)
Automatic flap retraction
Slat Speed Lock Function
Non-extension of the L/G via normal control
Contents

BackUp Speed Scale

Recommendations
The Unreliable Speed procedure concept includes:
Cues
for recognition of the Unreliable Airspeed condition

(expanded information in FCOM procedure),
Memory
QRH
items (pitch/thrust data) for short term flight path control,
action steps and fine pitch/thrust data tables for long term
flight path control, down to landing.
Recommendations
When an unreliable speed situation is suspected/detected:
Crosscheck of Captain PFD,

First Officer PFD and Standby
speed/altitude indicator
SAFE CONDUCT
OF THE FLIGHT
NOT AFFECTED
Recommendations
When an unreliable speed situation is suspected/detected:
Memory Items
SAFE CONDUCT
OF THE FLIGHT
AFFECTED
Recommendations
General procedure philosophy
Memory Items
Stabilization and troubleshooting
Faulty ADR(s) not

identified or
All ADRs unreliable
Faulty ADR(s)
identified
2 ADRs OFF
(only for fly-by-wire)
Faulty ADR(s) OFF
Pitch/Thrust Tables
Flight Continuation, Diversion or

Immediate turn back
Contents

BackUp Speed Scale

Backup Speed Scale

What is the Backup Speed Scale?
When the crew select all ADRs OFF:
The
Backup Speed Scale replaces

the PFD speed scale on both PFDs.
Altitude replaces the Altitude
Scale on both PFDs.
GPS
Enables flying at a safe speed:

Above
stall speed,
Below maximum structural speeds.
Allows to reach a safe speed, by

adjusting thrust and pitch.
Backup Speed Scale

When the Backup Speed Scale can be used?
The BackUp Speed Scale (BUSS) will be offered:

As
an option on A320 and A330/A340 aircraft families

As a basic item on A380 aircraft
It will be activated following ECAM procedure or paper

procedure, when ADR 1+2+3 are selected OFF
The new idea: If the crew detects an Unreliable Speed

situation
Use of the BUSS instead of Thrust/Pitch tables
Backup Speed Scale

General philosophy
Memory Items
Troubleshooting
Faulty ADR(s) not

identified or
All ADRs unreliable
Faulty ADR(s)
identified
Faulty ADR(s) OFF

ADR 1+2+3 OFF
Flight Continuation, Diversion or
Immediate turn back
FLY THE GREEN
Contents

BackUp Speed Scale


To help the airline in training, Airbus
Has
provided several presentations during:
Operational Liaison Meetings

Performance and Operations conferences
Develops
training aids:
Specific Briefing Guide in the DVD 1 (FFS 7)

PDP (Procedure Data Package) presentation on MFTD
Flight Crew Training Manual ref. 03-34
New tool: E-briefing available on Airbus World
Communicates:
During previous Flight Safety conferences

Via Safety First magazine
The aim of these presentations/tools is to enhance the pilots

awareness and provides some cues/information:
To facilitate
To ensure
the detection of the anomaly
correct application of the procedure by
Ensuring proper understanding the procedure structure

Avoiding any mistake when isolating the faulty ADR
Describing the flying technique
Contents

BackUp Speed Scale

Conclusion
Conclusion
Rapid detection of Unreliable Speed is essential
Thanks to the procedure proposed by Airbus, Unreliable Speed could
be a temporary situation:
is important to apply the QRH procedure, in order to identify the faulty
ADR,
Normal flight is recovered, once the faulty ADR(s) switched off.
It
In the meantime, fly pitch/thrust memory items when needed.
Conclusion
Be aware of the symptoms

Consider what could be wrong
Apply the procedure
To improve situation awareness and procedure understanding
TRAINING IS A KEY ELEMENT
AIRBUS FRANCE S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential

and proprietary document.
This document and all information contained herein is the
sole property of AIRBUS FRANCE S.A.S.. No intellectual
property rights are granted by the delivery of this document or
the disclosure of its content. This document shall not be
reproduced or disclosed to a third party without the express
written consent of AIRBUS FRANCE S.A.S. This document
and its content shall not be used for any purpose other than
that for which it is supplied.
The statements made herein do not constitute an offer. They
are based on the mentioned assumptions and are expressed
in good faith. Where the supporting grounds for these
statements are not shown, AIRBUS FRANCE S.A.S. will be
pleased to explain the basis thereof.
AIRBUS, its logo, A300, A310, A318, A319, A320, A321,

A330, A340, A350, A380, A400M are registered trademarks.

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15-18 October 2007

14th Flight Safety Conference

OVERSPEED warning during climb associated with buffet,

Erroneous speed led to unlimited rudder deflection

speed decrease associated with thrust increase and

nose down rate of descent, up to 12 000 ft/min and

indication eventually back to normal on Captains

identify the situation

Generally however, not a permanent situation:

Good knowledge of the symptoms is important for:

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

BackUp Speed Scale

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

BackUp Speed Scale

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

indications may be consistent but equally unreliable,

Important contributors to a timely detection:

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

observations are an obvious attention getter:

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

large speed fluctuations

speed / aerodynamic noise relationship

Increasing with large nose-up pitch attitude,

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

A/THR or AP/FD behavior, when in SPD mode.

Altitude related cues

or negative V/S while in level flight

indicated altitude while in climb or descent

between radio altitude and pressure altitude

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

stall warning (and stick shaker activation on A300/A310)

activation of overspeed warning and stall warning / stick

and undue overspeed warning or ADR DISAGREE caution

IAS DISCREPANCY caution (optional)

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

BackUp Speed Scale

for recognition of the Unreliable Airspeed condition

items (pitch/thrust data) for short term flight path control,

Crosscheck of Captain PFD,

Stabilization and troubleshooting

Faulty ADR(s) not

Faulty ADR(s) OFF

Flight Continuation, Diversion or

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

BackUp Speed Scale

Backup Speed Scale

Backup Speed Scale replaces

Enables flying at a safe speed:

Allows to reach a safe speed, by

Backup Speed Scale

The BackUp Speed Scale (BUSS) will be offered:

an option on A320 and A330/A340 aircraft families

It will be activated following ECAM procedure or paper

procedure, when ADR 1+2+3 are selected OFF

The new idea: If the crew detects an Unreliable Speed

Backup Speed Scale

Faulty ADR(s) not

Faulty ADR(s) OFF

Early detection: Symptoms and Cues

BackUp Speed Scale