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Old 10th Sep 2007, 21:37
  #2197 (permalink)  
EMIT
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 67
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Of Books and Procedures

SIDSTAR,

MEL changes are never accompanied by "reasons why". Even stronger, since MEL is a book, or a file on our LPC laptop, that we only have available on board (not as "at home documentation" like FCOM and QRH), we as pilots see the MEL only when we have a dispatch deficiency on the aircraft.

Whether or not the procedure for de-activated reverser was changed, was probably not known by the pilots. The procedure as it was at their time, of course must have been viewed by them.

Strange thing to realize is that, in case of a reverser failure happening during the flight, e.g. in case of hydraulic system failure on G and/or Y system, ECAM and QRH will only state REV 1(/2) INOP. You will receive no guidance on what to do with the thrust levers! (I mean whether to pull into reverse range or to leave in idle). Remember that in such a case, MEL is not applicable, so you are not required to consult it.

Couple this with perhaps very good FCOM knowledge (about the increase in fwd thrust when T/L is moved into reverse range) or experience from SIM sessions where this phenomenon may have made the difference between stopping on, or just beyond the end of, the (simulator) runway, and there may be the ground for wanting to leave the "offending" thrust lever in idle, rather than taking it along into reverse range as the latest AI MEL instructions tell you to do.

EMIT.
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