Mad (Flt) Scientist;
The information I have, and it is not based upon experience as I am not an engineer or a wrench, is that the 320 AMM cautions that the lockout valve "hex" is fully turned to the "M" position to prevent aerodynamic forces from raising the spoiler, so I assume that the spoiler can be physically locked down, (which only makes sense). Also, apropos the testing of the spoilers when buttoning up only one sidestick is required to be used for testing the spoilers.
We are assuming as well, that the indications for spoiler deployment on the FLT CTL lower ECAM page indicate actual position of the spoiler and nothing else; I raise that point because of comments in the Avionics article posted above regarding indications. Also, (and I thought this had been fixed), the requirement to hold the sidestick in position for at least 2 seconds, (some documents say 3), so give the servos time to reach full travel. Care must be exercised here as well as in actually seeing the ECAM indications, (as opposed to mentally "looking through" the indications because the control check is done so often) - what can appear correct, may not be as was the case with the Lufthansa crew. So there is lots to this, though not all (if even most) may (or may not) apply to the AC case; we just don't have enough information, nor, likely, will we unless it comes from Transport Canada or the CTSB.
Last edited by PJ2; 23rd Apr 2009 at 21:41.