If the ground spoilers were indeed left in maintenance mode, wouldn't the crew have noticed this during their pre-departure flight control checks?
just curious
Yes, there would be amber crosses (in step of the spoiler number) appearing on the FLT CTRL Lower ECAM page and most certainly a HIL would have been open by MAINT guys on the Technical Log Book.
How do the engineers disable/enable the ground spoilers? Through CFDS ?
When you press RECALL before start will a GND SPLR FAULT message appear if they are disabled?
If the Ground Spoilers are disabled, as opposed to faulty, will ECAM show amber ground spoiler indications, and when you arm them after start will you receive a GND SPLR FAULT message? If not, why not?
And why would a ground spoiler problem produce a SPLR FAULT message, or is that just sloppy reporting?
I'm responding to this one by memory, since I'm on a layover and I have no Manuals available with me.
(If someone knows it better or wishes to make a correction, please do so. I'm using commas when I don't recall the exact names)
Spoilers are mechanically disabled by Maintenance. The process takes about half an hour to 45 minutes. There is a switch in each Spoiler that has to be put in
"maintenance position" in order to move it to its closed position and only then it is
"locked", in order to keep its retracted position, during flight. I think a
"socket" has to be disconnected and therefore amber crosses will appear on ECAM. The opposite side Spoiler must also be disabled.
You will get a SPLR FAULT ECAM Message, as soon as you start-up your first engine, (although amber crosses are always present on the ECAM page before, and after, your start-up).
The STATUS Page will also give a PART SPLRS message, (every time you call that page and) as a recall, as soon as one selects FLAPS 1 for approach.
I don't recall the A320 fleet, but I'm sure it’s the same philosophy. The MEL allows us to take-off with two (pairs) of inhibited spoilers. Penalties are not appalling for just one (pair) off, but may represent lesser payload for the worst case. Penalties also increase in case one decides to use Flap 3 for landing.
I think the system it self is well designed but becomes problematic in case your Maintenance Engineers forget to lock one (or more) of your disabled Spoilers, leaving it in the
“Maintenance Position”,
therefore receiving hydraulic pressure, but only retracting aerodynamically. In that particular case, the Pilot has no way to know (except visually), that one of his disabled spoilers is in fact receiving hydraulic pressure (and moving up) once the ECAM System Pages will show him amber crosses! Also, since he is flying a FBW aircraft,
he will not feel the need for trimming, because the system will automatically compensate for the not retracted spoiler. When you get a SPLR FAULT ECAM message, you will get an amber indication on the FLT CTRLS Page, together with the number of the Spoiler, and if the SPLR is not retracted you will get an arrow showing the faulty one UP.
In the disabled spoiler case, one gets nothing except, aerodynamically induced vibration, higher fuel consumption, a less performant aircraft, and may be some sideslip indication. I find here that there is space for Airbus Industrie to improve this design, although I’m not confident they will. All we would need, is that
arrow showing the aviator that, one of his disabled Spoilers is out of the retracted position…
Fly Safe