PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - A320 STRANGE PTU behaviour
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Old 25th Jan 2013, 05:32
  #21 (permalink)  
PENKO
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Europe
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As a regular commuter and Airbus pilot I do occasionally hear the PTU running as a passenger without any obvious cause. In the beginning I used to ask the flight crew what was going on, if they had any hydraulic problems or if they knew the PTU was running all the time, only to be met by blank stares from the pilots. Apparently there is no obvious indication in the cockpit that the PTU is running on these occasions.

So I have no answer to this question, I can just confirm that it DOES happen.
It usually happens after engine start and during taxi, it stops once airborne with the gear up, only to start again on approach when the gear is lowered. Or sometimes only during taxi or only on approach.

An Airbus mystery!
I do not usually repeat myself, but we are going off a tangent. The video shows exactly what I describe above. I have experienced this PTU behavior many times commuting and positioning as crew in the back of the aircraft. Talking to the crew afterwards reveals no defects and the crew are never ever even aware that the PTU was running. It does not even show up on the ECAM memo.
Why this happens remains a mystery to me.
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