FINAL APP MODES (A330 FCOM DSC-22_30-80-30-20 P 1/8)
The FINAL APP mode includes the following modes:
• APP NAV mode for lateral guidance
• FINAL mode for vertical guidance.
FINAL APP ARMING CONDITIONS
The flight crew arms APP NAV and FINAL modes by pressing the APPR pb on the FCU, provided all
of the following conditions are met:
• The aircraft is above 400 ft AGL
• The active flight plan is valid (lateral and vertical profile)
• A non-precision approach has been selected in the active flight plan
• GA mode is not engaged.
The FMA displays "FINAL" and "APP NAV" in blue.
If NAV mode was already engaged, APP NAV engages immediately.
FINAL APP ENGAGEMENT CONDITIONS
APP NAV and NAV modes engage under the same conditions:
If NAV mode was engaged, APP NAV engages immediately. If HDG/TRK is engaged, APP NAV
engages when the intercept conditions are met (the aircraft’s heading or track intercepts the flight
plan active leg).
APP NAV will engage if the "TO" waypoint is displayed in white on the ND and MCDU.
FINAL mode engages, if:
• FINAL is armed (by pressing APPR on the FCU), and
• The aircraft intercepts a descending leg of the vertical flight path, or
• In V/S (FPA) or OPEN DES, the aircraft intercepts a level-off segment of the vertical flight
• profile, with an FCU selected altitude different from this level-off segment.
• APP NAV is engaged,
• Predictions are available,
• The APPR phase is active, and the deceleration point has been sequenced, and
• Note: APPROACH phase may have to be manually activated on MCDU PERF page if the
• approach starts at high altitude above aerodrome level (i.e. RNAV(RNP) approaches).
• The aircraft is within the capture area of the vertical profile
Laterally: ±1.5 NM from the Final Descent Point.
Vertically: +150 ft above the Final Descent Point.
• A blue arrow is displayed on NDs to indicate where the FINAL APP engagement conditions are met
• and where the final descent will begin automatically.
• If the same arrow is shown in white, at least one engagement condition is not fulfilled, FINAL APP
• will not engage and the aircraft will not descend automatically.
Definition of the Final Descent Point (also called Vertical Intersection Point "VIP" for
RNAV(RNP) approaches)
The Final Descent Point is the capture point of the final descent segment coded in the Navigation
Database. It is the latest point where FINAL APP is supposed to be engaged. For RNAV(RNP)
approaches, this point may be indicated on the chart as "VIP".
This point is defined in the Navigation Database by:
• A constant vertical flight path beyond this point,
• A coded altitude constraint that may be "at" or "at or above" (e.g. +3 000 ft). This Constraint
is displayed on ND (in magenta), next to the corresponding waypoint, when the CSTR key is
selected on the EFIS Control Panel. It is also shown on the F-PLN page at this WPT.
Note: The Final Approach Fix (FAF) is the position from where the obstacle clearance is defined
relative to an Obstacle Clearance Surface (OCS). Obstacle clearance is only ensured if
the aircraft is flying on the defined vertical flight path. Before the FAF, minimum altitudes
are published with fixed minimum Obstacle Clearance (MOC). The Final Descent Point is
the point in the procedure at or before the FAF from which a constant vertical flight path is
defined.