Airbus Thrust lever problems

[Microburst2002]

Hi there

I've always found the thrust levers as a quite confusing thing when they don't work well (THR LVR DISAGREE and THR LVR FAULT). The FCOM DEScription of the system is not very easy to grasp.

I would appreciate if someone who understands it well could contributed with a few lines here to explain it better than the FCOM.

thank you

[Field In Sight]

I agree that it is an overly confusing section.

The outcome of both DISAGREE and FAULT is a safe thrust mode reversion.

The main difference I see, is during a DISAGREE, there is still useful information available from one of the TLA's that indicates a take-off setting. (see FCOM).

This is what directs that engine to continue to accelerate to/stay at the take-off thrust. For a FAULT it always reduces to idle.

After getting airborne, the remainder of the procedures are very similar for both types of failure.

Interestingly, I assumed that as long as you keep the A/Thrust in, you could keep the engine running as long as you performed an autoland.

This only seems to apply to the older aircraft in our fleet, not the new ones.

[Goldenrivett]

For a FAULT it always reduces to idle.
From what I've witnessed and FCOM, the thrust is only reduced to idle permanently when the Slats are extended.

When the aircraft is clean autothrust will give you sensible symmetrical power settings. But once you've commenced the approach and slats are extended, you can't get anything more than idle power - even during the GA.

[Old Fella]

Great. The system tells you it has a fault and all you can have is idle thrust, even in GA. Time to revert to Thrust levers, cables and pulleys so that when you move the thrust lever the FCU knows about it and the pilot is in control..

[PJ2]

Hi Old Fella

Re, "Time to revert to Thrust levers, cables and pulleys so that when you move the thrust lever the FCU knows about it and the pilot is in control.. "

Well, I know that technology that is labelled "progress" isn't always progress but that's a bit unfair, isn't it?

The system works extremely well. It comes down to knowing your airplane, and that means adequate documentation, good training that goes beyond mere need-to-know, and a personal standard of professionalism which keeps one "in the books" throughout the career and asking questions when one doesn't fully understand an aspect of one's machine.

Some drills and checklists are more complex than others - this one is "busy" and complex. That's what the sim is for, and I can recall practising this one a few times.

best,

PJ2...another "old fella" who flew the A320, A330 & A340 for 15 years.