Airbus 320/330 - Thrust reverser deployment

[Cribbly Dock]

Hi again,

This week’s challenge (initially by the German) - Thrust Reverser deployment in the air.

I'd really like your thoughts on this in various stages of flight please, plus your thoughts on the FCOM about the rudder / beta target.

Also, ideas on what to do if you get this (actual deployment) on take off or on landing. I guess idle the engine straight away (if buffet ).

This one's not in the QRH, but it's pretty serious to leave out. Your ideas please.

regards

Cribbly

[Iceman49]

I've tried this scenario several times in the A320 sim right after takeoff; had virtually no sucess getting it turned around and back on the ground...this was at several different weights. We've done it in the sim from altitude and was able to get it on the ground, however just to maintain the glide path I had to go in and out of TOGA to maintain the path...

Had it happen for real on a 747 at altitude, no 4 came open...luckly we were turning left. We went through 60deg of bank travel before we got it shut down and righted. After it was shut down it was no problem.

[mono]

I personally would not bother retarding to idle.

If the damn thing deploys shut it down! The engine might not like it, but it gives more time to try to recover the a/c.

[lomapaseo]

Once the aircraft is airborne, aircraft upset becomes the major threat due to a deployed revereser. The upset becomes well developed before even the engine auto-controls such as FADEC can pull the engine back to idle, so there is little help that the pilot reaction can make *after* the deployment except to fly the aircraft.

The idea of pilot action to pull the engine to idle or shutdown is great *before* the damn thing fully deploys.

[Cribbly Dock]

Thanks Chaps. Food for thought in your replies.

A few thoughts / queries to continue further;

1. Wouldn't idling initially have a similar effect to shutting the engine down until you can determine if it is spurious or not? Are you advocatiung shutting it down before idling it? If so, is there any advantage to being so quick with the drill?

2. As you chaps have experimented & had it for real, it seems a time critical drill, especially near the ground. Any thoughts on take off or landing?

Thanks again

Regards

CD

[lomapaseo]

Idling it first is always prefferred to a hardsutdown, but as I have stated above, this is preventive rather than reactive to the problem.

The engine reaction is built into the engine software and there is not much you can do to override it.