Operational Liaison Meeting Fly-By-Wire aircraft

2004

A321 Lateral Control in

Turbulence and Icing Conditions

Customer Services

A321 Lateral Control in Turbulence and Icing

Conditions
In service events
Icing conditions
Crosswind conditions
Corrective actions
term OEB
4Mid term ELAC modification
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4Short

Other modifications introduced in ELAC L83/L91

ELAC L83/L91 certification and retrofit status
Conclusion
A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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In service events
On A321, several in service events between 1998 and 2003
highlighted unusual roll sensitivity in short final
44

cases in icing conditions (2 the same day on the same

airport in 1998, and 2 the same day on the same airport in
2002)
42 cases with gusty crosswind around 20kt (1 in 2001, and 1 in
2003)

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Worst consequence was a wingtip damage during a gusty

Xwind landing

In all cases, landing in Conf 3 after a Go around was

performed without apparent difficulty

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Icing conditions
On one of the involved A321, ice accretion on flaps leading

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edge was confirmed after landing. On the other cases, ice

accretion on flap leading edge was suspected .

Analysis of available data (DFDR) shows that spoilers

efficiency was increased versus the dry aircraft.

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Icing conditions
To better understand the phenomenon, a natural icing
Flight Test campaign on A320 and on A321 (both fitted
with adequate Flight Test Installation) was performed in
2003. The purpose was to evaluate ice accretion patterns
on flap leading edges and the aero consequences.

Main findings were:

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4Similar

ice accretion on both A/C.

4Increased spoilers efficiency on both A/C.
4Increased roll sensitivity only on A321.

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Icing conditions

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Icing conditions
To go further and allow extensive testing of iced aircraft,
ice shapes were manufactured using videos from natural
ice flights.
Spoiler

~ 10mm
m
5m
1
~

~ 5m
m

mm
30
~1

Flap B

m
0m
~6

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Flap A

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

Icing conditions

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Icing conditions
Flights with ice shapes allowed to quantify spoilers
efficiency increase (+25%) on both A320 & A321.

Analytic roll inputs showed unusual A321 roll response of

the iced A/C (overshoot, degraded turn coordination).
(A320/319 are OK on this aspect).

This degradation was mainly observed in Conf Full, to a

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much lower extent in Conf 3.

Similarly, the increased spoilers efficiency decreased the

A321 F/CTL law stability at some piloting frequencies in
Conf Full and not in Conf 3. (A320/319 are OK on this
aspect).
A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Crosswind conditions
Recorders analysis of both events allowed to link the roll
oscillations to pedal inputs applied very early in approach
(starting from 200ft).

Rudder was apparently used to co-ordinate the turn (i.e. in

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the same direction as roll stick input) and/or to increase roll

response.

In one case, after a Go around, rudder was used as

recommended (for de-crab) in Conf 3 without any problem.

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Icing and crosswind conditions synthesis

A deep analysis shows that on A321, roll generated by
rudder pedals in Conf Full was more important than on
other Single Aisle aircraft.

The additional roll generated by rudder inputs and/or gust

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can be compared to the increased roll efficiency of spoilers

on iced A/C.

Both icing and crosswind incidents have the same root

cause: a reduced stability margin of the lateral normal law
(with pilot in the loop) when combined with additional (non
linear) roll efficiency (generated by rudder input/gust/ice
shapes effects on spoilers).
A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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A321 lateral law stability summary

A321, Conf Full nominal case

(no ice, no crosswind)

Lateral law stability is satisfactory

A321, Conf Full + roll

response modification

Lateral law stability is decreased

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Risk of PIO is increased

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Corrective actions
Short term actions:
A red OEB (153-1, June 2003) was issued to airlines
recommending Conf 3 for landing with significant
crosswind, in moderate to severe turbulence, or in
moderate to severe icing conditions.

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Mid term actions:

Modifications of the lateral normal control law in Conf 3
and Full on A321.
Re-tuning of the gains (Conf 3 and Full) and
adjustment of spoilers kinematics (Conf Full).

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Corrective actions

After complete flight test evaluation (including evaluation in

crosswind and with ice shapes), modifications were judged
satisfactory:
Stability margin at the same level than A320.
A/C response in normal conditions not degraded versus basic
A/C (even improved).
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A/C handling with ice or in turbulence/crosswind significantly

improved (for pilot used to fly the A321, lateral behaviour is now
similar to the A320).

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Corrective actions
A321, Conf Full nominal case
(no ice, no crosswind)

A321, Conf Full + roll

response modification
L81

Lateral law stability is satisfactory

L83/L91

Impact of roll response modification

was decreased (same level as A320)

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no more risk of PIO

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Other modifications introduced in ELAC L83/L91

Some other improvements were introduced on ELAC L83/L91 for A321:

Autopilot (AP) robustness :

4AP

disengagement logic upon Vc/Mach overspeed conditions is

made more robust (same logic as on A330/340 family, based on
speed filtering to avoid spurious AP disconnection upon quick/slight
overspeed due to gust).

Aileron anti-droop (option by pin-programming):

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4Improvement

of Single Aisle A/C landing and RTO performance

using the ailerons as ground spoilers (symmetrical upward
deflection) :
Increase of A/C drag
Increase of vertical loads on wheels to improve braking performance

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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ELAC L83/L91 certification and retrofit status

F/CTL modification will be available for airlines in 2 ELAC

4L83

for ELAC A hardware

4L91 for ELAC B hardware

Certification dates
of January 2004 for L83
4End of March 2004 for L91 (TBC)
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4End

A321 retrofit will then start as soon as possible

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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Conclusion
Thanks to an extensive Flight test campaign and Fly by Wire Flight
Controls, the issue could be identified and solved quickly.

ELAC L83/L91 will remove the OEB for degraded weather conditions
and will provide the same level of handling as on other Single Aisle in
normal conditions.

Even with ELAC L83/L91, basic recommendations are unchanged:

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Restrict use of rudder in approach to de-crab the A/C

in crosswind

(recommendation FCOM bulletin N54/1 Aircraft Handling in final approach)

Extended flight in icing conditions with slats extended

should be avoided (FCOM, Vol 3, supplementary techniques, 3.04.30)

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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 AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.

A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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its content. This document shall not be reproduced or
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The statements made herein do not constitute an offer. They

are based on the mentioned assumptions and are expressed
in good faith. Where the supporting grounds for these
statements are not shown, AIRBUS S.A.S. will be pleased to
explain the basis thereof.

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A321 lateral control in turbulence and icing conditions

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