BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
ECAM DISPLAY PHILOSOPHY.
The Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitoring (ECAM) system monitors and displays all information concerning aircraft systems and system failures and thus reports the status of the aircraft. It is a system which displays the aircraft system information, monitors the aircraft systems, and provides the actions required by the crew in most normal / abnormal and emergency situations.
Display of system failures and take off and landing memo is flight phase sensitive. Take off and landing memo are only displayed at the appropriate phase of flight.
FLIGHT PHASE INHIBITION.
Some warnings and cautions are suppressed during take off and landing, however failures critical to a particular phase of flight will always be displayed.
On the System Display screen some pages are phase-selected i.e. the
WHEEL page is automatically displayed after engine start. The cruise page is not selectable, but is continuously displayed from 1500 ft after take-off to landing gear extension unless a warning / caution is displayed, or a system page has been manually selected.
PRIORITY OF WARNINGS.
The criticality of a failure is graded from 1 to 3 and this is reflected in the warning or caution given.
CRITICALITY COLOUR / AURAL REACTION
LEVEL 1 DEGRADATION AMBER / NONE AWARENESS /
MONITORING LEVEL 2 ABNORMAL AMBER / SINGLE CHIME AWARENESS,
THEN ACTION LEVEL 3 SAFETY RED / CONTINUOUS
REPETITIVE
IMMEDIATE
Level 1 is displayed in amber on the Engine Warning Display (EWD). There is no Master Caution associated with a Level 1 warning.
Level 2 is associated with a Master Caution and is displayed in amber on the EWD along with an Amber “Land as soon as Practicable” message.
Level 3 is associated with a Master Warning and is displayed in red on the EWD along with a Red “Land as soon as Possible” message.
In addition to the three levels of warning or caution, the ECAM also differentiates between three types of failures as follows:
INDEPENDENT FAILURES. A failure that does not affect other systems. The system title is underlined on the EWD.
PRIMARY FAILURE. A failure that affects other systems and causes secondary failures. The failure title is boxed on the EWD.
SECONDARY FAILURE. A failure that is caused by a primary failure and not by an unserviceability of that particular system. Secondary failures are in amber preceded by an asterisk on the bottom right hand side of the EWD.
If a failure of a system affects another system, the Flight Warning Computer will display the PRIMARY FAILURE first followed by the SECONDARY (or consequential) failure.
In the event of multiple failures there is a hierarchy determining the order in which failures are displayed on the EWD i.e. Level 3 takes priority over Level 2. Furthermore there is a hierarchy within each of the three levels to ensure that the most critical failures are displayed first.
Whenever a failure or an advisory occurs, the associated System Display page is provided on the lower CRT. This allows the crew to analyse the
situation, as shown by the status of the affected components in the diagram. If a procedure is proposed to the crew for action then the instruction disappears after it has been carried out, IF there is feedback from that item.
ABNORMAL ECAM CONFIGURATION
The ECAM screens are identical, providing the option of redundancy. The options allowing switching of screens in the event of failure are detailed in FCOM 1.31.05.
MASTER WARNING / CAUTION
These are Attention Getters in case of a failure.
Pressing the related pushbutton extinguishes the light (except for STALL / OVERSPD…) and stops the aural.
In case of an aural Altitude Alert pressing the Master Warning stops the sound.
RCL and EMER CANCEL
The EMER CANCEL pushbutton may be used by the crew to cancel any cautions or warnings that are intermittent or spurious (and are effectively nuisance warnings). The RCL pushbutton is used to either recover cancelled cautions suppressed by the EMER CANCEL pushbutton or to review cautions or warnings which have been cleared using the CLR pushbutton.
T/O CONFIG PUSHBUTTON
Pressing the T/O CONFIG push button simulates T/O power application and allows the pilot to check that Slats and Flaps, Pitch Trim, Rudder Trim, Speed Brakes, Brake Temp, Parking Brake, and Doors are in a Take Off
configuration.
OPERATIONAL USE 1. NORMAL OPERATION
Periodically review the main systems during flight to check if everything is ok and detect a potential problem. The ECAM memo must be included in the instrument scan. During cruise it should be blank. It helps the pilot to notice that a system has been forgotten.
STS label displayed at the bottom of EW/D means that the status page is not empty. Consequently, when the check list calls for status review, press STS only if the label is displayed. At engine shutdown if there is a STS, it pulses at the bottom of EW/D. Review the status page to correctly fill in the technical log.
IRS time to alignment is displayed if the alignment is not completed.
2. ECAM ADVISORY
The first pilot who notices an Advisory should announce "ADVISORY on XYZ system".
3. TASK SHARING RULES in case of ABNORMAL OPERATIONS
The first pilot to recognise a problem announces the Title of the failure and cancels the Master Warning, or Caution. The PF controls the Aircraft and once stabilised, and above 400 ft AGL, the PF orders the ECAM actions.
Since there are two essential tasks, (fly and deal with the failure) both pilots must be aware of what is occurring during the completion of the associated drills. The PF is usually the PF throughout the exercise unless the CM1 decides to take control. The PF will then control the Flight path, Speed, Configuration and Engines. He will deal with navigation and communication and will order the PNF to commence the ECAM actions and check that the actions are properly completed.
PF PNF
<<ECAM ACTIONS>>
Reviews SD and reads ECAM.
Carries out the actions detailed.
Once all actions complete asks to
<<CLEAR XYZ>>
After checking that the actions are complete confirms <<CLEAR XYZ>>
Continues the ECAM actions or reads STS
Once all actions are done and STS is read asks <<CLR STATUS>>
After crosscheck confirms
<<CLR STATUS>>
Clears STS page and announces
<<ECAM ACTIONS COMPLETE>>
FCOM 3.02.01 details procedures for the use of ECAM in the event of a failure. The key points are:
PF - fly, na vigate and communicate— in that order (golden rule).
PNF - deal with the failure on the PF’s command.
Both pilots to identify failure and confirm by reference to SD, E/WD.
When a failure occurs it is important to review the SD prior to acting, in order to get a proper assessment of the situation.
Some actions or messages have no feedback and the blue line does not disappear. Examples are, ATC NOTIFY, or VHF 1 (2) (3) USE, or MIN RAT SPEED 140 and so on.
Some procedures require reference to QRH and this is indicated by the phrase LDG PROC APPLY on the ECAM.
In some failure cases, the STATUS page lists a non standard configuration for Approach. The Status page is automatically displayed when CONF 1 is selected, as a reminder of the current status of the aircraft.
The Status page appears when all required actions are complete. It is not required to read it immediately it appears! As a reflection of the status of the aircraft it should be referred to when planning an Approach, or to ascertain the current status of the aircraft.
Remember the following points.
In the case of multiple failures complete all required actions (in blue)
associated with the first red or amber title. Request clearance to press CLR and then deal with the next failure. Reinforce that this “chapter” must be cleared before continuing with the next “chapter”. The drills affecting the second “chapter” are then carried out until its red / amber title can be cleared, before starting on the third etc. Don’t leave the red or amber title on the E/WD when all actions associated with that failure have been completed. Clear each one as it is dealt with. When all necessary actions are complete there will be no amber or red displayed on the lower part of the E / WD.
Read the ECAM carefully, as it is possible to misread drills.
Although the overhead panel is uncluttered, misidentification of switches or pushbuttons is possible. When action on the overhead panel pushbuttons or switches is required by ECAM, identification of the correct panel is aided by reference to the writing etched on the side of each system panel.
When carrying out system pushbutton selection, verify on the SD that the required action has occurred e.g. switching off an hydraulic pump changes the indications on the SD.
Any non-reversible action must be confirmed by both pilots. This means the THR levers, engine master switch, fire switch, IRs, or any guarded
pushbutton. This is to prevent the crew from carrying out an inadvertent irreversible actions.
OEB
Certain procedures may be modified by OEB. The generic documentation we use does not normally contain any OEBs. However get your trainees to think about referring to any OEBs as part of their training. The OEB’s have to be checked before reading and analysing the status
page. OEBs (FCOM Vol 3) are issued by Airbus and contain information
which may have implications for crew actions in the event of system failures. If time permits consider consulting FCOM Vol 3 after ECAM actions have been completed. It may contain additional notes or information not displayed on ECAM. However do not prolong the flight for the sole purpose of consulting this volume.
STATUS PAGE
The status page is reviewed by both pilots. A green overflow arrow indicates further pages of status messages. The Status page can be recalled at any time and is very useful as an aid for descent and approach planning.
Following certain failures, or after multiple failures, the STATUS page may contain an excess of information. In order to extract the information essential for landing the aircraft safely use the following guide:
CONFIG - flap/slat setting, approach speed increment, landing distance factor and control law for landing.
GEAR - when to lower gear and whether normally or by gravity BRAKES - normal, alternate or alternate without anti-skid REVERSE - availability.
SINGLE SCREEN USAGE
When dealing with failures with only one ECAM display the same principles are valid but disciplined use of the ECAM control panel is even more
important.
There is no automatic display of the SD associated with the failure -
confirmation of the failure will require the relevant system page pushbutton to be pressed and held. This is also true when reviewing secondary failures.
The STATUS page is only displayed when STS pushbutton is pressed and held. In order to view page two or three pages of status messages the STS pushbutton must be released for less than 2 seconds and then pressed and held again.
Remember to teach the transfer of the SD to the PNF’s ND (except in EMER ELEC CONF when it is not available).
ADVISORY
ECAM advisory mode requires the crew to monitor a parameter and does not necessarily require action. FCOM 3.02.80 contains recommended actions in the event of certain advisory conditions.
COMMON ERRORS
Beware of the following errors
No de-selection of manually selected system page when no longer required.
Clear action without cross-check.
STATUS page reviewed at the wrong time.
Single ECAM screen, SD pages and STS page not reviewed.
Green overflow arrow ignored.