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Reversion to alternate was due to:

- The ADR 3 rejection by the flight controls computer
AND
- The ADR 2 switch off by the flight crew

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In the first example, the AOA 3 is equal to 3 degrees().

The median being 1.5, the difference between the AOA 3 (3) and the
AOA median (1.5) is lower than 3.6:
the AOA 3 is considered valid.

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In the second example, the AOA 3 is equal to 5.5.

The median being 1.5, the difference between the AOA 3 ( 5.5) and the
AOA median (1.5) is higher than 3.6:
the AOA 3 is considered not valid.

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In a scenario similar to the reported event, the AOA 1 and 2 are blocked to
a constant value of 5.
The median becomes in this case 5.
The median being 5, the difference between the AOA 1 (5 ) and the AOA
median (5) is lower than 3,6:
The AOA 1 is considered valid.
Idem for the AOA 3.
In this scenario, the AOA 3 is equal to 1.
The median being 5, the difference between the AOA 3 (1 ) and the AOA
median (5) is higher than 3,6:
The AOA 3 is considered not valid.
The AOA 1 and 2 are blocked to the same value but are considered valid
by the flight controls computers (the AOA 3 is rejected).
The flight controls computers will use the AOA 1 and 2 to compute the
Valphaprot and the Valpha max.

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The root cause of the in-service event is still under investigation. However,
Airbus decided, as a precautionary measure, to issue temporary
procedures.
Along with Flight Operations Transmissions (FOT) sent on 10th Dec 2014,
temporary procedures have been released through OEBs and associated
AFM Temporary Revisions (TRs).
These temporary procedures are applicable to all A318/A319/A320/A321
aircraft and to all A330/A340 aircraft.
As technical investigations are still on-going, no criteria to cancel this
temporary procedure has been defined for the moment. When a
terminating action is determined to remove this temporary procedure,
Airbus will issue a revision of the OEBs.

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Two main goals led the development of the temporary procedures:

To anticipate a potential Alpha Prot activation due to AOA signals
remaining at the same constant value, by providing the flight crew with
visual effects in the cockpit to identify an issue with the AOA signals.
To provide a simple procedure to prevent, but also to recover, from an
undue activation of the Alpha Prot.
The title refers to the most visible effect that the flight crew will see on the
PFD, if AOA values are erroneous. It consists in an Abnormal behavior of
the V Alpha Prot, and its associated strip.
The procedure has the following steps:
- A Monitoring reminder
- A Recovery procedure
- Preventive actions

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Regarding A320 family aircraft, the Monitoring step reminds the visible
elements on the PFD Airspeed scale, that are used in the conditions of the
procedure.
In this case, it is the Alpha prot strip and the Alpha max strip.

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The Recovery procedure is defined in order to recover a full authority on

pitch, if the Alpha Protection erroneously activates. This is obtained by the
reversion of the Flight Control laws to Alternate law. To do so, the flight
has to switch off two ADRs.
The condition of the Recovery procedure is:
AT ANY TIME, with a speed above VLS, if the aircraft goes to a
CONTINUOUS NOSE DOWN PITCH RATE that cannot be stopped with
backward sidestick inputs, IMMEDIATELY APPLY:
ONE ADR..KEEP ON
TWO ADRsOFF
Capitals letters have been used for some words in this conditions, in order
to clearly highlight the main aspects of the procedure. These points are:
- Time related with the words AT ANY TIME
- Describing a visual and physical effect, that the flight crew will see and
feel, with the wording CONTINUOUS NOSE DOWN PITCH RATE
- Defining the required actions, which are to IMMEDIATELY APPLY:
ONE ADRON and TWO ADRsOFF.
Indeed, these actions must be rapidly done by memory (in less than 15
seconds).

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The flight crew must be aware of the location of the ADR pushbuttons, in
order to be able to quickly switch off two ADRs as requested.
The procedure does not define which ADR must be switched off, since the
important step is to revert to Alternate law in order to rapidly recover a full
authority on pitch.

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The recovery procedure must be performed in the case of an undue

activation of the Alpha Protection.
As you can see on this graph, the AOA value for the Alpha Prot and the
Alpha max are both a function of the Mach number. When the Mach
number increases, the AOA value that triggers the Alpha Protection is
decreasing.
In the case of 2 blocked AOA probes, the AOA value used by the F/CTL
law will remain constant, whatever the real aircraft AOA.
As an example, the amber dot on the graph represents the aircraft AOA
and Mach value when 2 AOA probes become blocked.

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With an increase in Mach number, the amber dot will move along the
dotted line.
In this case, when the Mach number increases, the margin between the
measured AOA value and the Alpha Prot value will be smaller and smaller.
The diminution of this margin will have an effect on the display of the V
Alpha Prot strip on the PFD: it will cause the Alpha Prot strip to move
upwards on the airspeed scale, when Mach increases.
If the Mach continues to increase, there will be a point where the AOA
value used by the F/CTL law will be equal to the value of the Alpha Prot. At
this given Mach number, the Alpha Prot will thus activate, and order a
nose down.

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The OEB for A320 family aircraft also provides preventive actions, in order
to avoid an undue activation of the Alpha Prot.
These actions are based on two visual effects on the airspeed scale, that
are visible when there is an issue with the AOA signals.
The first one is the following condition: If the Alpha Max strip (red)
completely hides the Alpha Prot strip (black and amber) in a stabilized
wings-level flight path (without an increase in load factor).
The associated actions are to:
- Keep on one ADR
- Switch off two ADRs
- Consider the use of the Flight Path Vector (FPV)
Attention is also drawn on the fact that the display of the strip of the V stall
warning (black and red) may be erroneous.

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The second visual effect on the airspeed scale is the following:

If the Alpha Prot strip (black and amber) rapidly moves by more than 30 kt
during flight maneuvers (with an increase in load factor), with AP ON and
speed brakes retracted.
Identically, the actions to be performed by the flight crew are to:
- Keep on one ADR
- Switch off two ADRs
- Consider the use of the Flight Path Vector (FPV)

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These 2 conditions for preventive actions refer to an increase -or not- in

load factor.
This is due to the fact that on A320 family aircraft, the display of the
Valpha Prot strip (black and amber) and the Valpha Max strip (red) is
linked to the vertical load factor.
On the A320 Family, per design, when the vertical load factor is equal to
1g (i.e. in stabilized wings-level flight path), the display of Valpha Prot strip
and the Valpha Max strip remain limited at a value of VLS - 2kt.
This means that, in a stabilized wings-level flight path, the Valpha Prot
strip and the Valpha Max strip can never hide completely the VLS strip.
On the opposite, during flight maneuvers involving an increase in load
factor, such as turns or pitch variations, there is no more limitation on the
display of the Alpha Prot strip at VLS - 2kt. The Alpha prot and Alpha max
strips will increase.
If the vertical load factor returns to a value of 1g, for example when the
turn is completed or the pitch attitude is stabilized, the Valpha Prot strip
decreases again towards VLS 2kt.
Therefore, with AP ON, during flight maneuvers with an increase in load
factor, an increase in the Valpha Prot by more than 30 kt with speedbrakes
retracted is symptomatic of an issue with the AOA signals.

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Regarding the temporary procedure for A330 and A340 aircraft:

The title is identical and still refers to the most visible effect for the flight
crew.
The content of the procedure also details monitoring reminder, preventive
action and recovery procedure.

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The Monitoring step reminds the visible elements on the PFD Airspeed
scale, that are used in the conditions of the procedure.
In the case of A330 and A340 aircraft, the visible elements to particularly
monitor are the VLS strip and the Alpha Prot strip.

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Then, the preventive action is defined.

It is based on the following condition:
If the Alpha Prot strip (black and amber) completely and permanently
hides the VLS strip (amber) in a stabilized wings-level flight path (without
an increase in load factor).
In this case, the flight crew will:
- Keep on one ADR
- Switch off two ADRs
Then it is recommended :
- Not to increase the speed
- To consider the FPV use
- To reconfigure the EFIS DMC
- Not to increase the altitude, when above safety altitude.
When the altitude and the speed are not increased, the Mach number will
not increase. This limitation on Mach number will avoid the triggering of
undue stall warnings.
Attention is also drawn on the fact that:
- The display of the strip of the V stall warning (black and red) may be
erroneous
- There is a risk of undue stall warning.

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Finally, the recovery procedure is provided.

This procedure is identical to the one defined for A320 family aircraft.

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