REFLECTOR: OT: Airbus Landing

[Dean May]

The airbus has a safety feature that allows the auto throttle to activate
and go to full thrust at a slow speed (close to stall) even though they may
be turned. This feature works great anytime the airplane is above about 200
ft AGL but is deactivated if below that altitude because you just might be
wanting to land, and the auto throttle going to full thrust in the flair
would not be exactly what you want.  The pilot flying this airplane was
demonstrating the auto throttle wake-up feature by disengaging the auto
throttle, pulled the power to idle and slowing down.  The only problem was
that he was demonstrating it at about 100 ft AGL, and the auto throttle
wake-up was programmed not to wake-up.  By the time the pilot recognized
that the auto throttle wake-up was not activating, the airplane was in a
stall.  Any stall in a swept wing airplane takes a minimum of 500 feet to
recover, so his fate was sealed.

So, it was really pilot error because he forgot the disengage feature of the
auto throttle wake-up at low altitudes.

Dean May
STGRG
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