CAT II MANUAL LAND, AUTOLAND

Disclaimer: 

▪︎This content is Not an official document and does not represent the views of Airbus or any other aviation authority.

▪︎The information provided may be incorrect or misinterpreted and should not be relied upon for decision-making. 

▪︎Always refer to official documents and consult with a qualified aviation professional before making any decisions based on the information provided in this blog post.

▪︎The information provided in this blog post is based on personal study and review.

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A320 CAT II AIRCRAFT CAPABILITIY 

 

Can we perform autoland with CAT II aircraft capability?
Yes, the A320 aircraft is equipped for autoland with CAT II capability.

 

FCTM

 

 

But can we conduct manual landings with CAT II aircraft capability?

Certainly, the flight crew has the capability to manually land the aircraft. However, what if the weather conditions are marginal, and the airport is implementing low visibility procedures?

Unless the airline has specific restrictions outlined in its operational specifications (OPSpecs) mandating the use of the autopilot system for CAT II approvals, the aircraft can still be landed manually in CAT II conditions. 

But there is other things to consider. 

 

 

 

APPROACH USING LOC G/S FOR CATII CATIII

Before delving into CAT II manual landing procedures, let's review the protocols outlined in CAT II and III in the FCTM. If the flight crew encounters low visibility and is executing the LVO procedure, factors such as aircraft capabilities, airport facilities, and crew qualifications (including wind and weather limitations) come into play.

Assuming the flight crew has completed their training and is qualified, and the airport has maintained its equipment, the last critical consideration is the aircraft's capability. 

This is crucial because certain failures impacting the aircraft's landing capability may not be monitored by the FMGS and, consequently, may not be reflected on the FMA. It is imperative, therefore, for the crew to consult the QRH to determine the actual landing capability if any equipment is listed as inoperative.

 

 

 

 

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT FOR CATII AND CATIII

so before the flight crew starts the catII, III approach. flight crew look into QRH required equipment table.

(crews are not expected to check the equipment list before approach) just for studying purposes. 

 

 

 

For a CAT II approach, there is a requirement for at least one Autopilot (AP) as specified in the table. 

If the aircraft loses both autopilots, its capability is reduced to CAT I. 

Consequently, the aircraft is not permitted to land at an airport where CAT II or III procedures are in effect if both autopilots are lost.

Under what circumstances, then, must an aircraft land with manual flight in CAT II conditions?

 

 

In the FCTM, the CAT II approach strategy involves flying with Autopilot/Flight Director (AP/FD) and Autothrust (A/THR) down to Decision Height (DH), although A/THR is not a mandatory requirement for CAT II.

 

Regarding the BSCU channel, Antiskid, and Nosewheel steering, one is required for automatic rollout. 

For autoland without automatic rollout, none of these components is required.

In the event of a go-around decision, these components were previously considered acceptable even if they failed below 1000 feet Above Aerodrome Level (AAL) if they plan to autoland without automatic rollout and the airline policy allows it. 

 

 However, with recent Airbus procedures, a go around must be initiated even in the presence of one of these failures.

 

 

AUTOFLIGHT LIMITATION 

So in case of manual landing with ILS category II, AP should be disconnected no later than 80AGL. 

 

 

Some A320 aircraft are limited to specific configurations, allowing only full configuration and thrust reversers at idle.