Training Manual Navigation

A320 Family 34-48 Ground Proximity Warning System

Mode 1 - Excessive Rate of Descent

Penetration of the first warning envelope triggers the voice warning: SINK RATE;
penetration of the second warning envelope triggers: WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP.
In both cases, the GPWS red lights are on.
The Barometric rate is used in relation to Radio Altitude to trigger the warnings.
This mode provides the crew with visual and audio warnings for high descent rates
towards terrain. The crew receives timely warnings for rapidly increasing sink
rates near the runway when landing. The warnings remain activated until the air-
craft gets out of the warning envelope.
Figure 5: Mode 1 - Excessive Rate of Descent

Jun04/THTA Corresponding with JAR Level 3 B1 B2 34-48-6

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 Training Manual Navigation
A320 Family 34-48 Ground Proximity Warning System

Mode 2 - Excessive Terrain Closure Rate

Penetration of the warning envelope triggers a repetitive voice: TERRAIN - TER-
RAIN; WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP. It is accompanied by the illumination of the
GPWS red lights.
This mode uses radio altitude and radio altitude rate to trigger the warnings. This
mode has two areas of application:
MODE 2A, when the flaps are not in landing configuration.
MODE 2B, when the flaps are in landing configuration.
After leaving the warning area the repeated TERRAIN message will persist until
an increase of baro altitude of 300 ft is obtained.
Figure 6: Mode 2 - Excessive Closure Rate with Terrain

Jun04/THTA Corresponding with JAR Level 3 B1 B2 34-48-7

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 Training Manual Navigation
A320 Family 34-48 Ground Proximity Warning System

Mode 3 - Descent after Take-Off

The DONT SINK aural warning is activated if the aircraft loses altitude during
take-off. It is accompanied by the illumination of the GPWS red lights.
This mode provides a warning based on filtered barometric altitude and radio alti-
tude. This warning is only provided during take-oft whenever the aircraft loses too
much altitude before reaching 667 ft radio altitude. An expanded upper limit of
1333 ft RA is used at higher airspeeds to prevent premature switching from mode
3 to a possible mode 4 warning (occurrence above 210 Kts) at climbout.
Figure 7: Mode 3 - Descent After Take-off and Minimum Terrain Clearance

Jun04/THTA Corresponding with JAR Level 3 B1 B2 34-48-8

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 Training Manual Navigation
A320 Family 34-48 Ground Proximity Warning System

Mode 4 - Unsafe Terrain Clearance Figure 8: Mode 4 - Unsafe Terrain Clearance

According to the Radio Altitude and the Airspeed, three types of synthetic voices
are activated:
TOO LOW GEAR
TOO LOW TERRAIN
TOO LOW FLAPS.
These warnings are accompanied by the illumination of the GPWS red lights.
Depending on the aircraft configuration, gear up, gear down, flaps extended or re-
tracted and the aircraft speed in relation to Radio Altitude, various aural warnings
are activated.
The TOO LOW GEAR warning has priority over the TOO LOW FLAPS warning.

Jun04/THTA Corresponding with JAR Level 3 B1 B2 34-48-9

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 Training Manual Navigation
A320 Family 34-48 Ground Proximity Warning System

Mode 5 - Descent below Glide Slope ECAM Warning

The GLIDE SLOPE synthetic voice is activated if the aircraft deviates too much
below the glide slope beam during an ILS approach. It is accompanied by the illu-
mination of the G/S amber lights.
MODE 5 provides two levels of warning when the aircraft flight path descends be-
low the glide slope beam on front course ILS approche. In both areas the alert is
a repeated voice message of GLIDE SLOPE. The voice message amplitude is in-
creased when entering the hard warning area.
The mode is armed when a valid signal is received by ILS 1. By pressing the G/S
MODE pushbutton switch to OFF, the mode 5 warning is inhibited.
Figure 9: Mode 5 - Descent Below Glide Slope
The MASTER CAUTION light comes on, a single chime sounds, and the FAULT
light on the GPWS control panel comes on.
This warning appears when a system FAULT has been detected by the GPWC.
When the FAULT light comes on, the Ground Proximity warnings are inhibited and
no GPWC self-test is possible.
The NAV GPWS FAULT message disappears when the CLR pushbutton on the
ECAM control panel is pressed.
Figure 10: NAV GPWS Fault

Jun04/THTA Corresponding with JAR Level 3 B1 B2 34-48-10

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 Training Manual Navigation
A320 Family 34-48 Ground Proximity Warning System

Cockpit Flight - and Ground Test If the test is satisfactory, after completion of the ground test sequence all aural
warnings are generated in the following order:
This test is initiated by pressing either GPWS G/S pushbutton for at least 0.5 sec-
onds. SINK RATE
WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP
If the test is satisfactory, the GPWS FAULT light on the GPWS control panel
comes on, the GLIDE SLOPE soft aural warning is generated, WHOOP WHOOP TERRAIN
PULL UP aural warning is generated, then the GPWS and G/S lights come on. WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP
This test is only possible above 1000 ft with an airspeed greater than 90 Kt. DONT SINK
TOO LOW
TOO LOW GEAR
Figure 11: Cockpit Flight Test TOO LOW FLAPS
TOO LOW TERRAIN
GLIDE SLOPE
MINIMUMS
Figure 12: Cockpit Ground Test

This test is initiated by pressing either GPWS G/S pushbutton for at least 0.5 sec-
onds.
The test sequence is identical to that of the flight test but also includes an internal
test of processor and memories.
Test conditions are:
radio altitude lower than 30 feet.
landing gear downlocked.
Moreover if the GPWS G/S pushbutton is maintained pressed in or pressed again
during the WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP sequence, the vocabulary test is carried
out.

Jun04/THTA Corresponding with JAR Level 3 B1 B2 34-48-11

Copyright by SR Technics For training purposes only