What does the FMA indicate?

The Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA) is a critical component of an aircraft's flight management system, particularly on the A320. It provides essential information about the status of the autopilot modes engaged by the pilots. The FMA displays various modes such as managed or selected, indicating whether the autopilot is controlling the aircraft's flight path, speed, lateral navigation, or vertical navigation.

Understanding the FMA is crucial for pilots as it helps them assess how the aircraft is being controlled at any given moment, allowing them to make informed decisions about manual adjustments or returns to desired autopilot settings. This information is vital during all stages of flight, particularly during critical phases like takeoff, approach, and landing.

The other options represent different aspects of flight and aircraft performance but do not specifically pertain to what the FMA indicates. For instance, flight path trajectory relates to the predicted route an aircraft will follow, altitude hold status refers to maintaining a specific altitude without changes, and engine performance data provides information about the power output and efficiency of the engines. While these aspects are important for overall flight management, they are not directly indicated by the FMA.