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A BE58 crew failed to maintain altitude awareness while programming their GPS and the aircraft gradually climbed 500 ft above their cleared altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1125686 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201310 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | DLF.Airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Baron 58/58TC |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Route In Use | Vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Altitude Hold/Capture |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Not Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 88 Flight Crew Total 13861 Flight Crew Type 7 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude Deviation - Procedural Clearance |
Narrative:
I was the overseeing pilot on an IFR flight plan filed in my name. The flying pilot was a private pilot; multi engine rated; non IFR pilot. We filed IFR in case an approach would be needed at drt. I was programming the GPS while we were cruising at an assigned altitude of 5;000 ft. The other pilot was flying with the autopilot engaged; (I thought). Suddenly he noticed altitude was about 5;400 ft and started correcting. About then laughlin called and asked to verify we were still at 5;000 ft. He said we were correcting from 5;500 ft back to 5;000 ft. I had realized then that he had been following what I was doing on the GPS instead of watching the airplane closer. In effect we were both heads down on the GPS; while the aircraft drifted up. I have to attribute this partly to distraction from automation; partly to a lack of training on part of the crew in dividing responsibilities; partly to being too focused to one thing instead of dividing attention between programming and supervision of aircraft/other crew; and partly to diminished [alertness due to] fatigue. My wife had been getting sick the night before; and I had gotten up several times in the night; breaking sleep. I didn't feel that bad when I arrived at the airport in the morning; however I did notice on the first leg I had frequent yawning and thought processes seemed slow; etc. That's when I knew I was more tired than I had realized.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BE58 crew failed to maintain altitude awareness while programming their GPS and the aircraft gradually climbed 500 FT above their cleared altitude.
Narrative: I was the overseeing pilot on an IFR flight plan filed in my name. The flying pilot was a private pilot; multi engine rated; non IFR pilot. We filed IFR in case an approach would be needed at DRT. I was programming the GPS while we were cruising at an assigned altitude of 5;000 FT. The other pilot was flying with the autopilot engaged; (I thought). Suddenly he noticed altitude was about 5;400 FT and started correcting. About then Laughlin called and asked to verify we were still at 5;000 FT. He said we were correcting from 5;500 FT back to 5;000 FT. I had realized then that he had been following what I was doing on the GPS instead of watching the airplane closer. In effect we were both heads down on the GPS; while the aircraft drifted up. I have to attribute this partly to distraction from automation; partly to a lack of training on part of the crew in dividing responsibilities; partly to being too focused to one thing instead of dividing attention between programming and supervision of aircraft/other crew; and partly to diminished [alertness due to] fatigue. My wife had been getting sick the night before; and I had gotten up several times in the night; breaking sleep. I didn't feel that bad when I arrived at the airport in the morning; however I did notice on the first leg I had frequent yawning and thought processes seemed slow; etc. That's when I knew I was more tired than I had realized.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.