Narrative:

On takeoff leg with first officer flying we were asked to reset transponder, immediately thereafter we received a turn and authorization to contact departure. During the turn and approaching initial level off altitude the captain looked down to adjust radios. At this time, first officer stated that he had lost his flight director (which had placed the aircraft into an increasing insidious climb. Captain assumed control and started a descent to 4000' as the aircraft 'busted' this altitude on climbout. However, as the top off of 4500' to 4700' was attained and a descent began, ATC authorized a new clearance altitude of 5000'. Level off accomplished uneventfully at this time. Although the loss of the first officer's flight director was the primary culprit in this altitude deviation, this deviation was aggravated by the simultaneously failing of the digital flight guidance system control panel, annunciator panel lights for yaw damper off, mach trim inoperative, and the power management system indicating an engine had failed (in addition to an unusual 'pop' sound in the cockpit at the same time). Unfortunately this all occurred within seconds of one another and most unfortunately, at the start of the level off. Attitude and flight director failure flags appeared shortly after the first officer verified this condition to the captain. This aircraft had first officer flight director problems on the previous day, but none on the previous two flts which were flown by this crew. Supplemental information from acn 128874: this deviation seems to have been a classic case of being spoiled by the additional avionics and workload reducing niceties provided in the aircraft and with the loss of these aids and the digital display on the flight guidance system the initial lapse that transpired between their loss and flying the aircraft via raw data information resulted in an altitude deviation. Lesson learned: don't forget the basics of instrument flying just because the aircraft is equipped with labor saving devices that as this case shows you can't always count on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE FAILURE OF INSTRUMENTATION AND COMPUTERIZATION IN ADVANCED MLG.

Narrative: ON TKOF LEG WITH F/O FLYING WE WERE ASKED TO RESET XPONDER, IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER WE RECEIVED A TURN AND AUTHORIZATION TO CONTACT DEP. DURING THE TURN AND APCHING INITIAL LEVEL OFF ALT THE CAPT LOOKED DOWN TO ADJUST RADIOS. AT THIS TIME, F/O STATED THAT HE HAD LOST HIS FLT DIRECTOR (WHICH HAD PLACED THE ACFT INTO AN INCREASING INSIDIOUS CLIMB. CAPT ASSUMED CONTROL AND STARTED A DSCNT TO 4000' AS THE ACFT 'BUSTED' THIS ALT ON CLIMBOUT. HOWEVER, AS THE TOP OFF OF 4500' TO 4700' WAS ATTAINED AND A DSCNT BEGAN, ATC AUTHORIZED A NEW CLRNC ALT OF 5000'. LEVEL OFF ACCOMPLISHED UNEVENTFULLY AT THIS TIME. ALTHOUGH THE LOSS OF THE F/O'S FLT DIRECTOR WAS THE PRIMARY CULPRIT IN THIS ALT DEVIATION, THIS DEVIATION WAS AGGRAVATED BY THE SIMULTANEOUSLY FAILING OF THE DIGITAL FLT GUIDANCE SYSTEM CONTROL PANEL, ANNUNCIATOR PANEL LIGHTS FOR YAW DAMPER OFF, MACH TRIM INOP, AND THE POWER MGMNT SYSTEM INDICATING AN ENGINE HAD FAILED (IN ADDITION TO AN UNUSUAL 'POP' SOUND IN THE COCKPIT AT THE SAME TIME). UNFORTUNATELY THIS ALL OCCURRED WITHIN SECONDS OF ONE ANOTHER AND MOST UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE START OF THE LEVEL OFF. ATTITUDE AND FLT DIRECTOR FAILURE FLAGS APPEARED SHORTLY AFTER THE F/O VERIFIED THIS CONDITION TO THE CAPT. THIS ACFT HAD F/O FLT DIRECTOR PROBLEMS ON THE PREVIOUS DAY, BUT NONE ON THE PREVIOUS TWO FLTS WHICH WERE FLOWN BY THIS CREW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 128874: THIS DEVIATION SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A CLASSIC CASE OF BEING SPOILED BY THE ADDITIONAL AVIONICS AND WORKLOAD REDUCING NICETIES PROVIDED IN THE ACFT AND WITH THE LOSS OF THESE AIDS AND THE DIGITAL DISPLAY ON THE FLT GUIDANCE SYSTEM THE INITIAL LAPSE THAT TRANSPIRED BETWEEN THEIR LOSS AND FLYING THE ACFT VIA RAW DATA INFO RESULTED IN AN ALT DEVIATION. LESSON LEARNED: DON'T FORGET THE BASICS OF INSTRUMENT FLYING JUST BECAUSE THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH LABOR SAVING DEVICES THAT AS THIS CASE SHOWS YOU CAN'T ALWAYS COUNT ON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.