Narrative:

Upon arrival into jfk, ZNY directed us to maintain FL230 and proceed to lendy intersection to hold 'northwest' as published. Holding was given because WX at jfk was below our landing minimums. Center advised us of RVR's for 2 runways, which were too short for our landing gross weight with the given visibility. The captain, who was flying the aircraft, became involved with the other crew members as to which runway we were actually legal for. He leveled off at FL230 and was proceeding to lendy when he connected the autoplt. At that time #2 engine generator had high oil temperature (CSD) and disconnected (tripped). Additionally, the autoplt disconnected (may have been caused by gen) while we were in a turn (ZNY had given us a short vector), and the airplane lost 1200' before it was recovered. This happened very quickly. The captain, who was still flying the airplane, started to enter the wrong holding pattern, and I asked him to let me fly the airplane because I could then see he was not doing what the controller had given for holding instructions. After asking several times for the airplane, he allowed me to fly and I turned back to enter published holding at lendy as previously directed. Events were normal thereafter. Contributing factors to the incident were the WX at jfk and the #2 gen which set up distrs for the captain, and a big factor was me not speaking up so as to aid the captain more in entering holding correctly. This was an education night. Supplemental information from acn 132290: we were reclred to a holding position. At the same time we lost #2 gen and had to disconnect. I was hand-flying and switched on the autoplt and engaged the altitude hold. I then reached up to engage the autothrottles, forgetting the cargo airplane disconnected the altitude hold when the selector was turned to IAS. I was busy coordinating the gen out problem, which runway we were going to be able to land on, and getting out my holding plate. The next thing I knew, ATC asked our altitude. I looked and we were passing through 21900'. I immediately disconnected the autoplt and stopped the descent at FL219, and ATC cleared us to FL220. In the confusion, I chose the wrong entry to the holding pattern and exceeded the limits of my clearance. Aircraft control was turned over to the copilot to fly while I took command and reorganized. 5 problems occurred: 1) because of having to take formerly cancelled vacation time for long periods of time in 11/89 and and 12/89, I had very little current flying. 2) aircraft difference between passenger and cargo on altitude hold and autothrottle control. 3) new coplts and second officer. 4) failure on my part to turn the actual flying of the aircraft over to the copilot when I was preoccupied. This would have followed the company policy of always 1-M flying the aircraft. 5) a number of events occurring in a very short space of time and my frustration with myself for the initial foul-up landing to a second. Supplemental information from acn 132732: for my part, I may have been able to back up the front end a little better by x-chking their gauges more frequently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB DEVIATES FROM ALT ASSIGNED AND DEVIATION FROM ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS INTO HOLDING PATTERN AS PIC, PF, MISUSES ACFT AUTOPLT DURING #2 GENERATOR PROBLEM AND DISCONNECT PROC.

Narrative: UPON ARR INTO JFK, ZNY DIRECTED US TO MAINTAIN FL230 AND PROCEED TO LENDY INTXN TO HOLD 'NW' AS PUBLISHED. HOLDING WAS GIVEN BECAUSE WX AT JFK WAS BELOW OUR LNDG MINIMUMS. CENTER ADVISED US OF RVR'S FOR 2 RWYS, WHICH WERE TOO SHORT FOR OUR LNDG GROSS WT WITH THE GIVEN VISIBILITY. THE CAPT, WHO WAS FLYING THE ACFT, BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS AS TO WHICH RWY WE WERE ACTUALLY LEGAL FOR. HE LEVELED OFF AT FL230 AND WAS PROCEEDING TO LENDY WHEN HE CONNECTED THE AUTOPLT. AT THAT TIME #2 ENG GENERATOR HAD HIGH OIL TEMP (CSD) AND DISCONNECTED (TRIPPED). ADDITIONALLY, THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED (MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY GEN) WHILE WE WERE IN A TURN (ZNY HAD GIVEN US A SHORT VECTOR), AND THE AIRPLANE LOST 1200' BEFORE IT WAS RECOVERED. THIS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY. THE CAPT, WHO WAS STILL FLYING THE AIRPLANE, STARTED TO ENTER THE WRONG HOLDING PATTERN, AND I ASKED HIM TO LET ME FLY THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE I COULD THEN SEE HE WAS NOT DOING WHAT THE CTLR HAD GIVEN FOR HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER ASKING SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE AIRPLANE, HE ALLOWED ME TO FLY AND I TURNED BACK TO ENTER PUBLISHED HOLDING AT LENDY AS PREVIOUSLY DIRECTED. EVENTS WERE NORMAL THEREAFTER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE INCIDENT WERE THE WX AT JFK AND THE #2 GEN WHICH SET UP DISTRS FOR THE CAPT, AND A BIG FACTOR WAS ME NOT SPEAKING UP SO AS TO AID THE CAPT MORE IN ENTERING HOLDING CORRECTLY. THIS WAS AN EDUCATION NIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 132290: WE WERE RECLRED TO A HOLDING POS. AT THE SAME TIME WE LOST #2 GEN AND HAD TO DISCONNECT. I WAS HAND-FLYING AND SWITCHED ON THE AUTOPLT AND ENGAGED THE ALT HOLD. I THEN REACHED UP TO ENGAGE THE AUTOTHROTTLES, FORGETTING THE CARGO AIRPLANE DISCONNECTED THE ALT HOLD WHEN THE SELECTOR WAS TURNED TO IAS. I WAS BUSY COORDINATING THE GEN OUT PROB, WHICH RWY WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LAND ON, AND GETTING OUT MY HOLDING PLATE. THE NEXT THING I KNEW, ATC ASKED OUR ALT. I LOOKED AND WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 21900'. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND STOPPED THE DSCNT AT FL219, AND ATC CLRED US TO FL220. IN THE CONFUSION, I CHOSE THE WRONG ENTRY TO THE HOLDING PATTERN AND EXCEEDED THE LIMITS OF MY CLRNC. ACFT CONTROL WAS TURNED OVER TO THE COPLT TO FLY WHILE I TOOK COMMAND AND REORGANIZED. 5 PROBS OCCURRED: 1) BECAUSE OF HAVING TO TAKE FORMERLY CANCELLED VACATION TIME FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME IN 11/89 AND AND 12/89, I HAD VERY LITTLE CURRENT FLYING. 2) ACFT DIFFERENCE BTWN PAX AND CARGO ON ALT HOLD AND AUTOTHROTTLE CONTROL. 3) NEW COPLTS AND S/O. 4) FAILURE ON MY PART TO TURN THE ACTUAL FLYING OF THE ACFT OVER TO THE COPLT WHEN I WAS PREOCCUPIED. THIS WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE COMPANY POLICY OF ALWAYS 1-M FLYING THE ACFT. 5) A NUMBER OF EVENTS OCCURRING IN A VERY SHORT SPACE OF TIME AND MY FRUSTRATION WITH MYSELF FOR THE INITIAL FOUL-UP LNDG TO A SECOND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 132732: FOR MY PART, I MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BACK UP THE FRONT END A LITTLE BETTER BY X-CHKING THEIR GAUGES MORE FREQUENTLY.

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.