Narrative:

Early morning departure from hou. All ground operations normal, WX low ceiling moderate rain, copilot's leg, takeoff from runway 17, tower request a left turn to 360 degrees within 3 NM of field. During takeoff roll INS comparator light illuminated. On liftoff altitude/heading system reverted to a basic mode, causing both flight directors to recess from view. At this time heavy rain with moderate turbulence encountered. The cockpit discussion centered around the heading problem, the lack of flight directors, the WX and loss of the autoplt due to a system problem. The first officer was hand-flying, became distracted with WX and turbulence and eased aircraft turn rate to 15-20 degree angle of bank, forgetting the tower request for a 190 degree turn within 3 NM. On subsequent climb out of 4000' to 15000', the aircraft heading problem appeared to correct itself and the flight directors returned to view. The autoplt was now engaged, aircraft altitude approximately 9000-10000' at this time. The aircraft weight was light, causing a higher than normal rate of climb. The departure control began to inquire as to why we didn't comply with the takeoff turn. While answering the heading problem reoccurred causing the autoplt to disengage. The first officer resumed hand-flying the aircraft. The altitude was about 12000-13000' at this time. Departure was now requesting a heading change to intercept a VOR radial. Also about this time the center fuel tank was depleted, causing the master caution light to briefly illuminate as the fuel pumps began to cavitate. The next thing heard was the altitude warning horn as aircraft passed 15200'. Aircraft was leveled at 15500' briefly before being returned to clearance limit of 15000'. No traffic conflict was noted by crew or ATC. In summation, cause of incident was PF becoming overloaded while suddenly having to hand-fly after autoplt disengaged. Pertinent factors: 1) early morning first leg, 2) poor WX, 3) moderate turbulence, 4) malfunctioning flight instruments, 5) no autoplt, 6) ATC instructions causing distraction from flight performance, 7) most importantly the lack of a warning chime prior to level-off altitude/aircraft fleet non-standard--some have it, some don't.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC TO TURN TO 360 DEGS WITHIN 3 NM.

Narrative: EARLY MORNING DEP FROM HOU. ALL GND OPS NORMAL, WX LOW CEILING MODERATE RAIN, COPLT'S LEG, TKOF FROM RWY 17, TWR REQUEST A LEFT TURN TO 360 DEGS WITHIN 3 NM OF FIELD. DURING TKOF ROLL INS COMPARATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ON LIFTOFF ALT/HDG SYS REVERTED TO A BASIC MODE, CAUSING BOTH FLT DIRECTORS TO RECESS FROM VIEW. AT THIS TIME HEAVY RAIN WITH MODERATE TURB ENCOUNTERED. THE COCKPIT DISCUSSION CENTERED AROUND THE HDG PROB, THE LACK OF FLT DIRECTORS, THE WX AND LOSS OF THE AUTOPLT DUE TO A SYS PROB. THE F/O WAS HAND-FLYING, BECAME DISTRACTED WITH WX AND TURB AND EASED ACFT TURN RATE TO 15-20 DEG ANGLE OF BANK, FORGETTING THE TWR REQUEST FOR A 190 DEG TURN WITHIN 3 NM. ON SUBSEQUENT CLBOUT OF 4000' TO 15000', THE ACFT HDG PROB APPEARED TO CORRECT ITSELF AND THE FLT DIRECTORS RETURNED TO VIEW. THE AUTOPLT WAS NOW ENGAGED, ACFT ALT APPROX 9000-10000' AT THIS TIME. THE ACFT WT WAS LIGHT, CAUSING A HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE OF CLB. THE DEP CTL BEGAN TO INQUIRE AS TO WHY WE DIDN'T COMPLY WITH THE TKOF TURN. WHILE ANSWERING THE HDG PROB REOCCURRED CAUSING THE AUTOPLT TO DISENGAGE. THE F/O RESUMED HAND-FLYING THE ACFT. THE ALT WAS ABOUT 12000-13000' AT THIS TIME. DEP WAS NOW REQUESTING A HDG CHANGE TO INTERCEPT A VOR RADIAL. ALSO ABOUT THIS TIME THE CENTER FUEL TANK WAS DEPLETED, CAUSING THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT TO BRIEFLY ILLUMINATE AS THE FUEL PUMPS BEGAN TO CAVITATE. THE NEXT THING HEARD WAS THE ALT WARNING HORN AS ACFT PASSED 15200'. ACFT WAS LEVELED AT 15500' BRIEFLY BEFORE BEING RETURNED TO CLRNC LIMIT OF 15000'. NO TFC CONFLICT WAS NOTED BY CREW OR ATC. IN SUMMATION, CAUSE OF INCIDENT WAS PF BECOMING OVERLOADED WHILE SUDDENLY HAVING TO HAND-FLY AFTER AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. PERTINENT FACTORS: 1) EARLY MORNING FIRST LEG, 2) POOR WX, 3) MODERATE TURB, 4) MALFUNCTIONING FLT INSTRUMENTS, 5) NO AUTOPLT, 6) ATC INSTRUCTIONS CAUSING DISTR FROM FLT PERFORMANCE, 7) MOST IMPORTANTLY THE LACK OF A WARNING CHIME PRIOR TO LEVEL-OFF ALT/ACFT FLEET NON-STANDARD--SOME HAVE IT, SOME DON'T.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.