Electrical gremlins stage combined assault on air carrier medium large transport.

Attributes
ACN	163841
Time
Date	199011
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : alb tower : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 23500 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	146381
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Background: had same aircraft 2 days with autoplt inoperative. Requested autoplt be fixed prior atl-alb-atl legs. Maintenance changed control head and numerous black boxes but no fix. Atl-alb, no autoplt, experienced altitude deviations. When ATC called traffic, first officer flying also looked and at .76 mach deviated up 302' setting off alerter. ATC made no mention. VFR. Quickly returned to altitude. Told first officer after first deviation, 'you fly, I'll look.' he looked again out of habit, hence 2 deviations near. Alb, navigation deviation. Had split needles on both VOR's hvq-psb J78. Asked ATC for help, suspecting a navigation failure. ATC confirmed 11 mi west of centerline. First officer flying and first officer's VOR bad. Switched his to auxiliary, notified ATC of confirmed failure, made log entry no further problem. Alb-atl navigation deviation due INS failure. Departure told us to intercept arwy from vector, captain flying. With VOR arwy still 'ahead full scale,' ATC advised we flew through arwy. Gave us 150 degree turn to reintercept. I rapped on indicator and needle went full scale-center-opp full scale confirming ATC. First officer was on downline VOR due to numerous station, course changes vicinity of alb. Changed ATC frequency. Experienced excessive needle/arwy wandering on captain's side vs first officer (still on auxiliary). Determined captain's VOR unreliable now, told first officer to inform ATC of failure, switched captain to auxiliary, leaving first officer with original failed unit and captain with only good unit on aircraft. Made log entry. Auxiliary unit only accurate reliable navigation unit. Downline, #2 EPR gauge failed to respond and shortly thereafter gyro horizon comparator light came on. We visually confirmed horizon. Captain's and standby gyro horizons all in left bank, but first officer's horizon failed displaying right bank. VFR. Made log entry. Suspect maintenance personnel switching and moving black boxes caused subsequent failure of multiple INS. I will not accept 'autoplt inoperative' on long legs and never in IFR WX!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRICAL GREMLINS STAGE COMBINED ASSAULT ON ACR MLG.

Narrative: BACKGROUND: HAD SAME ACFT 2 DAYS WITH AUTOPLT INOP. REQUESTED AUTOPLT BE FIXED PRIOR ATL-ALB-ATL LEGS. MAINT CHANGED CTL HEAD AND NUMEROUS BLACK BOXES BUT NO FIX. ATL-ALB, NO AUTOPLT, EXPERIENCED ALT DEVIATIONS. WHEN ATC CALLED TFC, F/O FLYING ALSO LOOKED AND AT .76 MACH DEVIATED UP 302' SETTING OFF ALERTER. ATC MADE NO MENTION. VFR. QUICKLY RETURNED TO ALT. TOLD F/O AFTER FIRST DEVIATION, 'YOU FLY, I'LL LOOK.' HE LOOKED AGAIN OUT OF HABIT, HENCE 2 DEVIATIONS NEAR. ALB, NAV DEVIATION. HAD SPLIT NEEDLES ON BOTH VOR'S HVQ-PSB J78. ASKED ATC FOR HELP, SUSPECTING A NAV FAILURE. ATC CONFIRMED 11 MI W OF CENTERLINE. F/O FLYING AND F/O'S VOR BAD. SWITCHED HIS TO AUX, NOTIFIED ATC OF CONFIRMED FAILURE, MADE LOG ENTRY NO FURTHER PROB. ALB-ATL NAV DEVIATION DUE INS FAILURE. DEP TOLD US TO INTERCEPT ARWY FROM VECTOR, CAPT FLYING. WITH VOR ARWY STILL 'AHEAD FULL SCALE,' ATC ADVISED WE FLEW THROUGH ARWY. GAVE US 150 DEG TURN TO REINTERCEPT. I RAPPED ON INDICATOR AND NEEDLE WENT FULL SCALE-CENTER-OPP FULL SCALE CONFIRMING ATC. F/O WAS ON DOWNLINE VOR DUE TO NUMEROUS STATION, COURSE CHANGES VICINITY OF ALB. CHANGED ATC FREQ. EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE NEEDLE/ARWY WANDERING ON CAPT'S SIDE VS F/O (STILL ON AUX). DETERMINED CAPT'S VOR UNRELIABLE NOW, TOLD F/O TO INFORM ATC OF FAILURE, SWITCHED CAPT TO AUX, LEAVING F/O WITH ORIGINAL FAILED UNIT AND CAPT WITH ONLY GOOD UNIT ON ACFT. MADE LOG ENTRY. AUX UNIT ONLY ACCURATE RELIABLE NAV UNIT. DOWNLINE, #2 EPR GAUGE FAILED TO RESPOND AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER GYRO HORIZON COMPARATOR LIGHT CAME ON. WE VISUALLY CONFIRMED HORIZON. CAPT'S AND STANDBY GYRO HORIZONS ALL IN LEFT BANK, BUT F/O'S HORIZON FAILED DISPLAYING RIGHT BANK. VFR. MADE LOG ENTRY. SUSPECT MAINT PERSONNEL SWITCHING AND MOVING BLACK BOXES CAUSED SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF MULTIPLE INS. I WILL NOT ACCEPT 'AUTOPLT INOP' ON LONG LEGS AND NEVER IN IFR WX!

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.