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Pilot lost control of aircraft when exceeding the aircraft performance capability near the top of it's operating altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 204274 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199203 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : phf |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 36000 msl bound upper : 39000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 204274 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Departed phf at an approximately takeoff weight of 18200 pounds with a mission destination in oceanic airspace to conduct radar evaluations. The aircraft entered a hold at FL390. An altrv was prearranged for this mission. At this time mission activities started with the (us military) aircraft. While maneuvering in the hold the airspeed decreased to the point where the aircraft was unable to maintain FL390. I advised the aircraft who was in communication with new york oceanic that we were unable to maintain altitude and in a slow descent to FL350. I stabilized the descent and maintained FL360. The other aircraft advised new york oceanic and new york oceanic declared an emergency for the situation. Cause of altitude loss was progressive maneuvering of the aircraft in a hold at FL390. At near maximum weight for the OAT that caused a decay of airspeed in the turns and was unable to accelerate to sufficient speed to maintain altitude. Aircraft exterior modified so that additional drag resulted.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT LOST CTL OF ACFT WHEN EXCEEDING THE ACFT PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY NEAR THE TOP OF IT'S OPERATING ALT.
Narrative: DEPARTED PHF AT AN APPROX TKOF WT OF 18200 POUNDS WITH A MISSION DEST IN OCEANIC AIRSPACE TO CONDUCT RADAR EVALUATIONS. THE ACFT ENTERED A HOLD AT FL390. AN ALTRV WAS PREARRANGED FOR THIS MISSION. AT THIS TIME MISSION ACTIVITIES STARTED WITH THE (US MIL) ACFT. WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE HOLD THE AIRSPD DECREASED TO THE POINT WHERE THE ACFT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FL390. I ADVISED THE ACFT WHO WAS IN COM WITH NEW YORK OCEANIC THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AND IN A SLOW DSCNT TO FL350. I STABILIZED THE DSCNT AND MAINTAINED FL360. THE OTHER ACFT ADVISED NEW YORK OCEANIC AND NEW YORK OCEANIC DECLARED AN EMER FOR THE SITUATION. CAUSE OF ALT LOSS WAS PROGRESSIVE MANEUVERING OF THE ACFT IN A HOLD AT FL390. AT NEAR MAX WT FOR THE OAT THAT CAUSED A DECAY OF AIRSPD IN THE TURNS AND WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE TO SUFFICIENT SPD TO MAINTAIN ALT. ACFT EXTERIOR MODIFIED SO THAT ADDITIONAL DRAG RESULTED.
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.