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Pilot of small aircraft aircraft lost control of aircraft when reprogramming for the descent resulting in going above assigned altitude and wandering off intended track.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 211498 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199205 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tup |
| State Reference | MS |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zme |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zme |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 42 flight time total : 1641 flight time type : 93 |
| ASRS Report | 211498 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
ATC cleared us to descend out of FL200. I turned off altitude hold on autoplt press the down rocker switch on the autoplt. Aircraft pitched up into steep climb. I shoved the wheel forward in an attempt to lower nose but was not able to do so. I switched off autoplt, switched off electric trim and used manual trim wheel to help lower the nose, however altitude went considerably over assigned altitude. In addition I got off course during time control was trying to be restored. In continuing descent by hand flying with flight director, notice flight director started giving wrong indications. Tried to correct problem by resetting all controls of flight control system and tried resetting autoplt again -- this resulted in circuit breaker popping. All in all, my flying was sloppy during all of this with numerous course and altdevs. Autoplt has since been found to have defective, parts is in process of repair. In the event of a future failure, I will simply turn off the autoplt and flight director as soon as possible and try to correct any problems on the ground. It's too difficult to try to diagnose these kinds of problems while single pilot IFR.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT LOST CTL OF ACFT WHEN REPROGRAMMING FOR THE DSCNT RESULTING IN GOING ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT AND WANDERING OFF INTENDED TRACK.
Narrative: ATC CLRED US TO DSND OUT OF FL200. I TURNED OFF ALT HOLD ON AUTOPLT PRESS THE DOWN ROCKER SWITCH ON THE AUTOPLT. ACFT PITCHED UP INTO STEEP CLB. I SHOVED THE WHEEL FORWARD IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOWER NOSE BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. I SWITCHED OFF AUTOPLT, SWITCHED OFF ELECTRIC TRIM AND USED MANUAL TRIM WHEEL TO HELP LOWER THE NOSE, HOWEVER ALT WENT CONSIDERABLY OVER ASSIGNED ALT. IN ADDITION I GOT OFF COURSE DURING TIME CTL WAS TRYING TO BE RESTORED. IN CONTINUING DSCNT BY HAND FLYING WITH FLT DIRECTOR, NOTICE FLT DIRECTOR STARTED GIVING WRONG INDICATIONS. TRIED TO CORRECT PROBLEM BY RESETTING ALL CTLS OF FLT CTL SYS AND TRIED RESETTING AUTOPLT AGAIN -- THIS RESULTED IN CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPING. ALL IN ALL, MY FLYING WAS SLOPPY DURING ALL OF THIS WITH NUMEROUS COURSE AND ALTDEVS. AUTOPLT HAS SINCE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE DEFECTIVE, PARTS IS IN PROCESS OF REPAIR. IN THE EVENT OF A FUTURE FAILURE, I WILL SIMPLY TURN OFF THE AUTOPLT AND FLT DIRECTOR ASAP AND TRY TO CORRECT ANY PROBLEMS ON THE GND. IT'S TOO DIFFICULT TO TRY TO DIAGNOSE THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS WHILE SINGLE PLT IFR.
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.