Pilot of cpr small transport aircraft deviated from assigned altitude when he accidentally disconnec...

Attributes
ACN	227108
Time
Date	199211
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 3ck
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16800
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zau
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1050
ASRS Report	227108
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was cruising at 16000 ft. I had burned my tips (mains) down to approximately 30 gallons a side. I switched both fuel selectors to the auxiliary position as I routinely do in these model series aircraft manufacture. The right engine began to quit! I quickly switched back to the right main and it began to run smoothly once again. I tried to slowly switch back to the right auxiliary position and watched flow. It immediately began to drop off so I switched back to right main. The dying engine startled my passenger. I assured them everything was ok. When I turned around I saw that we were now at 16800 ft instead of level at 16000 ft. The autoplt had kicked off and in all this confusion I failed to notice it. As I started an immediate descent to 16000 ft, center called me to let me know that I was 800 ft high. I told them I was correcting! That was all that he said to me other than the current altimeter setting. He then asked me to report level 16000 ft as I was leveling 16000! I don't feel I did anything wrong, but if I had glanced at the panel during all this confusion I would have caught the fact that the autoplt had kicked off (ie, fly the airplane)! After getting the aircraft in our shop, I found that the right auxiliary fuel pump, which had just been replaced prior to my flight, had been installed backwards and was sucking fuel from the engine, not pumping it from the auxiliary tank! I feel the aircraft should have been test flown to insure proper transfer of fuel prior to my flight that night! Fortunately I had plenty of fuel and was able to xfeed to insure adequate reserve fuel at my destination. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had accidentally 'kicked off' the autoplt when turning around to inform the passenger of the aircraft status. He further stated that he had learned through this experience to not agree to fly another unfamiliar aircraft when he was tired, at night and in WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF CPR SMT ACFT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT.

Narrative: I WAS CRUISING AT 16000 FT. I HAD BURNED MY TIPS (MAINS) DOWN TO APPROX 30 GALLONS A SIDE. I SWITCHED BOTH FUEL SELECTORS TO THE AUX POS AS I ROUTINELY DO IN THESE MODEL SERIES ACFT MANUFACTURE. THE R ENG BEGAN TO QUIT! I QUICKLY SWITCHED BACK TO THE R MAIN AND IT BEGAN TO RUN SMOOTHLY ONCE AGAIN. I TRIED TO SLOWLY SWITCH BACK TO THE R AUX POS AND WATCHED FLOW. IT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO DROP OFF SO I SWITCHED BACK TO R MAIN. THE DYING ENG STARTLED MY PAX. I ASSURED THEM EVERYTHING WAS OK. WHEN I TURNED AROUND I SAW THAT WE WERE NOW AT 16800 FT INSTEAD OF LEVEL AT 16000 FT. THE AUTOPLT HAD KICKED OFF AND IN ALL THIS CONFUSION I FAILED TO NOTICE IT. AS I STARTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 16000 FT, CTR CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW THAT I WAS 800 FT HIGH. I TOLD THEM I WAS CORRECTING! THAT WAS ALL THAT HE SAID TO ME OTHER THAN THE CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING. HE THEN ASKED ME TO RPT LEVEL 16000 FT AS I WAS LEVELING 16000! I DON'T FEEL I DID ANYTHING WRONG, BUT IF I HAD GLANCED AT THE PANEL DURING ALL THIS CONFUSION I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE FACT THAT THE AUTOPLT HAD KICKED OFF (IE, FLY THE AIRPLANE)! AFTER GETTING THE ACFT IN OUR SHOP, I FOUND THAT THE R AUX FUEL PUMP, WHICH HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO MY FLT, HAD BEEN INSTALLED BACKWARDS AND WAS SUCKING FUEL FROM THE ENG, NOT PUMPING IT FROM THE AUX TANK! I FEEL THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TEST FLOWN TO INSURE PROPER TRANSFER OF FUEL PRIOR TO MY FLT THAT NIGHT! FORTUNATELY I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL AND WAS ABLE TO XFEED TO INSURE ADEQUATE RESERVE FUEL AT MY DEST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD ACCIDENTALLY 'KICKED OFF' THE AUTOPLT WHEN TURNING AROUND TO INFORM THE PAX OF THE ACFT STATUS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD LEARNED THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE TO NOT AGREE TO FLY ANOTHER UNFAMILIAR ACFT WHEN HE WAS TIRED, AT NIGHT AND IN 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.

Pilot of cpr small transport aircraft deviated from assigned altitude when he accidentally disconnected the autoplt.