Jet aircraft has right roll motion whenever autoplt engaged.

Attributes
ACN	237338
Time
Date	199303
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sna
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 47 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 47
ASRS Report	237338
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We took off from sna cleared to 5000 ft. After completing the sna noise abatement procedure at 5 DME from the runway 19R localizer, we began a normal climb to our previously cleared altitude of 13000 ft. I set climb pitch and engaged the autoplt. Aircraft rolled hard to the right. Disengaged autoplt and regained normal flight attitude. Re-adjusted pilot's heading bug and tried autoplt again with same results. Re-slaved pilot's compass and made several more attempts to engage autoplt with the same results. Finally shielded my eyes from the setting sun to get a clear look at the autoplt control head between the pilot seats and discovered the roll knob in the full right position. Since we never use the roll knob, I never suspected it. With several people in and out of the airplane, it must have been accidentally kicked. With no passenger aboard we became over zealous in trying to figure out the problem, leading to some very erratic looking flying. The combination of an abnormal knob position on the autoplt and limited vision with the sun in our eyes led to us getting distracted. We wrote the autoplt up for excessive roll rate and will include the roll knob position on our taxi checks from now on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: JET ACFT HAS R ROLL MOTION WHENEVER AUTOPLT ENGAGED.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF FROM SNA CLRED TO 5000 FT. AFTER COMPLETING THE SNA NOISE ABATEMENT PROC AT 5 DME FROM THE RWY 19R LOC, WE BEGAN A NORMAL CLB TO OUR PREVIOUSLY CLRED ALT OF 13000 FT. I SET CLB PITCH AND ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. ACFT ROLLED HARD TO THE R. DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AND REGAINED NORMAL FLT ATTITUDE. RE-ADJUSTED PLT'S HDG BUG AND TRIED AUTOPLT AGAIN WITH SAME RESULTS. RE-SLAVED PLT'S COMPASS AND MADE SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE AUTOPLT WITH THE SAME RESULTS. FINALLY SHIELDED MY EYES FROM THE SETTING SUN TO GET A CLR LOOK AT THE AUTOPLT CTL HEAD BTWN THE PLT SEATS AND DISCOVERED THE ROLL KNOB IN THE FULL R POS. SINCE WE NEVER USE THE ROLL KNOB, I NEVER SUSPECTED IT. WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF THE AIRPLANE, IT MUST HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTALLY KICKED. WITH NO PAX ABOARD WE BECAME OVER ZEALOUS IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE PROB, LEADING TO SOME VERY ERRATIC LOOKING FLYING. THE COMBINATION OF AN ABNORMAL KNOB POS ON THE AUTOPLT AND LIMITED VISION WITH THE SUN IN OUR EYES LED TO US GETTING DISTRACTED. WE WROTE THE AUTOPLT UP FOR EXCESSIVE ROLL RATE AND WILL INCLUDE THE ROLL KNOB POS ON OUR TAXI CHKS FROM NOW ON.

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.