Altitude deviation altitude overshot in mdt.

Attributes
ACN	247743
Time
Date	199307
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rbv airport : pne
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : phl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	247743
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	247748
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	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	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approximately XX25 local we took off from pne to jfk. It was to be a ferry flight. After liftoff first officer raised the gear, however, the left main gear would not stay up and locked and kept recycling. I was flying the aircraft and told the first officer to recycle the gear. That didn't work and I leveled the aircraft at 3000 ft and put the autoplt on. I told the first officer to fly the aircraft and cover #1 radio and would take care of the problem. I let the first officer know it was on the autoplt but I failed to mention it was coupled to my side. I switched over to #2 radio to talk to maintenance. Maintenance had me recycle the gear and reset the gear circuit breaker. My attention had been diverted doing those things. When I returned my attention to the altimeter I noticed we had climbed to 3600 ft. At the same time phl approach questioned our altitude. The first officer who, trying to fly the aircraft with autoplt, finally punched it off and returned to 3000 ft. Something happened to autoplt where for some reason it didn't couple with altitude hold. The gear problem could not be resolved and we returned to pne without further incident. 3 things may have caused the problem: my turning over the aircraft with autoplt on and not making sure the autoplt had captured altitude and heading. Next time put autoplt select to PF aircraft. Make sure PF the aircraft is doing just that no matter what confusion or problem going on elsewhere. Supplemental information from acn 247748: after takeoff when the gear was retracted, there was a loud thumping noise in the cockpit, caused by the gear not being stowed properly in the wheel well. The captain and PF placed the aircraft on autoplt and turned the aircraft over to me, the PNF. In the transition the altitude hold was inadvertently knocked off and the aircraft started to climb at a rapid rate. With the ensuing confusion of the thumping gear, the altitude deviated 400 to 600 ft before I was able to switch autoplt-flight director system and put the aircraft back on the proper altitude. We might have slowed down in the transition, although it's hard with outside noise caused by the gear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN MDT.

Narrative: APPROX XX25 LCL WE TOOK OFF FROM PNE TO JFK. IT WAS TO BE A FERRY FLT. AFTER LIFTOFF FO RAISED THE GEAR, HOWEVER, THE L MAIN GEAR WOULD NOT STAY UP AND LOCKED AND KEPT RECYCLING. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND TOLD THE FO TO RECYCLE THE GEAR. THAT DIDN'T WORK AND I LEVELED THE ACFT AT 3000 FT AND PUT THE AUTOPLT ON. I TOLD THE FO TO FLY THE ACFT AND COVER #1 RADIO AND WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROB. I LET THE FO KNOW IT WAS ON THE AUTOPLT BUT I FAILED TO MENTION IT WAS COUPLED TO MY SIDE. I SWITCHED OVER TO #2 RADIO TO TALK TO MAINT. MAINT HAD ME RECYCLE THE GEAR AND RESET THE GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER. MY ATTN HAD BEEN DIVERTED DOING THOSE THINGS. WHEN I RETURNED MY ATTN TO THE ALTIMETER I NOTICED WE HAD CLBED TO 3600 FT. AT THE SAME TIME PHL APCH QUESTIONED OUR ALT. THE FO WHO, TRYING TO FLY THE ACFT WITH AUTOPLT, FINALLY PUNCHED IT OFF AND RETURNED TO 3000 FT. SOMETHING HAPPENED TO AUTOPLT WHERE FOR SOME REASON IT DIDN'T COUPLE WITH ALT HOLD. THE GEAR PROB COULD NOT BE RESOLVED AND WE RETURNED TO PNE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. 3 THINGS MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PROB: MY TURNING OVER THE ACFT WITH AUTOPLT ON AND NOT MAKING SURE THE AUTOPLT HAD CAPTURED ALT AND HDG. NEXT TIME PUT AUTOPLT SELECT TO PF ACFT. MAKE SURE PF THE ACFT IS DOING JUST THAT NO MATTER WHAT CONFUSION OR PROB GOING ON ELSEWHERE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 247748: AFTER TKOF WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED, THERE WAS A LOUD THUMPING NOISE IN THE COCKPIT, CAUSED BY THE GEAR NOT BEING STOWED PROPERLY IN THE WHEEL WELL. THE CAPT AND PF PLACED THE ACFT ON AUTOPLT AND TURNED THE ACFT OVER TO ME, THE PNF. IN THE TRANSITION THE ALT HOLD WAS INADVERTENTLY KNOCKED OFF AND THE ACFT STARTED TO CLB AT A RAPID RATE. WITH THE ENSUING CONFUSION OF THE THUMPING GEAR, THE ALT DEVIATED 400 TO 600 FT BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO SWITCH AUTOPLT-FLT DIRECTOR SYS AND PUT THE ACFT BACK ON THE PROPER ALT. WE MIGHT HAVE SLOWED DOWN IN THE TRANSITION, ALTHOUGH IT'S HARD WITH OUTSIDE NOISE CAUSED BY THE GEAR.

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.