Narrative:

Departing orange county airport on backbay FMS departure, autothrottles inoperative. About the time we reached 250 KTS, we received a turn toward bhose, direct when able and a climb clearance I believe to 13000. I started the turn, engaged flight level change and set climb power, engaged the autoplt. The aircraft began a climb and all appeared normal. About this time, we got a right reverser isolation valve message which distraction me for a few seconds. On return, scan of flight instruments showed a speed of 260. I rechked the command bug and saw it at 250, the nose was continuing to come up and I assumed the FMC was going to hold the selected speed. The first officer had the QRH out and was telling me what the book said, which initially we both thought (said) we might get an uncommanded engine in reverse. The lapse in my attention to the airspeed was minimal. When I next noticed it we were at 290 degrees and accelerating. I immediately disengaged the autoplt, eased the nose up and reduced power, getting the speed down to 250 degrees in short order. Departure control called about this time with a maintain 250 degrees call. This would not have happened if I had strictly minded the store and let the first officer handle the problem. What actually happened to cause the excursion, was the application of too much power at once for the FMS/autoplt to properly control. With autothrottles. Flight level change feeds in power gradually. Using manual throttles, setting full climb power and hitting flight level change was too much. I have been on advance/automated aircraft for about 12 yrs and basic flying skills have deteriorated somewhat, autothrottles cause you not to know basic power settings etc. I intend to do more flying 'raw data' and manual throttles when conditions permit, in the hope I can keep from doing this sort of thing in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT SPED BELOW 10000 FT.

Narrative: DEPARTING ORANGE COUNTY ARPT ON BACKBAY FMS DEP, AUTOTHROTTLES INOP. ABOUT THE TIME WE REACHED 250 KTS, WE RECEIVED A TURN TOWARD BHOSE, DIRECT WHEN ABLE AND A CLB CLRNC I BELIEVE TO 13000. I STARTED THE TURN, ENGAGED FLT LEVEL CHANGE AND SET CLB PWR, ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. THE ACFT BEGAN A CLB AND ALL APPEARED NORMAL. ABOUT THIS TIME, WE GOT A R REVERSER ISOLATION VALVE MESSAGE WHICH DISTR ME FOR A FEW SECONDS. ON RETURN, SCAN OF FLT INSTS SHOWED A SPD OF 260. I RECHKED THE COMMAND BUG AND SAW IT AT 250, THE NOSE WAS CONTINUING TO COME UP AND I ASSUMED THE FMC WAS GOING TO HOLD THE SELECTED SPD. THE FO HAD THE QRH OUT AND WAS TELLING ME WHAT THE BOOK SAID, WHICH INITIALLY WE BOTH THOUGHT (SAID) WE MIGHT GET AN UNCOMMANDED ENG IN REVERSE. THE LAPSE IN MY ATTN TO THE AIRSPD WAS MINIMAL. WHEN I NEXT NOTICED IT WE WERE AT 290 DEGS AND ACCELERATING. I IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT, EASED THE NOSE UP AND REDUCED PWR, GETTING THE SPD DOWN TO 250 DEGS IN SHORT ORDER. DEP CTL CALLED ABOUT THIS TIME WITH A MAINTAIN 250 DEGS CALL. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD STRICTLY MINDED THE STORE AND LET THE FO HANDLE THE PROB. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO CAUSE THE EXCURSION, WAS THE APPLICATION OF TOO MUCH PWR AT ONCE FOR THE FMS/AUTOPLT TO PROPERLY CTL. WITH AUTOTHROTTLES. FLT LEVEL CHANGE FEEDS IN PWR GRADUALLY. USING MANUAL THROTTLES, SETTING FULL CLB PWR AND HITTING FLT LEVEL CHANGE WAS TOO MUCH. I HAVE BEEN ON ADVANCE/AUTOMATED ACFT FOR ABOUT 12 YRS AND BASIC FLYING SKILLS HAVE DETERIORATED SOMEWHAT, AUTOTHROTTLES CAUSE YOU NOT TO KNOW BASIC PWR SETTINGS ETC. I INTEND TO DO MORE FLYING 'RAW DATA' AND MANUAL THROTTLES WHEN CONDITIONS PERMIT, IN THE HOPE I CAN KEEP FROM DOING THIS SORT OF THING IN THE FUTURE.

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.