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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Flight crew of light transport overshot assigned altitude due to engine indication problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 282543 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199409 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : gmn |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zla |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 245 flight time total : 10552 flight time type : 4500 |
| ASRS Report | 282543 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 2630 flight time type : 620 |
| ASRS Report | 282546 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | 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:
As PNF, I made the standard (company) altitude callouts of '1000 ft to go' and '500 ft to go' during our climb to 12000 ft. Shortly after passing 11700 ft my first officer (PF) pointed out that the right engine's fuel flow exceeded that of the left engine by almost 20 percent. I looked to see what the problem might be -- if any -- and compare the fuel flows with engine torque and other parameters. My first officer apparently 'joined' me in looking at the engine instruments -- at the expense of his altitude awareness. I was (likewise) fixated and not paying much attention to hisecond officerur performance. Looking at the fuel flow again (after comparing other engine performance parameters, I noticed that our vsi's displayed a climb -- right through 12300 ft. I pointed out to him that we were still climbing -- had we been given a higher altitude by center (the clearance of which I'd missed). He responded 'negative' and pushed the nose over. We reached 12500 ft at the highest altitude. We were descending through 12300 ft when center queried our present/assigned altitude. No collision hazard conflict occurred. I simply failed to properly divide my attention with the distraction of a single engine parameter being out of normal limits. My first officer, as PF, allowed himself to be distracted likewise. We were lucky, as this area is normally very busy with other instrument/VFR traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF LTT OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO ENG INDICATION PROB.
Narrative: AS PNF, I MADE THE STANDARD (COMPANY) ALT CALLOUTS OF '1000 FT TO GO' AND '500 FT TO GO' DURING OUR CLB TO 12000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING 11700 FT MY FO (PF) POINTED OUT THAT THE R ENG'S FUEL FLOW EXCEEDED THAT OF THE L ENG BY ALMOST 20 PERCENT. I LOOKED TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE -- IF ANY -- AND COMPARE THE FUEL FLOWS WITH ENG TORQUE AND OTHER PARAMETERS. MY FO APPARENTLY 'JOINED' ME IN LOOKING AT THE ENG INSTS -- AT THE EXPENSE OF HIS ALT AWARENESS. I WAS (LIKEWISE) FIXATED AND NOT PAYING MUCH ATTN TO HIS/OUR PERFORMANCE. LOOKING AT THE FUEL FLOW AGAIN (AFTER COMPARING OTHER ENG PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS, I NOTICED THAT OUR VSI'S DISPLAYED A CLB -- RIGHT THROUGH 12300 FT. I POINTED OUT TO HIM THAT WE WERE STILL CLBING -- HAD WE BEEN GIVEN A HIGHER ALT BY CTR (THE CLRNC OF WHICH I'D MISSED). HE RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE' AND PUSHED THE NOSE OVER. WE REACHED 12500 FT AT THE HIGHEST ALT. WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 12300 FT WHEN CTR QUERIED OUR PRESENT/ASSIGNED ALT. NO COLLISION HAZARD CONFLICT OCCURRED. I SIMPLY FAILED TO PROPERLY DIVIDE MY ATTN WITH THE DISTR OF A SINGLE ENG PARAMETER BEING OUT OF NORMAL LIMITS. MY FO, AS PF, ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BE DISTRACTED LIKEWISE. WE WERE LUCKY, AS THIS AREA IS NORMALLY VERY BUSY WITH OTHER INST/VFR TFC.
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.