Altitude deviation -- aircraft stall recovery.

Attributes
ACN	295040
Time
Date	199501
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ssr
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9300 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	approach : circling enroute airway : zan
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	295040
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 140
ASRS Report	294832
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : regained aircraft control other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were descending from FL180 to 10000 ft in the published hold at asort. The captain and I were discussing speed and leg lengths at different altitudes. The FMC was on and automatic tuning both radios and maps! I put my head down to reach my flight bag for confirmation on speeds in hold! The captain turned off the automatic throttles (without my knowledge). As I was reading my fact sheet the captain suddenly said 'oh no.' the aircraft had leveled at 10000 ft with autothrottles off and slowed down to approximately 185 KTS (clean). We were very close to a stall! The captain added power and lowered the nose! I put the flaps to 1 degree in hopes of lowering our stall speed. We got a buffet and descended from 10000 ft to somewhere between 9300 ft and 9700 ft. The recovery was normal and we stayed in hold for 2 more turns. Suggestions: 1) both pilots should have monitored the airspeed better. 2) captain should inform the first officer that the autothrottles are off. 3) with autothrottles off the flying pilot should keep a hand on the thrust levers. 4) fully automated airplanes can lull you into complacency and then bite you! Supplemental information from acn 294832: when initiated vertical speed descent the throttles came up partially for same reason so I turned them off as I wanted on idle descent. I remember saying why is it doing that and canceling the autothrottle disconnect light. This confign (autothrottles off and in vertical speed) is not disapproved and in fact is the standard descent profile on the 737-200. I selected a mode called level change which gives you a selected speed. Tower slowed to this speed and did a descent towards the hold. We programmed into the FMC and I showed a jump seat rider move slick the FMC could do a hold and how automatic everything was. A lot was going on as I was trying to monitor company, my friend, and atl. We told company we were in the hold and how much gas we had. I was thinking we would have to change our alternate to a different and closer one. We checked the WX at this new choice.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV -- ACFT STALL RECOVERY.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING FROM FL180 TO 10000 FT IN THE PUBLISHED HOLD AT ASORT. THE CAPT AND I WERE DISCUSSING SPD AND LEG LENGTHS AT DIFFERENT ALTS. THE FMC WAS ON AND AUTO TUNING BOTH RADIOS AND MAPS! I PUT MY HEAD DOWN TO REACH MY FLT BAG FOR CONFIRMATION ON SPDS IN HOLD! THE CAPT TURNED OFF THE AUTO THROTTLES (WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE). AS I WAS READING MY FACT SHEET THE CAPT SUDDENLY SAID 'OH NO.' THE ACFT HAD LEVELED AT 10000 FT WITH AUTOTHROTTLES OFF AND SLOWED DOWN TO APPROX 185 KTS (CLEAN). WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO A STALL! THE CAPT ADDED PWR AND LOWERED THE NOSE! I PUT THE FLAPS TO 1 DEG IN HOPES OF LOWERING OUR STALL SPD. WE GOT A BUFFET AND DSNDED FROM 10000 FT TO SOMEWHERE BTWN 9300 FT AND 9700 FT. THE RECOVERY WAS NORMAL AND WE STAYED IN HOLD FOR 2 MORE TURNS. SUGGESTIONS: 1) BOTH PLTS SHOULD HAVE MONITORED THE AIRSPD BETTER. 2) CAPT SHOULD INFORM THE FO THAT THE AUTOTHROTTLES ARE OFF. 3) WITH AUTOTHROTTLES OFF THE FLYING PLT SHOULD KEEP A HAND ON THE THRUST LEVERS. 4) FULLY AUTOMATED AIRPLANES CAN LULL YOU INTO COMPLACENCY AND THEN BITE YOU! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294832: WHEN INITIATED VERT SPD DSCNT THE THROTTLES CAME UP PARTIALLY FOR SAME REASON SO I TURNED THEM OFF AS I WANTED ON IDLE DSCNT. I REMEMBER SAYING WHY IS IT DOING THAT AND CANCELING THE AUTOTHROTTLE DISCONNECT LIGHT. THIS CONFIGN (AUTOTHROTTLES OFF AND IN VERT SPD) IS NOT DISAPPROVED AND IN FACT IS THE STANDARD DSCNT PROFILE ON THE 737-200. I SELECTED A MODE CALLED LEVEL CHANGE WHICH GIVES YOU A SELECTED SPD. TWR SLOWED TO THIS SPD AND DID A DSCNT TOWARDS THE HOLD. WE PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMC AND I SHOWED A JUMP SEAT RIDER MOVE SLICK THE FMC COULD DO A HOLD AND HOW AUTOMATIC EVERYTHING WAS. A LOT WAS GOING ON AS I WAS TRYING TO MONITOR COMPANY, MY FRIEND, AND ATL. WE TOLD COMPANY WE WERE IN THE HOLD AND HOW MUCH GAS WE HAD. I WAS THINKING WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE OUR ALTERNATE TO A DIFFERENT AND CLOSER ONE. WE CHKED THE WX AT THIS NEW CHOICE.

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.