Altitude excursion on climb, flight crew distraction with autoplt FMA.

Attributes
ACN	298620
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 17800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : zfw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	298620
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	298836
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight dfw-mia S-80 tail, first officer flying, climbing to 17000 ft on dfw 9 departure eic transition, at about 11000 ft, I tried to engage autoplt, which failed. Reattempted on #2 autoplt which failed. Captain pulled and reset circuit breakers which disarmed the 'altitude' function on FMA. Reattempt to arm the autoplt resulted in momentary arm and subsequent disarm. The aircraft passed 17000 ft with 'altitude' unarmed and aural warning sounded when 'altitude' rearmed. I descended back to 17000 ft after a maximum altitude of 17800 ft. Loss of the altitude setting and distraction of losing flight management annunciators and HSI resulted in failure to level at assigned altitude. Corrective action is fly the gauges then fix the problem. Flying is primary!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT EXCURSION ON CLB, FLC DISTR WITH AUTOPLT FMA.

Narrative: FLT DFW-MIA S-80 TAIL, FO FLYING, CLBING TO 17000 FT ON DFW 9 DEP EIC TRANSITION, AT ABOUT 11000 FT, I TRIED TO ENGAGE AUTOPLT, WHICH FAILED. REATTEMPTED ON #2 AUTOPLT WHICH FAILED. CAPT PULLED AND RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS WHICH DISARMED THE 'ALT' FUNCTION ON FMA. REATTEMPT TO ARM THE AUTOPLT RESULTED IN MOMENTARY ARM AND SUBSEQUENT DISARM. THE ACFT PASSED 17000 FT WITH 'ALT' UNARMED AND AURAL WARNING SOUNDED WHEN 'ALT' REARMED. I DSNDED BACK TO 17000 FT AFTER A MAX ALT OF 17800 FT. LOSS OF THE ALT SETTING AND DISTR OF LOSING FLT MGMNT ANNUNCIATORS AND HSI RESULTED IN FAILURE TO LEVEL AT ASSIGNED ALT. CORRECTIVE ACTION IS FLY THE GAUGES THEN FIX THE PROB. FLYING IS PRIMARY!

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.