Reporter concerned about lack of company effort to maintain fully functioning autoplt.

Attributes
ACN	300227
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	300227
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon inspection of aircraft logbook, found altitude. Hold capability of autoplt was inoperative and had been for at least 2 days. Further research revealed autoplt had a history of problems. Talked with station manager, he said everything that was a remove and replace item had been during the previous trouble-shooting. The printout indicated that the aircraft needed to have the pitot static system checked. Filed a report with company and pilots org-X stating that this was a safety issue. Even though it was 'legal' to fly the aircraft. This increased workload due to the requirement to manually maintain altitude in cruise was bad enough. Fortunately, we were VMC for most of the 2 legs we flew and there was no excess maneuvering such as holding. It is also fortunate that this was our first legs of a scheduled 12 hour day rather than the last 2 which were at night with mixed VMC/IMC. This type of practice proves that the extreme 'cost cutting' program that this company is hell bent on placing money above safety. A plane should not be flying around with an autoplt that can't hold altitude especially when it had flown through maintenance stations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF COMPANY EFFORT TO MAINTAIN FULLY FUNCTIONING AUTOPLT.

Narrative: UPON INSPECTION OF ACFT LOGBOOK, FOUND ALT. HOLD CAPABILITY OF AUTOPLT WAS INOP AND HAD BEEN FOR AT LEAST 2 DAYS. FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALED AUTOPLT HAD A HISTORY OF PROBS. TALKED WITH STATION MGR, HE SAID EVERYTHING THAT WAS A REMOVE AND REPLACE ITEM HAD BEEN DURING THE PREVIOUS TROUBLE-SHOOTING. THE PRINTOUT INDICATED THAT THE ACFT NEEDED TO HAVE THE PITOT STATIC SYS CHKED. FILED A RPT WITH COMPANY AND PLTS ORG-X STATING THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 'LEGAL' TO FLY THE ACFT. THIS INCREASED WORKLOAD DUE TO THE REQUIREMENT TO MANUALLY MAINTAIN ALT IN CRUISE WAS BAD ENOUGH. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE VMC FOR MOST OF THE 2 LEGS WE FLEW AND THERE WAS NO EXCESS MANEUVERING SUCH AS HOLDING. IT IS ALSO FORTUNATE THAT THIS WAS OUR FIRST LEGS OF A SCHEDULED 12 HR DAY RATHER THAN THE LAST 2 WHICH WERE AT NIGHT WITH MIXED VMC/IMC. THIS TYPE OF PRACTICE PROVES THAT THE EXTREME 'COST CUTTING' PROGRAM THAT THIS COMPANY IS HELL BENT ON PLACING MONEY ABOVE SAFETY. A PLANE SHOULD NOT BE FLYING AROUND WITH AN AUTOPLT THAT CAN'T HOLD ALT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAD FLOWN THROUGH MAINT STATIONS.

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.