<< >> NASA ASRS Report 304820, May 1995

Altitude deviation due to failure of altitude capture and door warning light.

Attributes
ACN	304820
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : eddf
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3700 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : eddf artcc : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2750
ASRS Report	304820
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

While descending into frankfurt we received clearance down to 4000 ft from 8000 ft. The aircraft was being flown on autoplt. The 4000 ft altitude was set in altitude select windows and armed and pitch mode (vertical speed) was used to descend at about 1000 FPM. At 5000 ft the altitude callout was made and we verified altitude capture was armed. Before altitude 4000 ft was reached, we got a door warning light on the annunciator panel. The autoplt failed to capture and we descended to about 3800 ft. We got a call from approach to maintain 4000 ft. The captain assumed manual control and smoothly climbed back to 4000 ft. The lowest altitude on my altimeter was 3700 ft. Contributing factors -- door warning light approaching level off, failure of autoplt to capture altitude, fatigue after flying all night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV DUE TO FAILURE OF ALT CAPTURE AND DOOR WARNING LIGHT.

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING INTO FRANKFURT WE RECEIVED CLRNC DOWN TO 4000 FT FROM 8000 FT. THE ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN ON AUTOPLT. THE 4000 FT ALT WAS SET IN ALT SELECT WINDOWS AND ARMED AND PITCH MODE (VERT SPD) WAS USED TO DSND AT ABOUT 1000 FPM. AT 5000 FT THE ALT CALLOUT WAS MADE AND WE VERIFIED ALT CAPTURE WAS ARMED. BEFORE ALT 4000 FT WAS REACHED, WE GOT A DOOR WARNING LIGHT ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. THE AUTOPLT FAILED TO CAPTURE AND WE DSNDED TO ABOUT 3800 FT. WE GOT A CALL FROM APCH TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. THE CAPT ASSUMED MANUAL CTL AND SMOOTHLY CLBED BACK TO 4000 FT. THE LOWEST ALT ON MY ALTIMETER WAS 3700 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS -- DOOR WARNING LIGHT APCHING LEVEL OFF, FAILURE OF AUTOPLT TO CAPTURE ALT, FATIGUE AFTER FLYING ALL NIGHT.

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.