Flight crew of an light transport on a manufacturer test flight failed to maintain assigned track du...

Attributes
ACN	314022
Time
Date	199508
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ict
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ict
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Citation V
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	314022
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 8000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The approach assigned was the localizer/back course runway 19L in wichita, ks. The aircraft being flown was the citation 5 ultra with the (manufacturer) avionics package. Approach control was vectoring us parallel to the final approach in order to pass a king air doing practice approachs. We had been asked to keep our speed up and we were indicating 250 KTS. The king air traffic had yet to be pointed out to us. (Manufacture) has redesigned the flight director panel eliminating the back course button. Now, there is only an 'approach' button that automatically chooses the front course or back course based on selected inbound course and heading at time of intercept. Thus, if the intercept is too fast or the angle is too great, the flight director will command excessive rates of turn to join, s-turn you down final or even turn you away from the airport out the front course. We were assigned a 220 degree heading to join and asked to keep the speed up. The PF selected 'navigation' instead of 'approach' so that as the course came alive, the flight director commanded a right turn to 270 degrees and started to turn us northbound. This is not uncommon to select 'navigation' on front courses because it will take most of the erratic s-turning out of the course at higher speeds. But both of us failed to realize that without selecting 'approach,' back course sensing is not activated. Before we caught our mistake and turned inbound again, approach control was issuing a 'TA' to the king air which was making an ILS to runway 19R. At the time of the alert, I would estimate separation at 500 ft and 1 to 1 1/2 mi. This could have been avoided if (manufacturer) had just left the 'back course' selection on the panel. However, all avionics manufacturers seem to want the pilot out of loop and as a result, it's harder for flight crew's to figure out what the avionics are doing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT ON A MANUFACTURER TEST FLT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED TRACK DURING APCH PHASE DUE TO NOT SETTING THE PROPER MODE ON THE AUTOPLT APCH COUPLER.

Narrative: THE APCH ASSIGNED WAS THE LOC/BACK COURSE RWY 19L IN WICHITA, KS. THE ACFT BEING FLOWN WAS THE CITATION 5 ULTRA WITH THE (MANUFACTURER) AVIONICS PACKAGE. APCH CTL WAS VECTORING US PARALLEL TO THE FINAL APCH IN ORDER TO PASS A KING AIR DOING PRACTICE APCHS. WE HAD BEEN ASKED TO KEEP OUR SPD UP AND WE WERE INDICATING 250 KTS. THE KING AIR TFC HAD YET TO BE POINTED OUT TO US. (MANUFACTURE) HAS REDESIGNED THE FLT DIRECTOR PANEL ELIMINATING THE BACK COURSE BUTTON. NOW, THERE IS ONLY AN 'APCH' BUTTON THAT AUTOMATICALLY CHOOSES THE FRONT COURSE OR BACK COURSE BASED ON SELECTED INBOUND COURSE AND HDG AT TIME OF INTERCEPT. THUS, IF THE INTERCEPT IS TOO FAST OR THE ANGLE IS TOO GREAT, THE FLT DIRECTOR WILL COMMAND EXCESSIVE RATES OF TURN TO JOIN, S-TURN YOU DOWN FINAL OR EVEN TURN YOU AWAY FROM THE ARPT OUT THE FRONT COURSE. WE WERE ASSIGNED A 220 DEG HDG TO JOIN AND ASKED TO KEEP THE SPD UP. THE PF SELECTED 'NAV' INSTEAD OF 'APCH' SO THAT AS THE COURSE CAME ALIVE, THE FLT DIRECTOR COMMANDED A R TURN TO 270 DEGS AND STARTED TO TURN US NBOUND. THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON TO SELECT 'NAV' ON FRONT COURSES BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE MOST OF THE ERRATIC S-TURNING OUT OF THE COURSE AT HIGHER SPDS. BUT BOTH OF US FAILED TO REALIZE THAT WITHOUT SELECTING 'APCH,' BACK COURSE SENSING IS NOT ACTIVATED. BEFORE WE CAUGHT OUR MISTAKE AND TURNED INBOUND AGAIN, APCH CTL WAS ISSUING A 'TA' TO THE KING AIR WHICH WAS MAKING AN ILS TO RWY 19R. AT THE TIME OF THE ALERT, I WOULD ESTIMATE SEPARATION AT 500 FT AND 1 TO 1 1/2 MI. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF (MANUFACTURER) HAD JUST LEFT THE 'BC' SELECTION ON THE PANEL. HOWEVER, ALL AVIONICS MANUFACTURERS SEEM TO WANT THE PLT OUT OF LOOP AND AS A RESULT, IT'S HARDER FOR FLC'S TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE AVIONICS ARE DOING.

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.

Flight crew of an light transport on a manufacturer test flight failed to maintain assigned track during approach phase due to not setting the proper mode on the autoplt approach coupler.