<< >> NASA ASRS Report 330679, March 1996

An air carrier flight crew overshot assigned altitude during a turn in the descent when the autoplt failed to capture. Both crew members report that altitude select knob had to be pulled twice to arm, during a subsequent altitude assignment.

Attributes
ACN	330679
Time
Date	199603
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7700 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
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	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	330679
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	330680
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I am the captain reporting and the PF. Event occurred with charlotte approach control while using the autoplt. We were cleared from 12000 ft to 8000 ft, on a descending turn. Due to arrival aircraft in the vicinity we both were in a heads-up situation and I did not monitor the autoplt level period. Autoplt did not capture the altitude selected. By the time the altitude alert had sounded, I was below the assigned altitude by 300 ft. I disconnected the autoplt immediately and initiated the climb back towards 8000 ft. While climbing back we were cleared to 3700 ft. Copilot had to pull the altitude select knob twice to arm the altitude. Supplemental information from acn 330680: I am the first officer reporting and the PNF when event occurred. While the captain was using the autoplt I was identing the localizer frequency for runway 18R.

Related reports:

• Flight crew of an large transport overshot descent altitude ...
• A B737-300 'B' autopilot overshot an altitude on climb out a...
• MD80S crew overshot leveloff altitude on a missed approach a...
• Flight crew of a B727 overshot crossing altitude on descent ...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING A TURN IN THE DSCNT WHEN THE AUTOPLT FAILED TO CAPTURE. BOTH CREW MEMBERS RPT THAT ALT SELECT KNOB HAD TO BE PULLED TWICE TO ARM, DURING A SUBSEQUENT ALT ASSIGNMENT.

Narrative: I AM THE CAPT RPTING AND THE PF. EVENT OCCURRED WITH CHARLOTTE APCH CTL WHILE USING THE AUTOPLT. WE WERE CLRED FROM 12000 FT TO 8000 FT, ON A DSNDING TURN. DUE TO ARR ACFT IN THE VICINITY WE BOTH WERE IN A HEADS-UP SIT AND I DID NOT MONITOR THE AUTOPLT LEVEL PERIOD. AUTOPLT DID NOT CAPTURE THE ALT SELECTED. BY THE TIME THE ALT ALERT HAD SOUNDED, I WAS BELOW THE ASSIGNED ALT BY 300 FT. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT IMMEDIATELY AND INITIATED THE CLB BACK TOWARDS 8000 FT. WHILE CLBING BACK WE WERE CLRED TO 3700 FT. COPLT HAD TO PULL THE ALT SELECT KNOB TWICE TO ARM THE ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 330680: I AM THE FO RPTING AND THE PNF WHEN EVENT OCCURRED. WHILE THE CAPT WAS USING THE AUTOPLT I WAS IDENTING THE LOC FREQ FOR RWY 18R.

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.