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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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The reporter allowed a passenger to handle the flight controls and the passenger lost control of pitch and bank. The altitude deviation was 700 ft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 334776 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199605 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pie |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5300 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : tpa |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10400 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 334776 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time total : 5800 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
A passenger on business flight presented himself as an engineer for the corporation, advised me that he had 5800 hours flight time and put himself through college by cropdusting, presented his current medical and told me he was current IFR. Then asked if he could situation up front. Surveying the data available I approved his request. While taxiing out, he asked if he could get some stick time and I told him as soon as we cleared the IMC conditions and were established en route I'd be glad to let him fly. Arriving at 6000 ft and intercepting V97 I told him the aircraft was trimmed for neutral trim and he had the airplane. He acknowledged control of the aircraft and focused on the copilot's flight instruments. I reached down to change to outboard fuel tanks, upon completing the fuel pressure and tank gauge check, I looked at my ADI to see how he was doing (this took approximately 30 seconds). My immediate thought was that my ADI had tumbled, however, after a very rapid xchk of the copilot's instruments I discovered the airplane was nose low accelerating rapidly and rolling slowly to the right, entering a spiral. I immediately relieved the copilot of the controls, assumed a climb back to altitude and leveled off. Tpa never called an altitude alert or deviation and I then asked for a mode C check. The altitude deviation took almost 1 1/2 mins. Altitude lost was approximately 700 ft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE RPTR ALLOWED A PAX TO HANDLE THE FLT CTLS AND THE PAX LOST CTL OF PITCH AND BANK. THE ALTDEV WAS 700 FT.
Narrative: A PAX ON BUSINESS FLT PRESENTED HIMSELF AS AN ENGINEER FOR THE CORPORATION, ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD 5800 HRS FLT TIME AND PUT HIMSELF THROUGH COLLEGE BY CROPDUSTING, PRESENTED HIS CURRENT MEDICAL AND TOLD ME HE WAS CURRENT IFR. THEN ASKED IF HE COULD SIT UP FRONT. SURVEYING THE DATA AVAILABLE I APPROVED HIS REQUEST. WHILE TAXIING OUT, HE ASKED IF HE COULD GET SOME STICK TIME AND I TOLD HIM AS SOON AS WE CLRED THE IMC CONDITIONS AND WERE ESTABLISHED ENRTE I'D BE GLAD TO LET HIM FLY. ARRIVING AT 6000 FT AND INTERCEPTING V97 I TOLD HIM THE ACFT WAS TRIMMED FOR NEUTRAL TRIM AND HE HAD THE AIRPLANE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED CTL OF THE ACFT AND FOCUSED ON THE COPLT'S FLT INSTS. I REACHED DOWN TO CHANGE TO OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS, UPON COMPLETING THE FUEL PRESSURE AND TANK GAUGE CHK, I LOOKED AT MY ADI TO SEE HOW HE WAS DOING (THIS TOOK APPROX 30 SECONDS). MY IMMEDIATE THOUGHT WAS THAT MY ADI HAD TUMBLED, HOWEVER, AFTER A VERY RAPID XCHK OF THE COPLT'S INSTS I DISCOVERED THE AIRPLANE WAS NOSE LOW ACCELERATING RAPIDLY AND ROLLING SLOWLY TO THE R, ENTERING A SPIRAL. I IMMEDIATELY RELIEVED THE COPLT OF THE CTLS, ASSUMED A CLB BACK TO ALT AND LEVELED OFF. TPA NEVER CALLED AN ALT ALERT OR DEV AND I THEN ASKED FOR A MODE C CHK. THE ALT DEV TOOK ALMOST 1 1/2 MINS. ALT LOST WAS APPROX 700 FT.
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.