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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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DC8 cargo flight crew climbs above assigned altitude of 5000 ft with a police aircraft at 6000 ft. Altitude deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 337374 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199606 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : syd |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : syd |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 450 |
| ASRS Report | 337374 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Breakdown of separation following departure from sydney international airport, sydney, australia, jun/xx/96. Following departure from runway 34L at kingsford-smith (sydney international) we were cleared to climb and maintain 5000 ft. During climb out we accomplished normal checklist duties without incident. While performing my post departure duties at the flight engineer panel the controller contacted our aircraft concerning altdevs. As I looked forward to see what altitude we were climbing through one of the pilots had already started an aggressive change of aircraft attitude. During this time the maximum altitude I observed was 5800 ft MSL on the captain's altimeter. The controller reported traffic at our 10 O'clock position and asked if we had the traffic in sight. The captain acknowledged the traffic and we were told to descend to 5000 ft. While descending to 5000 ft the controller told us to level off at 5500 ft. A short time later we received clearance to climb. Contributing factors: as we approached our assigned altitude several things were happening. The controller contacted our aircraft with information requiring the pilots to update their navigation instruments and radios. The aircraft was being trimmed by the PF the departure, resulting in several longitudinal trim horn activations. As previously mentioned, I was engaged at the engineer's panel. During this time the altitude warning horn activated. My perceptions, judgements, decisions: it is my belief that I interpreted the altitude warning horn as another activation of the trim horn (though the 2 have very different sounds) and ignored it. In addition, with the amended clearance and the reprogramming of the navigation system I assumed we were climbing to a higher altitude and was not monitoring our altitude as diligently as I would have, had I believed we were still leveling at 5000 ft MSL. Finally, our rate of climb was very good given the light weight of the aircraft and favorable atmospheric conditions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DC8 CARGO FLC CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 FT WITH A POLICE ACFT AT 6000 FT. ALTDEV.
Narrative: BREAKDOWN OF SEPARATION FOLLOWING DEP FROM SYDNEY INTL ARPT, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, JUN/XX/96. FOLLOWING DEP FROM RWY 34L AT KINGSFORD-SMITH (SYDNEY INTL) WE WERE CLRED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. DURING CLBOUT WE ACCOMPLISHED NORMAL CHKLIST DUTIES WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE PERFORMING MY POST DEP DUTIES AT THE FLT ENGINEER PANEL THE CTLR CONTACTED OUR ACFT CONCERNING ALTDEVS. AS I LOOKED FORWARD TO SEE WHAT ALT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH ONE OF THE PLTS HAD ALREADY STARTED AN AGGRESSIVE CHANGE OF ACFT ATTITUDE. DURING THIS TIME THE MAX ALT I OBSERVED WAS 5800 FT MSL ON THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER. THE CTLR RPTED TFC AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THE TFC AND WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 5000 FT. WHILE DSNDING TO 5000 FT THE CTLR TOLD US TO LEVEL OFF AT 5500 FT. A SHORT TIME LATER WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: AS WE APCHED OUR ASSIGNED ALT SEVERAL THINGS WERE HAPPENING. THE CTLR CONTACTED OUR ACFT WITH INFO REQUIRING THE PLTS TO UPDATE THEIR NAV INSTS AND RADIOS. THE ACFT WAS BEING TRIMMED BY THE PF THE DEP, RESULTING IN SEVERAL LONGITUDINAL TRIM HORN ACTIVATIONS. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, I WAS ENGAGED AT THE ENGINEER'S PANEL. DURING THIS TIME THE ALT WARNING HORN ACTIVATED. MY PERCEPTIONS, JUDGEMENTS, DECISIONS: IT IS MY BELIEF THAT I INTERPRETED THE ALT WARNING HORN AS ANOTHER ACTIVATION OF THE TRIM HORN (THOUGH THE 2 HAVE VERY DIFFERENT SOUNDS) AND IGNORED IT. IN ADDITION, WITH THE AMENDED CLRNC AND THE REPROGRAMMING OF THE NAV SYS I ASSUMED WE WERE CLBING TO A HIGHER ALT AND WAS NOT MONITORING OUR ALT AS DILIGENTLY AS I WOULD HAVE, HAD I BELIEVED WE WERE STILL LEVELING AT 5000 FT MSL. FINALLY, OUR RATE OF CLB WAS VERY GOOD GIVEN THE LIGHT WT OF THE ACFT AND FAVORABLE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS.
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.