Pilot of TBM700 at FL230 has autoplt fail to capture altitude. Autoplt malfunction. 22 pt 1.

Attributes
ACN	349620
Time
Date	199610
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	TBM 700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	349620
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Autoplt (bendix-king) of TBM700 failed to capture at FL230 and again 30 mins later at FL450. Suggest altitude hold function on TBM700 aircraft be thoroughly tested. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the equipment was tested after this incident and nothing could be found to cause the autoplt malfunction. The avionics people feel it was just a spurious signal at that moment. They first noticed something wrong on taxi when they could not set the altitude correctly. This cleared up on takeoff and caused no further problem until the altitude capture failure. Reporter had flown it for hundreds of hours prior to this and was delivering the plane to the new owner who was aboard the aircraft. There were 4 pilots aboard and all noticed the non capture incident. Reporter has asked the new owner to let him know if there are further problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TBM700 AT FL230 HAS AUTOPLT FAIL TO CAPTURE ALT. AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION. 22 PT 1.

Narrative: AUTOPLT (BENDIX-KING) OF TBM700 FAILED TO CAPTURE AT FL230 AND AGAIN 30 MINS LATER AT FL450. SUGGEST ALT HOLD FUNCTION ON TBM700 ACFT BE THOROUGHLY TESTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE EQUIP WAS TESTED AFTER THIS INCIDENT AND NOTHING COULD BE FOUND TO CAUSE THE AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION. THE AVIONICS PEOPLE FEEL IT WAS JUST A SPURIOUS SIGNAL AT THAT MOMENT. THEY FIRST NOTICED SOMETHING WRONG ON TAXI WHEN THEY COULD NOT SET THE ALT CORRECTLY. THIS CLRED UP ON TKOF AND CAUSED NO FURTHER PROB UNTIL THE ALT CAPTURE FAILURE. RPTR HAD FLOWN IT FOR HUNDREDS OF HRS PRIOR TO THIS AND WAS DELIVERING THE PLANE TO THE NEW OWNER WHO WAS ABOARD THE ACFT. THERE WERE 4 PLTS ABOARD AND ALL NOTICED THE NON CAPTURE INCIDENT. RPTR HAS ASKED THE NEW OWNER TO LET HIM KNOW IF THERE ARE FURTHER PROBS.

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.