Narrative:

Required altitude at 4 DME west of phx is 3000 ft. Using VNAV flight guidance, which was programmed to meet this restr, aircraft actually crossed the VOR at 3175 ft. Factoring in actual 4 DME fix, cone of confusion etc, it was probably 3000 ft, but the issue was and still is automation and all its ramifications. It is still easier to just hand fly the aircraft and use raw data instead of computer generated data. I have been flying 'automatic' FMS aircraft for 10 yrs now and an airline pilot for 27 yrs. Life was easier using raw data, at least in the departure phase of flight at airports with complex departures and altitude hold-downs. One never knows if the automatic guidance is going to work or not! To jump in manually is a lot harder than just doing it manually to start with. Yet we now have an entire generation of young pilots raised on automation who are reluctant to 'go manual.' ('the computer can't possibly be wrong.') all of this goes hand-in-hand with loss of situational awareness in cruise by the renaming of vors to nonsense names not associated with the geographical place on the ground. Who is doing this and why?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEPARTING B757 CAPT CROSSES ABOVE THE PUBLISHED 3000 FT ALT ON THE ST JOHNS 2 SID. THE CAPT BELIEVES THAT PLTS RELY TOO MUCH ON AUTOMATION AND ARE SLOW TO REVERT BACK TO MANUAL MODE WHEN THE SIT REQUIRES IT.

Narrative: REQUIRED ALT AT 4 DME W OF PHX IS 3000 FT. USING VNAV FLT GUIDANCE, WHICH WAS PROGRAMMED TO MEET THIS RESTR, ACFT ACTUALLY CROSSED THE VOR AT 3175 FT. FACTORING IN ACTUAL 4 DME FIX, CONE OF CONFUSION ETC, IT WAS PROBABLY 3000 FT, BUT THE ISSUE WAS AND STILL IS AUTOMATION AND ALL ITS RAMIFICATIONS. IT IS STILL EASIER TO JUST HAND FLY THE ACFT AND USE RAW DATA INSTEAD OF COMPUTER GENERATED DATA. I HAVE BEEN FLYING 'AUTOMATIC' FMS ACFT FOR 10 YRS NOW AND AN AIRLINE PLT FOR 27 YRS. LIFE WAS EASIER USING RAW DATA, AT LEAST IN THE DEP PHASE OF FLT AT ARPTS WITH COMPLEX DEPS AND ALT HOLD-DOWNS. ONE NEVER KNOWS IF THE AUTOMATIC GUIDANCE IS GOING TO WORK OR NOT! TO JUMP IN MANUALLY IS A LOT HARDER THAN JUST DOING IT MANUALLY TO START WITH. YET WE NOW HAVE AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF YOUNG PLTS RAISED ON AUTOMATION WHO ARE RELUCTANT TO 'GO MANUAL.' ('THE COMPUTER CAN'T POSSIBLY BE WRONG.') ALL OF THIS GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN CRUISE BY THE RENAMING OF VORS TO NONSENSE NAMES NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL PLACE ON THE GND. WHO IS DOING THIS AND WHY?

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.