Narrative:

Crew came on duty at XX00 local (XO00 EST) and finally departed at XY15 local (AB15 EST). After a fuel stop en route we arrived in the terminal area of our intended destination having been awake for 22 hours, on duty for 13 hours and had flown for 9 hours and 30 mins. Approach to runway 22L was in use. Winds were variable with reports of windshear. For several mins the wind had been reported as approximately 180 degrees at 40 KTS with gusts to 60 KTS. A B757 had abandoned the approach, an A340 had landed successfully, our approach was energetic with constant thrust changes and continuous aggressive aileron and elevator inputs. At 200 ft the aircraft diverged rapidly above the GS and a missed approach was initiated. Tower instructed us to climb on runway heading to 2000 ft. After reaching 2000 ft I leveled the aircraft and engaged the autoplt. A short time later the altitude alerter sounded and observing the aircraft to have descended to 1600 ft, I disconnected the autoplt and there followed a period of about 15 seconds during which I failed to maintain positive, accurate control of the aircraft. Aircraft heading was left of runway heading and after adding thrust, pitching up and banking to the right, the aircraft climbed briefly to 2700 ft, accelerated to 300 KTS and rolled into a 45 degree right bank. At this point instructions to turn left and enter holding were received and I inadvertently rolled the aircraft into a 60 degree bank to the left. Control was recovered as quickly as it was lost, nevertheless, it was a nerve wracking and frustrating, if brief, crisis. We diverted uneventfully to baltimore. To the extent that lack of good judgement is a factor it is clear that our judgement was impaired by fatigue. The crew was also fatigued to a point that did not become entirely apparent until after the subsequent rest period. Apart from the very turbulent conditions the possibility exists that the wake of the B757 was a factor and that I failed to properly engage the altitude hold function of the autoplt or that the atmospheric conditions exceeded the autoplt performance limits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LGT ACFT MAKES A GAR AT JFK AND AS IT CLBS TO HOLDING AREA, ITS ALT VARIES BTWN 1600 FT AND 2700 FT WITH AIRSPD CHANGING FROM HOLDING AIRSPD TO 300 KIAS.

Narrative: CREW CAME ON DUTY AT XX00 LCL (XO00 EST) AND FINALLY DEPARTED AT XY15 LCL (AB15 EST). AFTER A FUEL STOP ENRTE WE ARRIVED IN THE TERMINAL AREA OF OUR INTENDED DEST HAVING BEEN AWAKE FOR 22 HRS, ON DUTY FOR 13 HRS AND HAD FLOWN FOR 9 HRS AND 30 MINS. APCH TO RWY 22L WAS IN USE. WINDS WERE VARIABLE WITH RPTS OF WINDSHEAR. FOR SEVERAL MINS THE WIND HAD BEEN RPTED AS APPROX 180 DEGS AT 40 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 60 KTS. A B757 HAD ABANDONED THE APCH, AN A340 HAD LANDED SUCCESSFULLY, OUR APCH WAS ENERGETIC WITH CONSTANT THRUST CHANGES AND CONTINUOUS AGGRESSIVE AILERON AND ELEVATOR INPUTS. AT 200 FT THE ACFT DIVERGED RAPIDLY ABOVE THE GS AND A MISSED APCH WAS INITIATED. TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CLB ON RWY HEADING TO 2000 FT. AFTER REACHING 2000 FT I LEVELED THE ACFT AND ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. A SHORT TIME LATER THE ALT ALERTER SOUNDED AND OBSERVING THE ACFT TO HAVE DSNDED TO 1600 FT, I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND THERE FOLLOWED A PERIOD OF ABOUT 15 SECONDS DURING WHICH I FAILED TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE, ACCURATE CTL OF THE ACFT. ACFT HEADING WAS L OF RWY HEADING AND AFTER ADDING THRUST, PITCHING UP AND BANKING TO THE R, THE ACFT CLBED BRIEFLY TO 2700 FT, ACCELERATED TO 300 KTS AND ROLLED INTO A 45 DEG R BANK. AT THIS POINT INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L AND ENTER HOLDING WERE RECEIVED AND I INADVERTENTLY ROLLED THE ACFT INTO A 60 DEG BANK TO THE L. CTL WAS RECOVERED AS QUICKLY AS IT WAS LOST, NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS A NERVE WRACKING AND FRUSTRATING, IF BRIEF, CRISIS. WE DIVERTED UNEVENTFULLY TO BALTIMORE. TO THE EXTENT THAT LACK OF GOOD JUDGEMENT IS A FACTOR IT IS CLR THAT OUR JUDGEMENT WAS IMPAIRED BY FATIGUE. THE CREW WAS ALSO FATIGUED TO A POINT THAT DID NOT BECOME ENTIRELY APPARENT UNTIL AFTER THE SUBSEQUENT REST PERIOD. APART FROM THE VERY TURBULENT CONDITIONS THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS THAT THE WAKE OF THE B757 WAS A FACTOR AND THAT I FAILED TO PROPERLY ENGAGE THE ALT HOLD FUNCTION OF THE AUTOPLT OR THAT THE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS EXCEEDED THE AUTOPLT PERFORMANCE LIMITS.

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.