Narrative:

I recently checked out as captain on the B727 with air carrier X. The following occurred on my first pairing as a part 121 line captain. On the second day of a 2-DAY pairing: XA45 local wake-up after a minimum rest layover in saipan to begin a 7 leg day to finish up the shuttle between guam and saipan (110 mi). The B727 we manned was different from the one we had flown in the night before. This had no autoplt. Flew to guam. Maintenance swapped out an autoplt pitch controller and performed a ground test satisfactorily, but was too rushed to sign it off. Maintenance requested I flight check the equipment en route to saipan. Because of the satisfactory ground check (with which I took part), I agreed to latch up the autoplt en route to saipan and system checked out ok in 'a' mode, but did not have time to try 'B' mode. On later leg, checked out 'B' mode and it was ok, but back in guam where I hoped the autoplt would be signed off, we were pushed for time. (During the course of the day we rejected a takeoff, at low speed -- 5 KTS, because of a takeoff warning horn: sticky speed brake not fully seated in its detent, and we rejected a landing when, in the course of an airport disaster drill a renegade ambulance with no communications with tower raced across the approach end of the active runway while I was on final. By the end of the day, I was a bit tired.) on the last 2 legs (gum-spn-gum), my first officer was replaced by a check airman who was going to be observed by the FAA giving me a 'no notice' line check. Determined to do a complete and thorough job, I briefed every phase of flight thoroughly. ATIS in saipan reported lndgs on a runway with no GS, and I wanted to study what available landing aids there were. Because I was fatigued and involved with a new copilot, FAA, different runway and line check, I inadvertently latched up a placarded autoplt when I leveled off and used it until the beginning of my descent. 1) I should not flight check any inoperative equipment while carrying passenger and not be talked into it by maintenance. 2) if I'm fatigued, I should not fly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF A B727 USED THE AUTOPLT WHEN IT HADN'T BEEN SIGNED OFF. HE HAD USED IT ALL DAY, TESTING IT AT MAINT REQUEST. DURING THE LAST LEG A CHK PLT AND AN FAA ACI GOT ON BOARD TO PERFORM A CHK RIDE. DURING HIS MIND SET AND PERSONAL HABIT HE FORGOT THE TECHNICALITIES AND ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT.

Narrative: I RECENTLY CHKED OUT AS CAPT ON THE B727 WITH ACR X. THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED ON MY FIRST PAIRING AS A PART 121 LINE CAPT. ON THE SECOND DAY OF A 2-DAY PAIRING: XA45 LCL WAKE-UP AFTER A MINIMUM REST LAYOVER IN SAIPAN TO BEGIN A 7 LEG DAY TO FINISH UP THE SHUTTLE BTWN GUAM AND SAIPAN (110 MI). THE B727 WE MANNED WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE WE HAD FLOWN IN THE NIGHT BEFORE. THIS HAD NO AUTOPLT. FLEW TO GUAM. MAINT SWAPPED OUT AN AUTOPLT PITCH CTLR AND PERFORMED A GND TEST SATISFACTORILY, BUT WAS TOO RUSHED TO SIGN IT OFF. MAINT REQUESTED I FLT CHK THE EQUIP ENRTE TO SAIPAN. BECAUSE OF THE SATISFACTORY GND CHK (WITH WHICH I TOOK PART), I AGREED TO LATCH UP THE AUTOPLT ENRTE TO SAIPAN AND SYS CHKED OUT OK IN 'A' MODE, BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO TRY 'B' MODE. ON LATER LEG, CHKED OUT 'B' MODE AND IT WAS OK, BUT BACK IN GUAM WHERE I HOPED THE AUTOPLT WOULD BE SIGNED OFF, WE WERE PUSHED FOR TIME. (DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY WE REJECTED A TKOF, AT LOW SPD -- 5 KTS, BECAUSE OF A TKOF WARNING HORN: STICKY SPD BRAKE NOT FULLY SEATED IN ITS DETENT, AND WE REJECTED A LNDG WHEN, IN THE COURSE OF AN ARPT DISASTER DRILL A RENEGADE AMBULANCE WITH NO COMS WITH TWR RACED ACROSS THE APCH END OF THE ACTIVE RWY WHILE I WAS ON FINAL. BY THE END OF THE DAY, I WAS A BIT TIRED.) ON THE LAST 2 LEGS (GUM-SPN-GUM), MY FO WAS REPLACED BY A CHK AIRMAN WHO WAS GOING TO BE OBSERVED BY THE FAA GIVING ME A 'NO NOTICE' LINE CHK. DETERMINED TO DO A COMPLETE AND THOROUGH JOB, I BRIEFED EVERY PHASE OF FLT THOROUGHLY. ATIS IN SAIPAN RPTED LNDGS ON A RWY WITH NO GS, AND I WANTED TO STUDY WHAT AVAILABLE LNDG AIDS THERE WERE. BECAUSE I WAS FATIGUED AND INVOLVED WITH A NEW COPLT, FAA, DIFFERENT RWY AND LINE CHK, I INADVERTENTLY LATCHED UP A PLACARDED AUTOPLT WHEN I LEVELED OFF AND USED IT UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF MY DSCNT. 1) I SHOULD NOT FLT CHK ANY INOP EQUIP WHILE CARRYING PAX AND NOT BE TALKED INTO IT BY MAINT. 2) IF I'M FATIGUED, I SHOULD NOT FLY.

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.