DC10-30 freighter, heavy and at high altitude in holding pattern. Airspeed approximately 230 KTS with very strong winds, 100 KTS plus. During turn and extreme shift of relative wind over wings, plus narrow flight envelope, airspeed decreased rapidly and flight crew had to descend to maintain airspeed.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	368445
Time
Date	199705
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 30F
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	368445
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Flight mem to ewr. Told to hold. Aircraft decelerated on turn back inbound to fix and we could not maintain altitude. Notified center. They said lower unavailable. We declared emergency and we were leaving altitude for lower. Later (approximately 10 mins) we told center we had no aircraft problems and we were no longer 'emergency.' center/ATC said fine and that was all we heard. Rest of flight uneventful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter, so, attributed the deceleration and subsequent loss of altitude to high winds at altitude, 100 KTS plus out of the north. The holding pattern was east/west and holding airspeed 230 KTS. Because the aircraft was very heavy and at high altitude, FL350, the flight envelope was small. So, when turning in the holding pattern, the strong wind shift relative to the aircraft resulted in an airspeed loss which required an immediate descent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10-30 FREIGHTER, HVY AND AT HIGH ALT IN HOLDING PATTERN. AIRSPD APPROX 230 KTS WITH VERY STRONG WINDS, 100 KTS PLUS. DURING TURN AND EXTREME SHIFT OF RELATIVE WIND OVER WINGS, PLUS NARROW FLT ENVELOPE, AIRSPD DECREASED RAPIDLY AND FLC HAD TO DSND TO MAINTAIN AIRSPD.

Narrative: FLT MEM TO EWR. TOLD TO HOLD. ACFT DECELERATED ON TURN BACK INBOUND TO FIX AND WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT. NOTIFIED CTR. THEY SAID LOWER UNAVAILABLE. WE DECLARED EMER AND WE WERE LEAVING ALT FOR LOWER. LATER (APPROX 10 MINS) WE TOLD CTR WE HAD NO ACFT PROBS AND WE WERE NO LONGER 'EMER.' CTR/ATC SAID FINE AND THAT WAS ALL WE HEARD. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR, SO, ATTRIBUTED THE DECELERATION AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ALT TO HIGH WINDS AT ALT, 100 KTS PLUS OUT OF THE NORTH. THE HOLDING PATTERN WAS E/W AND HOLDING AIRSPD 230 KTS. BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS VERY HVY AND AT HIGH ALT, FL350, THE FLT ENVELOPE WAS SMALL. SO, WHEN TURNING IN THE HOLDING PATTERN, THE STRONG WIND SHIFT RELATIVE TO THE ACFT RESULTED IN AN AIRSPD LOSS WHICH REQUIRED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT.

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.