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Arrival DC10 descends below assigned altitude when altitude automatic capture feature of the autoplt fails to level the aircraft at 10000 ft. Flight crew was distraction with an amended clearance and a runway change, retrieval of other approach plates.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 371170 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199706 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : aml |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iad |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 371170 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 183 flight time total : 19610 flight time type : 3658 |
| ASRS Report | 370795 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
Aircraft leveled at 10000 ft with autoplt engaged. While slowing to 250 KTS was given a heading change and also a runway change from runway 1 to runway 19. As aircraft was in turn, aircraft descended to 9500 ft without an altitude warning from the altitude warning system. Disengaged autoplt and climbed back to 10000 ft. Supplemental information from acn 370799: after finding the new approach plate all 3 crew members noticed simultaneously that our altitude was 9600 ft. The autoplt altitude capture had failed to arm. Contributing factors: momentary distraction of a runway change given less than 1000 ft from leveloff altitude. Crew fatigue due to inbound leg from europe. XA00 report time for this flight. This was day 3 of a 9 day pattern to europe which included 6 ocean xings.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ARR DC10 DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT WHEN ALT AUTO CAPTURE FEATURE OF THE AUTOPLT FAILS TO LEVEL THE ACFT AT 10000 FT. FLC WAS DISTR WITH AN AMENDED CLRNC AND A RWY CHANGE, RETRIEVAL OF OTHER APCH PLATES.
Narrative: ACFT LEVELED AT 10000 FT WITH AUTOPLT ENGAGED. WHILE SLOWING TO 250 KTS WAS GIVEN A HDG CHANGE AND ALSO A RWY CHANGE FROM RWY 1 TO RWY 19. AS ACFT WAS IN TURN, ACFT DSNDED TO 9500 FT WITHOUT AN ALT WARNING FROM THE ALT WARNING SYS. DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AND CLBED BACK TO 10000 FT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 370799: AFTER FINDING THE NEW APCH PLATE ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS NOTICED SIMULTANEOUSLY THAT OUR ALT WAS 9600 FT. THE AUTOPLT ALT CAPTURE HAD FAILED TO ARM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MOMENTARY DISTR OF A RWY CHANGE GIVEN LESS THAN 1000 FT FROM LEVELOFF ALT. CREW FATIGUE DUE TO INBOUND LEG FROM EUROPE. XA00 RPT TIME FOR THIS FLT. THIS WAS DAY 3 OF A 9 DAY PATTERN TO EUROPE WHICH INCLUDED 6 OCEAN XINGS.
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.